December 10, 2009

Protest Buju Banton’s Grammy Nomination

or, Start a Petition

Change.org

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August 1, 2009

Elephant Man, Still Inciting Torture & Murder of Gays, Bounced from Toronto Show

Good:

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May 12, 2009

Jamaica: Actually, the Music is Only a Reflection of the Beatings and Murders

Expressions in Words, on the Jamaica Boycott:

Jamaica has long been known as a homophobic society - though granted we don’t have a poster at our international airports! More publicly, it is reflected in the music. Comparable to the spate of ‘daggering’ songs, local dancehall kings and queens vie for who can best describe with what should be done to homosexuals, often times in the most graphic of ways.

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April 2, 2009

Boycott Jamaica

About damned time:

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November 21, 2008

Reggae Gay-Hater Bounty Killer: “Faggot, I kill every one of them”

Title tells all.

Pink News UK has the story and the video, and a link to a second video…

…too distressing to be shown here, [which] records the attempted lynching of a gay man in Jamaica. You can hear the attackers shout the lyrics from murder music songs: “Batty men fi dead (queers must die).”

Click here to watch the video, which contains disturbing scenes of violence.

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August 31, 2008

New York “Straight Pride” Parade Complete Bust; Gay Haters (And Everybody But Joe) Stay Away in Droves

Joe.My.God. has the pictures… of absolutely nothing:

Straight Pride Parade: Attendance Zero

The things I do for you people, getting up at the asscrack of the Lord’s Day to trek out to Brooklyn’s Crown Heights for the much-hyped Straight Pride Parade. As you can see, however, I found the corner of Flatbush and Church, the parade’s supposed 10am starting point, completely deserted. Damn, and here I wanted a Straight Pride t-shirt.

I did see a good number of cars whizzing by that were festooned with flags from Jamaica and other Caribbean nations, but those were probably just folks getting ready for tomorrow’s massive West Indian Day Parade. Just to make sure I hadn’t missed the fun, I popped into a few shops to inquire if anybody had seen a parade this morning. The manager of Raquel Shoes told me, “I’ve been here since 8:30am. It’s been totally quiet all morning.” …

I at least expected to find a couple of reporters lurking around, but the only folks on the street seemed to be morning shoppers. …

Who knows, maybe I blinked and missed a handful of haters marching up Church Avenue wearing Buju Banton t-shirts. What a laughable non-event. And that, my tender kittens, is a very good thing.

Great parade, gay-bashers!

Related:

Gay-Hating Reggae Singers Coming to NYC for Anti-Gay Pride
July 8, 2008

Four Days Until Jamaican Gay Bashers Descend on New York
August 27, 2008

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August 27, 2008

Four Days Until Jamaican Gay Bashers Descend on New York

New Yorkers, what are you planning for a protest? There’s virtually no news, even in the LGBT media, on this disgusting display of anti-gay aggression. Are you going to let this happen without showing up, or at least speaking up?

Backstory:

Gay-Hating Reggae Singers Coming to NYC for Anti-Gay Pride

If the above link isn’t enough to make you sick to your stomach, here’s an August 19th press release from the gay-haters themselves:

Reggae and Dancehall Music Defend Itself Against the Homosexual Community

TCOOO, the reggae label for artists such as Massicker, Jango Fresh, Boom Viniyard and Stapler will be holding a straight pride parade in New York City on August 31, 2008. The label hopes that this parade and more to follow will rid Reggae of the negative “murder music” label that, according to the TCOOO label, has been given to the music by gay right activists such as Peter Tatchell.

New York, NY (PRWEB) August 19, 2008 — With the straight pride parade in New York City only two weeks away, Reggae continues to defend itself against the recent boycotts of the music. The main purpose of the parade is to get rid of some of the negative stereotypes that, according to the TCOOO label, has been attributed to not only the Reggae community, but to Jamaica and Jamaicans in general.

Some Reggae artists believe that reggae music has been unfairly targeted. Stapler from the TCOOO label and the artist behind “Hit them hard,” the song at the root of the straight pride parade, believes the gay community targets Reggae because 99 percent of the artists are African American.

