Petrelis Files

SF Jamaican Consul to Meet Gays at City Hall;
Bars Boycott Myers's Rum, Red Stripe Beer

[If you decide to reproduce any of the photos on your news site or blog, all I ask is that you use the following text with the image: "Photo credit: boycottjamaica.org." and that you link to the site. More photos will be available later tonight here at Clinton Fein's site.]

Group shot at Harvey Milk Plaza, after the rally,with unopened bottles of Jamaican drinks that had been donated by an individual who wanted the swill out of his home.

From the left: Clinton Fein, with camera; Veronika Cauley dumping Myers's rum, and Gary Virginia wearing yellow and green boas. Notice the wet street, soaked with Red Stripe beer.

Our diva Veronika dumping every drop of Myers's rum on Castro Street.

From the left: Veronika Cauley, Duane Cramer, and
Jack Smith at Cafe Flore, a boycott supporter.

Under the enormous rainbow flag hung on the large pole at Harvey Milk Plaza, today at high noon, a handful of homosexual human rights advocates gathered to launch the Boycott Jamaica campaign over the escalating violence against gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and HIV poz persons in Jamaica.

At the event, Supervisor Bevan Dufty delivered the incredible news: He had arranged a meeting at his City Hall office with the honorary consul of Jamaica for San Francisco, Dr. Newton Gordon, DDS.

At the April 7 meeting, boycott organizers and elected officials will discuss their concerns over the latest State Department report that said Jamaican gays were victims of mob violence and targeted shootings. The group will urge immediate action and demand that Jamaica's government protect its GLBTI citizens.

The crowd was pleased to hear of this diplomatic development between gay leaders and the Jamaican government's official representatives. Activists were equally delighted when Dufty promised to get Myers's rum and Red Stripe beer out of the gay bars in San Francisco within 30 days time.

Our event's diva, Veronika Cauley, gave heart-breaking remarks about the abuses gay people are suffering on the island nation. She reminded us that as an African-American, transgender woman, who is living with AIDS, her moral duty was to speak out for boycotting Jamaican liquor and telling travelers to not visit the country.

In my comments, I read a short list of assorted bars, restaurants, civic leaders, web sites and political organization supporting the Jamaican boycott:

BARS

1. Cafe Flore, San Francisco

2. Buck Tavern, San Francisco

3. Gallery Lounge, San Francisco

4. DaDa Bar, San Francisco

5. Sidetracks, Chicago

RESTAURANTS

6. DeLessio Market & Cafe, San Francisco

7. Woodhouse Fish Company, San Francisco

8. Chow, San Francisco

CIVIC LEADERS

9. Patricia Nell Warren, Author of "The Front Runner"

10. Sean Strub, Founder of POZ Magazine

12. Bevan Dufty, Elected Official

13. Michael Petrelis, Community Organizer

14. Wayne Besen, Truths Wins Out

15. Jim Burroway, Box Turtle Bulletin

16. Clinton Fein, Political Artist

17. Tommi Avicolli Mecca, Housing Advocate

18. Gary Virginia, Leather Community Organizer

19. Veronika Cauley, Black Transgender Organizer

20. Duane Cramer, African-American HIV/AIDS Advocate

CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS

21. Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, South Africa

22. Alexander Hamilton GLBT Veteran's Post, San Francisco

WEB SITES:

23. GayBlackMensNews.com, USA

24. LGBT Hip Hop News, USA

25. Same Gender Loving Universe, USA

26. The Brother Love, USA

27. TransGriot from Monica Roberts, SA

NEWSPAPERS:

28. Seattle Gay News

Clinton Fein, political artist and activist, creator of the Boycott Jamaica/Red Stripe image, spoke about the Facebook page he's created for the boycott. He has also made fabulous Boycott Jamaica icons and such that would look great on blogs and gay news sites.

All in all, a great start to the Boycott Jamaica campaign.