St. Maarten Private Eye

I don't need for anyone to call for a boycott of St Maarten/Martin to form my own boycott after the way this incident was handled. Our group left the island happy that we had just enjoyed a wonderful vacation even though, at well over $1000 per person, it was also the most money I have spent on vacation in the Caribbean to date. My boyfriend and I were there on the beach next to the victims just days before the attack, thinking how nice it is to be on a caribbean island which is friendly to gay people, rather than outlawing homosexuality as many islands do. And we even went to Bliss (in the area of Bamboo Bernies) one night right before the attack and furtunately were tired and didn't stay late.

It will probably be a long, long time before I go back at this point. I am left with a bitter taste about the Caribbean when I think about this incident as well as stories like the one in Time about how Jamaica is the just the most anti-homosexual place in the Caribbean, but certainly not alone. It can take a long time for a gay man like myself to quit trying to hide signs of homosexuality when in public, and I don't really want to go back to that.

It is very annoying to think that the people of St Maarten would love to have all my tourist dollars as long as I don't act gay. I am sure that doesn't include everyone there, but it seems to include enough people that the newspaper will express the opinion that the victims were asking for it, and that a gang of people will beat up tourists because they are gay in front of others without worrying about being identified.

I only hope that something good can come out of this, but I am not satisfied that has happened yet...