Buju Banton’s "Boom Bye Bye" beme a smash h 1992 wh lyrics advotg for the murr and torture of gay men. We asked five queer Caribbeans to unpack the song’s legacy and impact on their liv.
Contents:
- PRO-GAY REGGAE SGER FI JAMAIN HOMOPHOBIA
- SOME RASTA REGGAE ARTISTS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO TONY REBEL.
- REGGAE SGER LILA IKé COM OUT AS GAY, SHAR SHE WAS RAPED & BLACKMAILED
- WORLD’S FIRST PRO-GAY REGGAE ALBUM
PRO-GAY REGGAE SGER FI JAMAIN HOMOPHOBIA
* gay reggae artists *
One of the most popular was Buju Banton’s 1992 sgle “Boom Bye Bye, ” a track that followed a tradn of Jamain songs that poe vlence agast queer people — and one that beme lodged the memori of queer Caribbeans, makg clear that homophobia was alive and well our hom and muni. Origally wrten when he was jt 15 years old, “Boom Bye Bye” fds Banton llg for the murr and torture of “batty boys, ” a Jamain patois slur for gay men (whom the star nflat wh pedophil).
Though Banton would go on to break Bob Marley’s rerd for the most number one songs Jamai, the artist attracted protts om LGBTQ+ advot throughout his reer, leadg him to sign a 2007 pledge lled the Reggae Compassnate Act where he and other proment reggae artists agreed to stop performg songs wh homophobic lyrics.
SOME RASTA REGGAE ARTISTS ARE GAY, ACRDG TO TONY REBEL.
Sce s ceptn, Dancehall mic has held a very strict and nsistent disda for the gay muny. A disda so unyieldg, that proment artists * gay reggae artists *
Its populary and overt homophobia have helped to rerce queerphobic sentiments and ma harr for LGBTQ+ people to seek acceptance throughout the Caribbean.
REGGAE SGER LILA IKé COM OUT AS GAY, SHAR SHE WAS RAPED & BLACKMAILED
Mista Majah P reb anti-gay sgers wh pro-LGBT songs * gay reggae artists *
My mother tells this story about a time when her father and my nts and uncl were drivg to the village; he was potg out gay people, trans people, drag queens, and told them, “If any of y’all end up like this, I’m gog to shoot you. Twenty-ne years ago one of Dancehall’s biggt nam, Shabba Ranks, told Brish talk show The Word that “gay men should be ccified.
As far as many ‘die-hard’ Dancehall vote are ncerned, one should never dare mix the two reprentatns any nversatn, let alone enterta discsns for ‘gay acceptance’ Dancehall’s doma. In 2013, Ian McQuaid for the Guardian reported that “a h generatn of gay DJs and clubbers have started lookg beyond the outdated narrative that dancehall = homophobic.
WORLD’S FIRST PRO-GAY REGGAE ALBUM
It is not a secret the Reggae muny that Diana Kg is gay and Shenseea is a bisexual but acrdg to veteran artist, Tony Rebel * gay reggae artists *
” “Kartel Brown, who is an fluential DJ the London circu said, “A lot of Jamains me to London fleeg Jamai’s anti-gay laws. They were a b unrwhelmed wh what the cy’s gay scene had to offer, so they started creatg the ltle private bashment parti south London.
D’Angel, one of the first female dancehall performers to publicly support the muny, gave a memorable stage prentatn to the light of s gay atten, and left a good imprsn on the London reporter, on behalf of dancehall. He reports, “Dpe dancehall’s populary on the island, D’Angel’s performance at Pri was still a surprise for many: this is a genre that has long been notor for the btal homophobia s lyrics. What is also clearly evint this movg forward om homophobic lyrics dancehall, is the support of the femal who are practners of the craft.
Dancehall artist Tifa has always been outspoken and supportive of her iend and stylist, the late Dexter Pottger who was publicly gay. Yanique Barrett, also known as ‘Curvy Diva’ is one such supporter, as she too performed at a Pri event held on the island 2019, which also ed tongu to wag, particularly that of her male fans who were agast homosexualy.
Out now: Gays belong heaven too * gay reggae artists *
Most male practners of the genre have yet to move beyond the stereotyped srn of homosexualy, or publicly support dancehall sirs who work behd the scen.
” This statement me ten years after former Prime Mister Bce Goldg, told BBC that “homosexuals will fd no solace any bet formed by me. This now begs the other qutn-will proment male figur dancehall step to the plate by publicly supportg the LQBTQ, or is enough that most have muted their hate and/or disuraged vlent attacks on those of homosexual persuasn? As Lat trap’s first openly gay standard bearer, Fret once aga igned bate over the space queer and trans people hold wh the urbano movement.