Yeah, pull the racism card, Stapler. It couldn’t possibly be that it’s not your skin color, but your deep-rooted, activist aggression and violent hate speech that bothers us, could it?

“Eminem dissed them and they protested a little, then Eminem performed on stage with Elton John and all was forgiven,” said Stapler. “Beenie man went on the Ru-Paul show so why are gays still bent on destroying Reggae music?”

Hey, Stapler: Better you should ask why reggae artists are bent on destroying gay people. You stop inciting violence against us, and we’ll leave you alone. You actively work against anti-gay violence, and we might even consider buying your records again.

Massicker from the TCOOO label took it a step further, saying, “Look at the Reggae artists that they target. They go after Buju Banton and Sizzla, but they don’t bother a Sean Paul or a Damian Marley. When Damian Marley said, ‘Funny man get drop like a bad habit,’ what do they think a funnyman is? A funnyman is a homosexual, so are they afraid to challenge a Marley, or is he not Black enough for the homosexual community to try and destroy?”

Get off your cross, Massicker — your fellow gay-bashers need the nails.

As far as Sean Paul and Damian Marley: Who the hell are they? If they were as high-profile as Sizzla and Elephant Man (and espoused hatred against gay people), we’d say something about them, too.

TCOOO maintains that the label just wants to make music for Reggae fans worldwide and doesn’t have the time for any negativity. The label’s song “Hit them hard” by artist Stapler was banned by numerous radio stations after climbing to the top ten on numerous Reggae charts for what some claim was anti-gay content. Both the label and Stapler deny the claim, saying that the song is really a pro-family song.

Then the label and Stapler are clearly delusional — or just plain stupid, or just plain liars, or just plain milking this controversy for all its worth with clearly inflammatory statements because all publicity is good publicity. Yes, I believe that’s it exactly.

The Straight Pride Parade will take place in Brooklyn, New York along Church avenue on August 31, 2008 form 10AM to 6PM. Information about the parade can be found at TCOOO’s websites at www.tcooo.imeem.com.

“Hit Them Hard” lyrics by the artist Stapler:

“Jah Jah gonna hit them hard
All the men who visit men backyard
Leaving all the women to starve
One thunder ball and all of them pause

Hand in hand with my lady
Hug her and kiss her cause she carried my baby
But some boys moving shady
While am chilling on the ends making sweet love to Sadie
All I know am here to produce and all the ladies you are my friends
From the past, the present, the future my girl, love and respect to the end

Jah Jah gonna hit them hard
All the men who visit men backyard
Leaving all the women to starve
One thunder ball and all of them pause

Remember you are a King, what happened to your queen
The youths need a role model to instill self esteem
So live your life clean
and you will see what I mean

Jah Jah gonna hit them hard
All the men who visit men backyard
Leaving all the women to starve
One thunder ball and all of them pause

The world is spinning and everything in it
Mankind lose their way, some gone past their limit
Am here to advice and to be a critic
Be careful of the lifestyle you choose to exhibit
Children live what they learn
Aren’t you concerned
of your choices in society
We need to preserve the value of a male and a female in every family”

Ugly. Just ugly. And dangerous.

Related:

Change of Heart for Jamaican Hate-Music Stars? We’re Not Buying It.
June 13, 2007

We’ll Believe It When He Never Sings “Boom Bye Bye” Again
July 23, 2007

Toronto Cops to Keep Close Eye on Jamaican Hate Music Purveyors
September 26, 2007

Toronto: Elephant Man, Sizzla Shows Cancelled
October 2, 2007

NDP Calls for Boycott of Anti-Gay & Lesbian Artists
October 4, 2007

We Knew Buju Banton Was Full of Bull. Sometimes, We Just Hate Being Right.
October 30, 2007

Gay-Hating Reggae Singers Coming to NYC for Anti-Gay Pride
July 8, 2008

More in the Jamaica category.

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July 16, 2008

The Fascinating Evolution of a Formerly Homophobic Jamaican

We’re always interested in reading about the stunning level of violent homophobia in Jamaica. Well, perhaps “interested” isn’t the right word — more like “mesmerized with horror and revulsion” as one might be after being forced to watch the hammer-on-the-head scene in The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,* over and over again, in slow motion.

