THE funeral service of Jason John, also known as Jada, the final of three members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community, who died three Sundays ago in a double-murder and suicide in Georgetown city just streets away from each other, took place yesterday from Sandy’s Funeral Parlour in Chapel Street, Lodge.

At this funeral and viewing, the atmosphere was somewhat more tempered than had obtained in the funeral of Carl Sinclair, aka Tyra Banks. There was not much work for the police with respect to clearing of the roadways, and the crowd seemed more cooperative with the police, relatives and parlour managers.

The drama that unfolded at this funeral was not that grand, and mourners were somewhat more circumspect in their behaviour, as were the spectators. At one point, certain elements who turned up for the funeral, after realising that the atmosphere was not conducive for behaviours like had been displayed in the funeral of Carl Sinclair, left the area.

After what could be described an orderly viewing and funeral service at Sandy’s Funeral Home, John’s body was then passed by his Lamaha Street residence; thence to the National Park, where he attended dance practice; thence to Leopold Street, where he was murdered; before making its way into Le Repentir for the burial.

Samuel Bristol
Early last week, Samuel Bristol of Nabaclis, ECD, who knifed two of his former gay lover’s friends to death, was laid to rest quietly on the East Coast of Demerara with no apparent support from members of the gay community.

The members of the gay community, especially the commercial sex workers and trans-genders, accused Bristol of being an abuser, and of living an undercover gay life without his family members’ knowledge. They were all up in arms at the slaying of two of their colleagues by Bristol, who failed to get to his intended target in the wee hours of the morning of July 20, 2014.

Carl Sinclair, aka Tyra Banks
There was much drama and confusion at this same funeral parlour last week Thursday when it was time for the final viewing and burial of Carl Sinclair, also known as Tyra Banks.

The confusion started at the funeral parlour where the body was laid for viewing and where relatives of the murdered cross-dresser opted to have some time alone with their loved ones.

Members of the gay community did not take very kindly to that request, since, according to them, they were being prevented from viewing the remains of their friend. However, relatives and other persons said that what really transpired was that the viewing at the parlour could not be lengthy, given the distance the body had to travel for the final viewing and burial on the East Bank of Essequibo.

Ruckus
When members of the gay community could not view the body of Carl Sinclair, they moved to the other side of the Chapel, where the remains of another male was awaiting family members to arrive and view. The LGBT community and their following then began partying to the sound of the one-man band in that section of the Chapel, even as the remains of the total stranger were opened, awaiting the arrival of family members.

They danced, sang, cracked jokes, and even made a mockery of the strange remains which were laid in that section of the Chapel.

Hundreds had turned out at Carl Sinclair’s funeral, some to mourn and others to spectate; some were crossed dressed while others modelled the streets; and they created a spectacle of the event.

The police were finally called in to restore order, and it took approximately 45 minutes before the police and relatives were finally able to persuade the gathering to allow the hearse with Sinclair’s body out of its parking position.

At one point, because of the manner in which Carl Sinclair’s mourners and friends were behaving, the parlour management took a decision to remove the casket with the remains from out of one of the more expensive hearses and place it into a minibus which was converted into a hearse.

Asked why the switch was made, a senior manager at the parlour said that should the first hearse be damaged, the loss would be on the parlour.

While on the East Bank of Essequibo, the relatives of Carl Sinclair, aka Tyra Banks, handed the body over to the gay community, who walked with the casket bearing the remains for about a quarter of a mile to the burial ground, where they were responsible for placing it in its final resting place.

There was no pastor at the graveside to perform any final prayers over the remains, as is normally customary with funerals.
Written By Leroy Smith