Funny Gyal: My Fight Against Homophobia in Jamaica

When she was young, Angeline Jackson was told that she was bad for being attracted to other girls. A child of deeply Christian parents in the homophobic society of Jamaica, she struggled to be obedient, but, as she entered her teens, her sexuality was not something she could pretend away. Her story of coming to terms with herself and her community, Funny Gyal is a moving story of a courageous young woman determined to fight injustice.
In honest, evocative prose, Jackson describes her happy early life, then the traumatic experience of “corrective rape”, being forced into conversion therapy after coming out, and finally, learning to stand up to oppression in a society where homosexual sex is a criminal act.

A devout Christian, Jackson learned from her church leaders and a hidden book on sexuality that she was “wrang” (wrong). But she didn’t blindly accept what she was told and looked deeper. She discovered alternative readings in her faith scriptures and found online communities and connections that supported and affirmed her as a person and a Christian.

“Funny gyal” is the Jamaican term for a lesbian, and Jackson’s experiences with her church, her family, police and the justice system reveal deep injustice and oppression of LGBTQ people in Jamaican society. At every turn, Jackson was thwarted by prejudice and discrimination, but, rather than allow herself to be a victim, she was determined to be a survivor. “As a survivor, my experiences had not broken me. As a survivor, I was rising, not falling” (p. 203).

The intolerant forces in Jamaica are a disturbing reality, but they are tempered in the book by tenderness. Jackson is deeply religious, and, while she left her Brethren church because of their intolerance, she never lost her faith in God, a foundation for her world. The book is peppered with frequent scriptural quotations, something which may be disconcerting for a non-Christian reader, but it reflects Jackson’s spiritual reality, and her faith is a source of abiding strength. Jackson’s parents, too, can never fully accept her as she is, but they never cease to love her. While she acknowledges the distance this creates, Jackson’s affection for her family endures. Her romantic relationships are also tender and warm, and they teach her to hold to the conviction that “love is love.”

The book could present a challenge to a teen reader beyond the difficult subject matter. Because the story of her assault is broken into parts and scattered throughout the book, the narrative can feel disjointed. Also, while the language lends the book authenticity of voice and place, the Jamaican patois is sometimes difficult to decipher. Funny Gyal is not an easy book to read, but Jackson’s story is an important one.

Jackson is now an internationally recognized activist, based in Jamaica, working to change attitudes about gender violence, rape culture and oppression. Her story is one that will inspire others, not only to speak out against injustice, but also to be true to themselves.