Occasionally, some comparatively sane voice bucking the Jamaican lynch mob’s cries of “Kill batty-boy!” emerges — but seldom to decry homophobia itself; usually, there’s only a brief awakening to the damage Jamaica is doing to its own tourist industry by allowing and openly encouraging the overwhelming, societally-approved anti-gay violence. And then, once again, all you hear is the crowd’s constant baying for blood.

That’s why I was fascinated by the accidental discovery of a blog by one Francis Wade, a Jamaican who moved back to Kingston after a long stint in the United States. Moving Back to Jamaica is what the title says, a chronicle of Wade’s journey home.

The most interesting thing (to me, of course) is Wade’s other journey: the slow but clear realization of his own homophobia, and the shift in his attitude toward gay people — and, in the process, toward himself.

While Wade is, like many Jamaicans, often more concerned about the impact of homophobia on the Jamaican economy, there is no question that he’s made a significant leap in his thinking. In February, 2006, for example, he wrote “Topics I Don’t Blog About,” in which he finally touches on homosexuality for the first time in seven months of blogging — a long time when you consider how very hot indeed the topic is in Jamaica:

Recently I was asked by someone online if there are any topics I don’t blog about. One of the hot topics that have not yet touched is homosexuality, and how it plays out here in the Caribbean.

Most of my experience comes from being here in Jamaica, which has the broadest manifestations of hatred, and I think is a leading force in the West Indies in social attitudes.

I can’t tell the reason why I have not spoken on the topic, except that perhaps I have had nothing to say. Until now.

Last week I was in HiLo, and overheard a loud conversation between two employees, one whom had apparently walked beside some gay men holding hands. They were quite agitated that that could be happening in “broad daylight.”

One of them arrived at the following conclusion as I was unsuccessfully searching for canned string beans: “hear me man…. if my son turn out to be a batty-man, I would mek sure to kill him first before any anyone else (could).”

I believe him.

I further believe that he is not alone, and that the overt hatred that is often openly expressed, acted out by almost all of us, reinforced by the judicious use of scripture and supported by written law are just the precursors for something awful to happen. It’s the way awful things happened, and happen in the world — whether they be in Soweto, Auschwitz, Montgomery, Rwanda, Wounded Knee, My Lei [sic] or Kosovo.

Less than a week later, Wade writes about his “ugly reaction” to a phone call from a man he thought was gay; Wade is shocked by his own hateful, literally murderous thoughts about the man. Excerpting this post would dilute its impact; it should be read in full.

As time goes by, Wade finds himself feeling defensive about the way the rest of the world views Jamaica (as “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth”), while acknowledging that as “Jamaica tells the world the lengths we are willing to go, in order to exclude gay people … the world just happens to be moving in the opposite direction, with full force.” He also (bravely) cites the lessons Jamaica should have learned by example from South Africa, “as we implement our own Apartheid,” and recognizes recent anti-gay remarks of Prime Minister Bruce Golding as “divisive and bigoted.”

I wouldn’t call Wade a fearless ally — yet — but his ongoing struggle is a thing of curiosity and, at times, even beauty, to watch.

I’m bookmarking Wade’s blog; I look forward to watching his thoughts progress even further.

Here’s a link to just the posts on Wade’s blog that reference homosexuality; I encourage you to scroll all the way down the page, and start reading the posts from the bottom up:

http://francismove.blogspot.com/search?q=gay
 
* Yes, the correct title of the original film is The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, not The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. So, I’m a purist.

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July 8, 2008

Gay-Hating Reggae Singers Coming to NYC for Anti-Gay Pride

You think my headline is too harsh? Consider the reaction to a KKK “white pride” event to counter Juneteenth.

Yes, reggae hate-music “artists” and their proponents are on par with white supremacists; both groups advocate the murder of minority groups.

This “Straight Pride Parade” is nothing but an excuse for gay bashers and would-be gay bashers to flaunt their open, blatant hatred for those of us they want to see dead.

