For most people, the threat of bottles, bones and stones gushing into their beds as they sleep is not exactly high.

But for one community in Jamaica, it is something they have to deal with every night - along with the risk of being assaulted, raped or even murdered... just for being gay.

Such is the life of one group of homeless LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) youths who live in a storm drain (or 'gully') in the country's capital, Kingston - as revealed in a short documentary made by VICE News.

Scroll down for video (Warning: contains strong language)



Homeless gay and transgender youngsters have made a home for themselves in a mosquito-infested storm drain (or 'gully') in Kingston, Jamaica

The Gully Queens, as they call themselves, have sought refuge in the drains after being forced out from shacks, derelict buildings, and sometimes by their own families

One of the inhabitants washes in the storm drain under a hydrant, from which clean water flows. Homophobia is rife in Jamaica, with 80 per cent of the population harbouring anti-gay sentiment

The Gully Queens, as they call themselves, have sought refuge in the drains after being forced out from shacks, derelict buildings, and sometimes by their own families.

Unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary.

For that reason, a hint of optimism pervades the lives of the Gully Queens, who go by such colourful names as Pebbles, Batman, Rihanna and Beyonce.

They try to live as dignified a life as possible, given their filthy cockroach/mosquito-infested surroundings: clothes are laid out to dry on the side of the drain; they shower with clean water that gushes from a hydrant; and sleep on makeshift mattresses crafted from pallets and carpets.

Unwilling to hide their sexuality, the sense of community and relative safety the gully provides acts as a welcome sanctuary

Khloe, one of the Gully Queens, whose transgendered friend Dwayne Jones was murdered in 2013

A 'buggery' law still exists in Jamaica, harking back to colonial times, whereby anyone caught having anal sex faces 10 years of hard labour in jail - although homosexuality itself is not illegal

But at night, it can be cold, and there is the constant threat of someone jumping in to attack them.

Homophobia is rife in Jamaica, with 80 per cent of the population harbouring anti-gay sentiment.

There still exists a 'buggery' law, harking back to colonial times, whereby anyone caught having anal sex faces 10 years of hard labour in jail - although homosexuality itself is not illegal.

The film - Young And Gay: Jamaica's Gully Queens - explores how young transgender and homosexual people are leading the fight against the Caribbean island nation's institutionalised homophobia through visibility, community spirit and an outspoken attitude towards their position in society.

Violent attacks against the LGBT group are commonplace, with little to no retribution or justice brought against those responsible.

Evangelical preachers who promote homophobia attract huge and receptive audiences, while lyrics in popular songs regularly include exhortations to 'kill the batty boys'.

The Gully Queens do their best to scrape a living: selling biscuits, weed, alcohol and cigarettes, as well as engaging in sex work

Violent attacks against the LGBT group are commonplace, with little to no retribution or justice brought against those responsible

International advocacy groups often portray Jamaica as the most hostile country in the Western Hemisphere for gays and transgendered people.

Between 2009 and 2012, a total of 231 reports were made to J-FLAG (Jamaica Forum of Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays).

DEAD AT 16: KHLOE'S FRIEND Gully Queen, Khloe One of the Gully Queens is Khloe, whose friend Dwayne Jones - a transgender teen - was murdered in July 2013. Dwayne was relentlessly teased in high school for being effeminate until he dropped out. His father not only kicked him out of the house at the age of 14 but also helped jeering neighbours push the youngster from the rough Jamaican slum where he grew up. By the age of 16, the teenager was dead - beaten, stabbed, shot and run over by a car when he showed up at a street party dressed as a woman. His mistake: confiding to a friend that he was attending a 'straight' party as a girl for the first time in his life. 'When I saw Dwayne's body, I started shaking and crying,' Khloe told Associated Press. She was one of three transgendered friends who shared a derelict house with the teenager in the hills above the north coast city of Montego Bay. Like most transgenders and gays in Jamaica, Khloe wouldn't give a full name out of fear. 'It was horrible. It was so, so painful to see him like that.' Advertisement

Most incidents were related to assaults, physical attacks, and displacement from homes and communities.

Other incidents included extortion and threats as well as sexual violence, particularly against lesbians and bisexual women.

Homophobic attacks sometimes occur in broad daylight, with the footage then shared across social media.

The run-up to the 2012 election provided a glimmer of hope for the gay community - when Jamaica's prime minister Portia Simpson Miller aimed to review the buggery law, in a show of support for gay rights - but she has since failed to follow through on her proposals.

In the documentary, one Gully Queen resident told VICE News reporter Christo Geoghegan: 'We'll have drama in the gully every day. They even throw acid and chop [people] up.'

However, Kingston's police force has its own take on the crisis.

Christopher Murdoch, commanding officer of the New Kingston Police, said there were problems with the 'diverse, sexual group' in the gully who 'use the umbrella of the gay community to commit crimes' including 'stealing phones' from passers-by 'by threatening with knives or machetes'.

For their part, the Gully Queens do their best to scrape a living: selling biscuits, weed, alcohol and cigarettes, as well as sex work.

One resident, Daggering [who sees himself as female], said that when people found out he was gay, he went to live in a squat, where he made many friends.

Then one night, someone came in and killed two of his companions by cutting their throats.

During the documentary, Daggering is seen celebrating his birthday.

One of his friends, Trina Boss Bitch, says, 'I wish she lives to see many, many more.'