Two gays arrested in Dominica for buggery

Another installment to file under Kathy Shaidle's occasional "Dear gays: this is why people hate you. You're welcome!" column.
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ROSEAU, Dominica (AP) — Two Southern California men pleaded guilty yesterday to indecent exposure in Dominica after they were arrested during a stop on a gay cruise of the Caribbean.

John Robert Hart, 41, and Dennis Jay Mayer, 43, of Palm Springs, apologised in court and said they regretted their actions. Police said they were seen having sex in plain sight of people on land, prompting officers to board the ship and arrest them on Wednesday.

The two initially were arrested on suspicion of the local equivalent of sodomy in the eastern Caribbean island, which prohibits sex between two men.

The men's attorney, Bernadette Lambert, said they were remorseful.

"They were struck by the beautiful mountains, the clean and clear fresh air and were having a few cocktails, and so threw caution to the wind," she told the court.

Chief Magistrate Evaline Baptiste ordered the men to pay a nearly US$900 fine after calling them "rogues and vagabonds." They made no comment after the hearing and police drove the men to the airport after they were released.

The two were aboard the Celebrity Summit cruise ship that had departed Puerto Rico on Saturday with about 2,000 passengers. The ship departed for St Barts late Wednesday, leaving the men behind.

The cruise was organised by Atlantis Events, a Southern California company that specialises in gay travel. President Rich Campbell did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the hearing.

Dozens of islanders packed the courtroom in the capital of Roseau to attend the 30-minute hearing.

Dominica Tourism Minister Ian Douglas said that tourists should abide by local laws regardless of their religious or sexual orientation, and that cruise ship officials should make passengers aware of these laws.

"It cannot be the responsibility of Dominica to screen guests and tourists before they come into the country," he said. "It is expected that any time people come to a country, they will respect the laws of the country."

Gay Caribbean cruises have been popular for several years despite hostility to homosexuality on certain islands, especially in Jamaica, Barbados and the Cayman Islands.

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  News & Politics

[Robin Hood]

FIND THE PROOF ON QUEERTY.COM PICTURE AVAILABLE. Dominica could have beenone of the few places that would welcome Homosexuals even with those ancient laws on the books. But you guys attempts to destroy our country has resulted in the many of the supporters from Dominica changing their opinions. To think I attended so many of your parades and supported your causes. You all should have rights like anyone does. But your actions has forced me and many of my friends to withdraw our support.

[SDAMatt2a]

Send your emails to Micah Ohlman at KTLA News in Los Angeles and ask when they're doing the follow-up to this story, now that the gruesome picture has been made public (and thanks to all of you who sent me the link - I stupidly looked at it and have since gone blind.).

[dedebug1]

FIRST OF ALL these americans need to learn how to pronounce the damn countries name its Dom-ih-nee-cuh NOT Doh-min-i-cuh & second they shouldnt have been naked in public in the 1st place making it a big deal for no reason.

if your going to go to a foreign island & disrespect it you better believe we wont tolerate it.

all you tourists going to other places and thinking just because your american your entitled to something need to realize these countries in the world wont put up with your shit.

[rick mage]

They got off lucky. Had they have had open gay sex out in the open in some other Muslim country, they would have been executed. Hell, if they had done it in the states, not only would they have been carried off to jail, they would have the "sexual offender tag" slapped on them for all eternity. The same would have happened if it would have been a man and a woman having sex out in the open, and these two gay lovers have the nerve to act shocked?? Sorry, but they should have known better.

[Burt ForMich]

dirty bastards



[tyreecetheman]

Your saying dominica wrong! And Caribbean!!

[xxSeddieBarbie]

Good job dominica!!! :)

[oOoSailineoOo]

Screw you, sexist people!

[Keviel1]

well except Puerto Rico and US Virgin Island

[roldans99]

Praise the Lord! Homosexuality is against the Word

[RobertJ1966]

I always woundered what would happen if some one taught a turd to talk; I wondered what it would say. After reading your post I see some one has taught a turd to talk. Now I see why we flush turds. Hum ... is this why the population of Dominica is black. They are walking turds?

[MsMig88]

Dominicans do better! Homosexuality is the least of our issues, there are pedophiles preying on our children within the family! This homophobia is illogical especially when u don't hold the unlimited amount of adulterers to the same standards.

[flagwaver1969]

They should have been flogged. No, perhaps they would have enjoyed that. I would have made them walk the plank like the old Cheech and Chong skit, Buggery On The High Seas.

[Msritaxmodel]

Thats right!!!! Dominica dont play!! Keep the nastiness out