That said… From PageOneQ:

Straight pride parade to hit New York City

A group of reggae artists, backed by their record label, will openly embrace their heterosexuality this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

“Although reggae is known for its militancy and its resistance to injustice,” TCOOO Productions proclaimed, “the reggae community has remained calm throughout the attack on the music by Peter Tatchell and other Gay activists (sic) groups.”

Frequent reports of kidnappings, harassment and mob beatings of gays, particularly in Jamaica, provide the backdrop for the lyrics of reggae and dancehall artists such as Beenie Man and Buju Banton, assailed by Outrage! founder Peter Tatchell as part of his Stop Murder Music campaign, which spans two decades. One example of a song that has gained notoriety in its mentions of violence against gays is Buju Banton’s “Boom Bye Bye,” released in the early 1990s and cited as the catalyst to the campaign’s birth.

“The Straight Pride Parade is a chance for Heterosexuals to gather together and proudly embrace their sexuality,” said reggae artist Jango Fresh. “The Parade will also allow reggae and dancehall fans who are in New York City for the Labor Day celebrations to get together and celebrate reggae, dancehall and family in love and unity.”

“Hit Them Hard,” a song by TCOOO artist Stapler, is one recent example of a song the label laments as a chart-climbing “pro-family” hit taken down by Tatchell’s campaigning.

The chorus is:

Jah Jah gonna hit them hard
All the men who visit men backyard
Leaving all the women to starve
One thunder ball and all of them pause …

The event is planned for August 31, 2008 in Brooklyn, on the same route as the Caribbean Labor Day parade.

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June 20, 2008

Why Do We Hate Jamaica So Much Again? (Oh, yeah, I remember now…)

Completely unsurprising:

Poll: 70 Percent In Jamaica Oppose Any Rights For Gays

There is little chance laws against homosexuality will be repealed in Jamaica if a public opinion poll released Friday is any indication.

The survey found that 70 percent of Jamaicans do not believe gays and lesbians should have any civil rights.

The poll, taken for the Jamaican Gleaner newspaper, found women slightly more receptive than men to repealing the sodomy law or giving gays protection from discrimination in housing or work. …

Jamaican gays, supported by international human rights groups, have been calling for repeal of the sodomy law which carries a sentence of 10-years in prison on conviction.

Last month Prime Minister Bruce Golding condemned Britain and other Commonwealth countries for criticizing the treatment of gays in the Caribbean nation.

”Jamaica is not going to allow values to be imposed on it from outside,” he said during an interview broadcast on the BBC. (story)

Jamaica has been described by human rights groups as having the worst record of any country in the New World in its treatment of gays and lesbians. …

Funny, but I describe Jamaica that way too. As a lesbian, I’d rather take my chances getting outed in Saudi Arabia. (Afghanistan or Iran? That’s a hard call; I say both are even with Jamaica.)

This story reminds me… I haven’t cruised over to the Jamaica Gleaner lately to see what the haters are saying these days. If you’ve never visited the JG site, you should — the disgusting filth spewed there will wipe out any silly idea you ever had about vacationing in Jamaica.

That goes for you straights, too, you know — even those who don’t give a whit that Jamaicans are overwhelmingly in favor of beating queers to death; they’ll happily beat you to death, too, if they accidentally mistake you for a battyboy.

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October 30, 2007

We Knew Buju Banton Was Full of Bull. Sometimes, We Just Hate Being Right.

So much for gay-murder advocate Buju Banton “coming out against anti-gay lyrics“:

Buju sings controversial tune at music festival

It had all the ingredients of a good show - quality performances, massive support and mostly clean music - but the highly anticipated Guyana Music Festival clearly lacked the core item of local talent, which was in very short supply.

But even that was insufficient to put a damper on things and when the curtains came down at around 3 am yesterday morning, the $3000 that the majority of persons parted with, was exhausted mainly due to one man and a band with a music career much older than three quarters of the huge crowd.

