Photo Caption: Lawyer and human rights activist Maurice Tomlinson
On March 10, as part of UAlberta Pride Week 2016, the University of Alberta Faculty of Law was proud to co-sponsor with the Institute for Sexual Minority Studies and Services (iSMSS), a screening of The Abominable Crime, an award-winning documentary examining the effects of anti-gay laws and culture in Jamaica. The screening drew a crowd of 60 to the Law Centre, and after the film, the audience participated in a Q&A, moderated by Dean Paton, with one of the subjects of the documentary, human rights lawyer and LGBTI activist Maurice Tomlinson. Pride Week representatives were also on hand to present Mr. Tomlinson with a large bag of UAlberta Pride Week swag that will be handed out during the Montego Bay Pride Parade in October.
The Abominable Crime recounts the experiences of Simone Edwards and Maurice Tomlinson, two individuals who experienced homophobia and violence in their home country of Jamaica. Ms. Edwards was forced to seek asylum in the Netherlands - leaving behind her young daughter with family members - after being shot twice on her front doorstep for the "crime" of being a lesbian. Mother and daughter were reunited after three years apart and are now living safely together in the Netherlands.
Mr. Tomlinson, once a corporate lawyer, switched his focus to human rights law to advocate for the LGBTI community in Jamaica. After he was outed by a local newspaper, Mr. Tomlinson fled to Canada to stay safe, but soon returned to Jamaica on a weekly basis - risking his own personal safety - to continue with his teaching and activism. Mr. Tomlinson is currently a Senior Policy Analyst for the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network in the Caribbean and provides sensitivity training to government workers, conducts visibility campaigns, supports homeless LGBTI youth, and works with faith leaders to develop more inclusive messages. He also participates in litigation, as both claimant and counsel, in order to overturn anti-gay laws in the Caribbean.
The film screening and talk-back event was co-sponsored by the University of Alberta Faculty of Law, iSMSS, and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Special thanks go to Chris Daberer and Dr. Kristopher Wells of iSMSS - and their team of dedicated volunteers - for their efforts organizing the event, and to Dean Paton for his welcome remarks and for moderating the Q&A.