Tyler Perry faces backlash from Grenadians over Homophobia remarks

In response to a press release made by American actor and director Tyler Perry, quite a few Grenadians took to social media this week to contest the portrayal of their nation as one tormented by homophobia and prison exercise.

Perry had lately provided a $100,000 reward for info concerning the homicide of Josiah ‘Jonty’ Robinson. Robinson, a resident of Beaulieu, St George, was found deceased on BBC Seaside on June 18, 2023. 

The decision to motion from Perry occurred after he spoke with Yvette Noel-Schure, a Grenadian publicist and intimate good friend to Jonty, who had served as a maternal determine in his life.

Tyler Perry’s controversial remarks

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Perry shared his heartbreak together with his Instagram viewers.

“Just a few days in the past I received a particularly heartbreaking telephone name from my good friend, Yvette Noel-Schure. Via her tears and grief she was telling me that in her residence nation of Grenada, a younger man that was like a son to her was murdered. My soul ached as she shared that he was a younger, gifted singer who was murdered as a result of he was homosexual,” Perry wrote.

The actor-director drew parallels between Jonty’s loss of life and different situations of violence. 

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“My thoughts instantly went to Mathew Shepard, and all the opposite victims of racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic, xenophobic, mindless violence. This child was 24, how is that this okay? His mom is devastated,” he continued.

The Royal Grenada Police Power (RGPF) has since dispelled allegations that Robinson’s homicide was a hate crime. 

Post-mortem experiences point out that Robinson was strangled earlier than his physique was discarded into the ocean.

A powerful response: Grenadians counter Perry’s accusations

Locals, whereas acknowledging the gravity of the crime, known as on Perry and others to withhold judgment and permit the police investigation to proceed earlier than casting their homeland in a detrimental mild. 

They argued that such accusations may jeopardize the tranquil island’s tourism-reliant economic system.

A few of the feedback on Perry’s submit expressed concern over this rapidly drawn portrait of their nation. 

One particular person commented expressing that homicide over sexual orientation just isn’t a typical incidence in Grenada, including that such a heinous act just isn’t akin to practices in nations like Afghanistan, Brunei, Iran, Mauritania, and others. 

Many echoed these sentiments, criticizing Perry for prematurely implying a hate crime in an ongoing investigation with no concrete proof. 

Regardless of the predominant protection of Grenada’s status, some customers spotlighted the obstacles confronted by queer people. 

One consumer famous that Jonty and others from the queer neighborhood have been ridiculed when reporting violence in opposition to them. 

 

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