‘Gargamel’ Buju Banton and Third World rocked the show so hard the vibrations probably shifted a few seats in the Guyana National Stadium. Combined the two powerhouses belted out sounds so sweet and conscious it was difficult to determine the best reggae performance of the night. But the night certainly belonged to the dreadlocked, still very much homophobic Jamaican dancehall star, who had no apologies for his discriminatory lyrics lashing the gay community.

“Buju nah like no batty boy and dem batty boy attack Buju”, the singer said to an adulating audience who seemed to have been waiting for that exact moment. And perhaps feeling the vibes of the embracing crowd and the urge to sing his controversial song, “Boom boom bye”, the singer belted out a few of the lyrics nearing the close of his performance.

But Buju was not the only performer to have walked that line. Kiprich, another Jamaican star who appeared much earlier in the night also sang out against the gay community and the audience largely enjoyed it.

It doesn’t make us happy to say we told you so. But we told you so.

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October 8, 2007

Bahamas Finally Realizing Homophobia Can Mean Economic Hit

Adapt or die.

Like Jamaica (more about that hotbed of homo hatred in a moment), the Bahamas is (are?) finally realizing that they don’t have to like us — but if they keep treating us like lepers, their all-important tourism industry can and will suffer.

Granted, this author of this op/ed for the Nassau Guardian believes the myth that all American gay men and lesbians are obscenely wealthy compared to our heterosexual counterparts — but the bottom line is the bottom line: Stone us in the streets (even figuratively), and we’ll stop spending our money there — and so will our family, friends, and allies.

Anti-gay campaign

The Bahamas needs to decide whether it can afford the damage a “gay and lesbian lifestyle ban” would have on its $2-billion tourism industry, said a member of an international gay rights group.

In an interview with The Guardian yesterday, Brian Winfield, communications director of Equality Florida — the state’s umbrella organization for gay and lesbian rights — said The Bahamas was already treading on thin ice with the international gay community. The strained relationship has everything to do with the very vocal and highly publicized anti-gay protests against Rosie O’Donnell’s Family Vacation Cruise Ship in 2004.

. . .

His comments come as both the Bahamas Christian Council (BCC) and individual activists in the community call for the government to create a law banning the “gay lifestyle” of homosexuals both in the public eye as well as behind closed doors. The BCC was also involved in the 2004 protests against O’Donnell’s cruise coming to country. “It was horrible,” said Winfield. “They got off the ship to be greeted with an enormous amount of hatred and whether that hatred is in the name of God or not doesn’t change the fact that it’s hatred. …”

. . .

The arguments are those of thousands of American gays and lesbians, who if statistics are to be believed, wield disposal incomes very much the envy of their hetersexual counterparts and firmly placing them in the target market of tourists increasingly this country’s bread and butter.

. . .

Resort destinations that once banned gay couples have had courts force them from that position. … An increasing number of choices of wear to go for sun, sand and sea … means The Bahamas is especially vulnerable to losing those well-healed [sic] visitors. …

Back in April, much the same sentiment — “We hate homos, but we’re worried about the economic backlash” — was expressed in an op/ed in the notoriously homophobic Jamaica Star, “Bending ‘backwards’ for tourism?“:

Every day I read the papers I ask myself what the hell is going on. People are stealing phone lines to make bullets; toddlers are having sex in our schools, and anti-gay outrage is becoming more vocal and visible despite the obvious negative economic impact it can have on the island. Already, potential visitors are beginning to voice their concerns about visiting Jamaica primarily due to concerns about their safety.

. . .

There are no jobs to be had, yet the Statistical Institute has the gall to tell you that the economy is growing. … But we’re not going to be creating much of anything, let alone more jobs, if we don’t find a way to soften our rapidly hardening image across the world which is not being helped by this very vocal and very visible anti-gay sentiment snowballing right across the island. From Montego Bay right across to Kingston, more and more reports are surfacing about the mortality of gays and those suspected of being gay, being challenged almost on a daily basis.

We need to understand something. We might choose to remain homophobic as a nation, which is our right, but when we expect people to support our tourism product we have to sometimes bend backwards a little because tourists don’t have to come here. And let me tell you something, if you all think things are bad now you don’t want to see how bad they’ll get if our tourism market collapses, which it will if the gay propaganda machinery sets its sights on generating a boycott against Jamaica.

