World's first pro-gay reggae album | Peter Tatchell Foundatn

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

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.

Its populary and overt homophobia have helped to rerce queerphobic sentiments and ma harr for LGBTQ+ people to seek acceptance throughout the Caribbean.

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In 2013, Ian McQuaid for the Guardian reported that “a h generatn of gay DJs and clubbers have started lookg beyond the outdated narrative that dancehall = homophobic. ” “Kartel Brown, who is an fluential DJ the London circu said, “A lot of Jamains me to London fleeg Jamai’s anti-gay laws.

REGGAE SGER LILA IKé COM OUT AS GAY, SHAR SHE WAS RAPED & BLACKMAILED

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.

WORLD’S FIRST PRO-GAY REGGAE ALBUM

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.