Why equality and social justice is so important to me

I want to tell you a story about why equality and social justice is so important to me, especially in this month of #pride2021, and also tell you about this photo! 🏳️‍🌈

Back in 2008 I was living in Jamaica working as a Project Engineer on a $100m bauxite refinery expansion.

It was Sunday 30 March and it was Carnival.

Tens of thousands of people came out to party with music and dancing. 🔊

In the Caribbean it's a big deal. ☀️🇯🇲

In the capital of Jamaica ... you can imagine. 🎺

Mid afternoon, amongst the music and crowd, a commotion started. 🗯

People started shouting, hissing and pointing.

Over the music, the mood had changed. The crowd had gone from the nation's biggest party to tension. You could feel it. I could feel it.

Upon looking around, against the flow of the crowds the simple act of two gay men holding hands walking down the street was causing a crowd. 👀

It wasn't just a crowd... it was an abusive crowd, which was swelling in size and aggression.

The abusive shouts I won't repeat, or the gun hand gestures, but it was bad. 🚫

The shouts turned to throwing things. Stones, bottles, anything around, all for two people walking down a street.

Within 60 seconds the street which I lived on had changed.

The whole world had stopped because of two people holding hands. 🤝

...

Identifying the mood change, the Police asked the gentlemen to get in the back of their van (pictured) to escape the scene before it turned worse. 🚓

What happened next, the crowd turned on the van.

They smashed the window and the boy front left is seen diving for cover from the glass. 🙈

I was stood in the middle with my camera taking this photo. 📷