We have to learn to be more tolerant. It makes better economic sense.

Sapphocrat’s take on this piece:

Well, hallelujah: a Jamaican who hates queers, but realizes that the nation’s rabid homophobia is coming back to bite, square in the pocketbook — and that “learning” tolerance is vital to keeping Jamaica from complete collapse. …

Do I feel sorry for poverty-stricken Jamaicans? I know I should. I know I should be able to rise above their hate for us and do something practical to help.

But you know what? I don’t. What I do know is that when you have theocratic leaders leading the people down an ever-spiraling path of hate and crime (and Jamaica’s leaders and police actively encourage this kind of thinking and behavior), there’s not a damned thing anyone on the outside can do but starve the beast, and wait for the people to take the lead — which I hope the people of Jamaica can do through a democratic process, as opposed to a violent one (but I have little hope for the former).

Will that change the attitudes of rabidly homophobic Jamaicans? In the long run, I believe it will. When they get desperate enough to make the changes their current leaders won’t, they will be forced to “tolerate” us. And, as we all know, proximity — continuing and permanent — breeds tolerance. Eventually, tolerance breeds acceptance.

Same goes for the Bahamas — and for every other country in the world torn between a love of hatred, and a need for ready cash.

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October 4, 2007

NDP Calls for Boycott of Anti-Gay & Lesbian Artists

For us U.S.-centric Usians, the NDP is Canada’s New Democratic Party — basically good guys, and what you wish the U.S. Democratic Party would be; i.e., totally pro-LGBT, pro-social programs, pro-environment, etc. Here’s their latest press release:

OTTAWA - NDP critic for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender and Transsexual Issues, Bill Siksay (Burnaby-Douglas) called on Canadian fans of Jamaican dancehall music to carefully consider their attendance at concerts by Jamaican performers Elephant Man and Sizzla.

“These performers are known for their explicit lyrics calling for the killing of gay men and lesbians. According to human rights organizations, their music has contributed significantly to a marked increase in anti-gay and lesbian violence in Jamaica,” noted Siksay.

“Canada and Canadians have said clearly that the incitement of violence or murder against an identifiable group is unacceptable. I hope that fans of Jamaican dancehall music will appreciate that a vibrant musical tradition should not be used as a cover for the promotion of hatred. I hope that they will choose to boycott performances. I also hope that the promoters and venues for these concerts will reconsider their participation in the spread of a hateful message. Canadians must stand in solidarity with the gay and lesbian community in Jamaica and in Canada in saying that the promotion of violence is not acceptable,” concluded Siksay.

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October 2, 2007

Toronto: Elephant Man, Sizzla Shows Cancelled

The Toronto Star delivers the good news:

Kool Haus has pulled the plug last minute on the concerts of two controversial reggae and dancehall artists.

Entertainers Elephant Man and Sizzla were scheduled to perform Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 respectively, but both men have been under fire from human rights organizations who say their lyrics are homophobic.

Akim Larcher, founder of Stop Murder Music Canada - a coalition made up of 20 organizations that promote human rights - says that the federal government has remained silent.

“They shouldn’t have been allowed to get visas to perform in the country,” says Larcher. “It’s not about censorship or artistic freedom. That stops when hate propaganda is involved… No one should have that platform to speak.”

. . .

But activist and author Orville Lloyd Douglas says a lot of these organizations are targeting Black entertainers. “There are a lot of double standards here. They don’t go after Eminem or Marilyn Manson.”

. . .

“There are artists who are profiteering the songs about death and violence against gays and lesbians,” says Larcher. “It isn’t a black and white issue. It’s a human rights issue.” …

Ah, the old when-you’re-wrong-shift-the-target-to-something-else gambit. But that’s OK; we’ll bite:

Nobody’s “targeting Black entertainers” — only so-called entertainers whose lyrics promote the murder of gay men and lesbians; e.g.:

Shot batty boy, my big gun boom — Sizzla
(”Shoot queers, my big gun goes boom”)

Battyman fi dead!
Please mark we word
Gimme tha tech-nine
Shoot dem like bird — Elephant Man

And gay people have long complained about Eminem’s anti-gay lyrics, even while being told we’re just not hip enough, or young enough, or whatever enough, to appreciate his artistic stylings.

