Colour Pink Group

A network of drains runs through Kingston, about 10 feet below ground and usually clogged with trash. They are there to catch the rains, which come sometimes with no warning and can be very heavy, flooding the city’s streets and making roads impassable.

A few steps from Kingston’s main business thoroughfare, one of these drains is home for a group of men and boys who have nowhere else to go.

These men and boys are between the ages of 15 and 28 and have most likely been rejected by their families and communities because of who they are. They are gay, bisexual, transgender, or like to wear women’s clothes. (I have written on this topic, check out one of the posts here.)

Last night I visited these men with friends who run the Colour Pink Group.

We arrived around 7 p.m., when the men and boys were getting ready to attend a free party later up in the hills of Kingston. Some were bleaching their hair with peroxide, so they had plastic bags on their head. Others were walking around, just talking to one another, and us, when we arrived.

Representatives from the Colour Pink Group (a non-profit organization that aims to raise money for these youth and provide skills training) visit these men and boys every Friday and Saturday nights, handing out free condoms and just checking in to see if they are ok.

Sometimes they are, sometimes they are not. Many of them earn money through sex work, which is a risk in itself. All of them face threats to their safety simply because of who they are and most of them do not know when they will next eat or drink. They also face the threat of being exposed to the elements, in a drain that can flood when it rains. If there is a threat of a hurricane, there are shelters, but in reality, these shelters are not accessible; some of these men dress in women’s clothes and identify as female and would not be safe.

Living in this drain also means they are vulnerable to the public. The police will often come and “run them down,” which can mean several things. (A while back, they made several arrests after people accused the group of robbing nearby homes and businesses.)

On this night, the condoms were received eagerly. One man of 20 years old told me he was not going to the party because he had to go work on the road. I asked him about his work, and he said he can get around five or more clients every night. Depending on the night, he can make at a minimum $500 for oral sex. He is at risk, of course, because while some men know he is male, others don’t, and if they find out, the consequences can be severe. He carries a knife or a bottle sometimes.

As we were chatting, the boys and men called to people passing by. Most did not acknowledge them. A few people stopped to stare as if it were a TV show and then moved on. A couple of vendors stopped by to see if they could sell anything (cotton candy and fruit). The police also drove by a couple of times, once stopping nearby, but out of view, so that only their blue flashing lights could be seen glancing off the nearby building.

We stayed about an hour, and more young men kept joining us. For the time being, this is their home and their community, but the Colour Pink Group and an advocacy group called Dwayne’s House is trying to change the situation, as it is not acceptable.