Gay rights activists: Buju Banton promotes murder
Published by Admin on October 20th, 2009
BERMUDA — Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009 — [Bermuda Wired]: GAY rights lobbyists are continuing the public prosecution of homophobic reggae singer Buju Banton by throwing monkey wrenches in his latest U.S. tour.
Jamaican-born Banton, 36, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, has endured international criticism ever since releasing his 1986 song ‘Boom Bye Bye’ which incited the torture and murder of gay men.
Citing Banton’s refusal to sign onto the Reggae Companionate Act, in which artists promise to not promote violence in their music against any group of people, Lorri Jean of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center is declaring victory after a Thursday night protest in Hollywood.
Speaking to the BBC’s Caribbean Report, Ms Jean said: “We stayed until 11 p.m., long after the concert had started and basically we were educating the people who appeared for [Banton’s] concert.
“We distributed informational fliers that told people the facts about Buju Banton’s music and his refusal to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act — and many of them actually left and did not come to the concert.”
Asked if her group of protesters received any negative responses, the Center’s C.E.O. explained: “There was only one instance of an audience member who started yelling anti-gay epithets.
“Most people did not realize the nature of some of Buju Banton’s history.” Asked by the BBC reporter to react to the feelings of some Jamaicans that they are being unfairly targeted, she responded: “There is no other genre of music that similarly targets gay people for murder and mayhem.
“This is an accurate verdict and a harsh reality,” she also admitted. Referring to the apparent culture of Jamaicans to decry the gay culture, Ms Jean continued: “Change doesn’t happen overnight.
“Buju Banton is so unrepentant that he will probably never change — but that doesn’t mean others will not.”
Jamaican-born Banton, 36, whose real name is Mark Anthony Myrie, has endured international criticism ever since releasing his 1986 song ‘Boom Bye Bye’ which incited the torture and murder of gay men.
Citing Banton’s refusal to sign onto the Reggae Companionate Act, in which artists promise to not promote violence in their music against any group of people, Lorri Jean of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center is declaring victory after a Thursday night protest in Hollywood.
Speaking to the BBC’s Caribbean Report, Ms Jean said: “We stayed until 11 p.m., long after the concert had started and basically we were educating the people who appeared for [Banton’s] concert.
“We distributed informational fliers that told people the facts about Buju Banton’s music and his refusal to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act — and many of them actually left and did not come to the concert.”
Asked if her group of protesters received any negative responses, the Center’s C.E.O. explained: “There was only one instance of an audience member who started yelling anti-gay epithets.
“Most people did not realize the nature of some of Buju Banton’s history.” Asked by the BBC reporter to react to the feelings of some Jamaicans that they are being unfairly targeted, she responded: “There is no other genre of music that similarly targets gay people for murder and mayhem.
“This is an accurate verdict and a harsh reality,” she also admitted. Referring to the apparent culture of Jamaicans to decry the gay culture, Ms Jean continued: “Change doesn’t happen overnight.
“Buju Banton is so unrepentant that he will probably never change — but that doesn’t mean others will not.”
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