Whatever. These lyrics alone, from Eminem’s Criminal, are clear:

My words are like a dagger with a jagged edge
That’ll stab you in the head
Whether you’re a fag or lez
Or the homosex, hermaph or a trans-a-vest
Pants or dress — hate fags?
The answer’s ‘yes’

And if Marilyn Manson is offending anyone (and it should be African-Americans who are offended; we’ve heard Manson repeat the N-word in his lyrics, compulsively), why isn’t anyone speaking up? Maybe because Manson is primarily the property of death-obsessed teenagers unlikely to notice his racial barbs, much less complain about them?

See also:
Toronto Cops to Keep Close Eye on Jamaican Hate Music Purveyors

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September 26, 2007

Toronto Cops to Keep Close Eye on Jamaican Hate Music Purveyors

What would Bob think?

The Toronto Star reports:

Toronto police will monitor this Friday’s concert by Jamaican dancehall artist O’Neil Bryan, also known as Elephant Man, after receiving complaints that the performer incites anti-gay violence through his music.

. . .

Despite protests by the Toronto-based Canadian Caribbean Human Rights Group, immigration officials have issued visas to both Bryan and Collins. The latter was banned from the United Kingdom in 2004. Bryan arrived in Canada last week and has performed in Winnipeg and Victoria, where local police closely monitored the concerts.

. . .

Ticket sales for Elephant Man’s show have been poor, with only one-third of the 2,180 seats sold. Sizzla’s concert is expected to draw 1,500.

That’s little comfort to the organizers of the Stop Murder Music campaign, made up of 20 advocacy groups that believe music by homophobic dancehall performers has contributed to mob attacks against gays in Jamaica and the Caribbean. Police could charge the artists if they perform anti-gay numbers.

The artists’ Toronto promoters, Ultimate Entertainment and Chris Hines Ent., say the performers don’t have the power to “invoke violence and murder” against gays and lesbians.

The Toronto booking agent says he can’t do anything now because of contractual agreements, but says: “I am a million per cent against lyrics that promote hatred against gays and lesbians, women, religions and races … Had I been aware of the nature of the lyrics, I wouldn’t have allowed the booking.”

That’s why it’s important to keep hammering at the issue. A lot of people who can do something are just not aware.

See also:
Dr Evil or plain hate?

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September 9, 2007

We’d Ask Brian Williamson to Comment, But They Already Murdered Him

From Newsweek:

Land of Reggae and Homophobia

While governments in a number of Latin American countries and elsewhere begin to recognize the legal rights of same-sex partners, Jamaica is bolstering its image as one of the most virulently anti-gay societies in the Western Hemisphere. Between February and July of this year, 98 gay men and lesbians were targeted in 43 different mob attacks, according to the Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays. Four lesbians were raped, four gay men were murdered, and the houses of two gay men were burned down. On Valentine’s Day the police took two hours to reach a Kingston pharmacy where a crowd shouting anti-gay epithets had cornered three men; then the constables allegedly attacked an activist who had tried to help the men, striking him in the abdomen with a rifle butt and slapping him repeatedly in the face.

. . .

Spokesmen for the country’s ministers of justice and national security declined repeated requests from Newsweek for interviews. …

. . .

The political climate isn’t likely to change as long as evangelical Christian churches, whose congregations already outnumber those of the mainstream Anglican and Roman Catholic churches, continue to grow in size. …

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Gay Jamaican Tells the Truth About Jamaica (But Still Fears Repercussions from Own Church)

Newsweek talks to “Devon, a 30-year-old homosexual who was granted asylum in the United States three years ago, about growing up gay in Jamaica”:

Gay rights may be spreading in many countries, but not in Jamaica. Violence against gay men is high, and police often look the other way, say activists. When Brian Williamson, Jamaica’s leading gay rights activist, was murdered in June 2004, a crowd gathered outside the crime scene to celebrate. …

Devon, who lives in New York and attends a Seventh-day Adventist church, didn’t want his last name used for fear of being thrown out of the congregation. Excerpts:

Falby: What’s it like being a homosexual in Jamaica?

