J-FLAG is the first human rights organisation in the history of Jamaica to serve the needs of LGBT peoples and over time it became the first port of call for the media, resulting in J-FLAG assuming the role of the mouthpiece for the LGBT community.
J-FLAG is a Non-Profit NGO that is in the business of promoting social change in furtherance of the well-being of the members of the LGBT community, through a range of internally directed and externally focused tools including: Public Education, Crisis Intervention and Empowerment; Research; Rights-based Advocacy; Legal Aid and Legal Reform.
Mission
To promote social change by empowering the Jamaican lgbt community & build tolerance for and acceptance of the lgbt community by the wider Jamaican society
Vision
The creation of a Jamaican society that respects and protects the human rights and inherent dignity of all individuals irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identity: A Jamaica where there is the freedom to be, for all people.
Values
J-FLAG promotes the values of all-inclusivity, diversity, equality, fairness, and love. These values are at the heart of all we do, as we seek to become effective agents of social change.
Meaning of ‘all-sexuals’
The term all-sexual was adopted in 1997 to reflect a continuum in sexual identity, which captures the consensual bisexual and transgender experiences of sexual minorities more so than any sexual activities or behaviours. It is not intended to capture or include persons who are orientated to have sex with animals, children or family members. This position l stands at the core of our understanding and interpretation.
History
The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays was founded on Thursday December 10, 1998 as the first human rights organization in the history of Jamaica to serve the needs of Lesbians, Gays and Bisexuals and Transgendered (LGBT) peoples.
J-FLAG was started by a group of 12 men and women: educators, lawyers, public relations practitioners, advertisers and human rights activists who saw the need to advocate for the protection of LGBT people from state-sanctioned and community violence. In this regard, J-FLAG’s call was for the fair and equal treatment of gays and lesbians under the law and by the ordinary citizen.
One of J-FLAG’s first major undertakings was a submission to the Joint Select Committee on the Charter of Rights Bill seeking to amend the non-discrimination clause to include ‘Sexual Orientation’. J-FLAG has expanded its Legal Reform and Advocacy efforts, and expanded its activities to include Public Education and Crisis Intervention and Support Programmes. J-FLAG continues to encourage Jamaicans to have a deeper understanding of their plurality and their democracy; it will continue seeking to raise the level of debate in the society about the meaning of tolerance and the acceptance of difference. Accordingly, J-FLAG will attempt to forge new relationships with a wider cross-section of organisations committed to strengthening democracy and the promotion of respect for all Jamaicans, regardless of sexual orientation, gender, creed, religion or social status. Over the thirteen years of our existence, J-FLAG has stood as the foremost voice in Jamaica calling for the respect of LGBT peoples as citizens with the same rights and value as heterosexual Jamaicans