Devon: Wow. Terrible. Ridiculous. I have not been accepted by my family. My sister kicked me out of her house, and I was dis-fellowshipped by my church. At church I was an usher, and I used to sing in the choir.

. . .

How were other homosexuals and lesbians treated?

Horrible. Terrible. I used to have a roommate, and when I left to come here she was killed at our place. Some men beat and cut up her and her lover.

. . .

Do you think you’ll ever return to Jamaica?

The only way I’ll ever want to go back is if something changes so that people can live their lives and be free. They need to put something in place to protect people who are living this lifestyle in Jamaica. They have nothing in place; the police beat them, the members of the community beat them. And I hope and pray that [the new prime minister] can put something in place so that people like me, who lived the lifestyle in Jamaica, can live their lives.

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July 23, 2007

We’ll Believe It When He Never Sings “Boom Bye Bye” Again

Another Reggae Superstar Comes Out Against Anti-Gay Lyrics

Buju Banton is the latest top Jamaican reggae superstar to renounce homophobia and condemn violence against lesbians and gay men.

His notorious 1990s hit tune Boom Bye Bye, which he has, up to now, continued to perform at concerts, encourages listeners to shoot gay men in the head, pour acid on their bodies and burn them alive.

Now Banton has changed his tune; joining three other world famous reggae legends to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act (RCA) statement…

. . .

The agreement follows the three-year-long Stop Murder Music campaign, which resulted in the cancellation of hundreds of the singers’ concerts and sponsorship deals, causing them income losses estimated in excess of five million US dollars (£2.5 million).

“The Reggae Compassionate Act is a big breakthrough,” said Peter Tatchell, of the British gay human rights group OutRage!. Mr Tatchell is coordinator of the worldwide Stop Murder Music campaign. He helped negotiate the deal with the four singers. …

. . .

“This deal is already having a huge, positive impact in Jamaica and the Caribbean. The media coverage has generated public awareness and debate; breaking down ignorance and undermining homophobia. Having these major reggae stars renounce homophobia is influencing their fans and the wider public to rethink bigoted attitudes. The beneficial effect on young straight reggae fans is immense,” he said.

This is probably the first time we’ve ever thought Peter Tatchell, of all people, was being too optimistic.

It would be nice to believe that these reggae artists (especially Banton, one of the most talented reggae artists since Peter Tosh) have seen the light, but you know it’s really only about money.

We’ll just see if Banton can manage to restrain himself from advocating the murder of gay people at his next concert.

See also:
Change of Heart for Jamaican Hate-Music Stars? We’re Not Buying It.

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June 13, 2007

Change of Heart for Jamaican Hate-Music Stars? We’re Not Buying It.

Reggae Acts Sign Up to Renounce Homophobia

After years of promoting hatred, reggae artists such as Beenie Man, Capleton and Sizzla have signed an agreement to renounce homophobia in their music.

Despite winning a Grammy for Best Reggae Album in 2001, Beenie Man has had various concerts cancelled for his anti-gay stance on songs like “Bad Man Chi Chi Man (Bad Man, Queer Man)” as well as inciting the murder of gays and lesbians while performing.

However, the three artists have reportedly signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, which will work with both reggae promoters and Stop Murder Music activists.

In a statement, the artists pledged to “respect and uphold the rights of all individuals to live without violence due to their religion, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity or gender. There’s no space in the music community for hatred and prejudice, including no place for racism, violence, sexism or homophobia. We agree not to make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community.”

The Stop Murder Music campaign has been campaigning for this agreement for the last three years, fighting for the cancellation of hundreds of concerts as well as sponsorship deals, which has caused losses in excess of $5 million.

The only lesson they’ve learned is that parading their hatred in public results in a hit to the wallet — and gets them banned (and sometimes arrested) in Britain.

“Reggae Compassionate Act” — rrrrrrright. They haven’t even begun to atone for their criminal “music.”

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