Buju Banton Met Wh the Gays. Then He Spat In Their Fac - Queerty

Contents:

• BUJU BANTON SPEAK ON GAY ALLEGATNS MAKE PEACE WH SON MARK MYRIE
• BUJU BANTON MET WH THE GAYS. THEN HE SPAT IN THEIR FAC
• AS BUJU BANTON SIGNS GAY REGGAE ACT, BEENIE MAN TOSS OFF
• ANTI-GAY SGER BUJU BANTON ARRTED ON DG CHARG
• POLICE SEEK JAMAIN SGER AFTER ARMED ATTACK ON GAY MEN
• BUJU BANTON’S DGHTER ABIHAIL MYRIE APOLOGIZ TO LGBT COMMUNY FOR USG GAY SLUR
• THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

BUJU BANTON SPEAK ON GAY ALLEGATNS MAKE PEACE WH SON MARK MYRIE

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.

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.

Today, I see people om Jamai fightg the homophobia this song embodied. Not only did Buju Banton refe to agree to anythg when he met wh gay rights activists San Francis, he’s now throwg up an iron wall — and clarg war.

BUJU BANTON MET WH THE GAYS. THEN HE SPAT IN THEIR FAC

In an terview wh a Jamain talk show, the homophobic reggae artists says he’s still “a fight” wh the Gs.

The same night after I met wh [gay activists], they pepper-sprayed the ncert. On the rerdg, he raps "boom bye, bye na batty bwoy head, " which translat to puttg a bullet through a gay man's head. Reggae star Buju Banton has reportedly agreed to sign the “reggae passnate act” created by UK gay activist group Outrage!, which clar that micians “rpect and uphold the rights of all dividuals to live whout fear of hatred and vlence due to their relign, sexual orientatn, race, ethnicy or genr, ” says that “there's no space the mic muny for hatred and prejudice, cludg no place for racism, vlence, sexism or homophobia” and promis that the mician “not make statements or perform songs that ce hatred or vlence agast anyone om any muny.

The Guardian reports: “Banton has been a foc for gay activists sce the release of ‘Boom Bye Bye', which he sgs about shootg gay men the head, pourg acid on them and burng them alive. He has prevly said he wrote ‘Boom Bye Bye' as a teenager and is not homophobic, but he was filmed performg ‘Boom Bye Bye' at a ncert Miami last year.

AS BUJU BANTON SIGNS GAY REGGAE ACT, BEENIE MAN TOSS OFF

The agreement, part of the Stop Murr Mic mpaign spearhead by activist Peter Tatchell, is the rult of years of work tryg to stop dancehall sgers om g lyrics that promote vlence agast gays.

However, on Friday, while clarg that vlence agast gays is wrong, Beenie Man nied he ever signed the al, acrdg to the Jamai Observer. We jt need fi tell the people m the right tg bee I not supportg a gay liftyle bee 's not wholome to me…It's a tg om the promoters of Europe.

Reggae Stars Renounce Homophobia, Conmn Anti-gay Vlence [tr]. The sger, who has been nmned for lyrics llg for gays to be killed, was arrted Miami on Thursday.

ANTI-GAY SGER BUJU BANTON ARRTED ON DG CHARG

Gay rights anisatns such as the Los Angel Gay and Lbian Centre and Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn attacked the honour, cg his rerd of homophobia. One of Jamai's most famo dancehall sgers, Buju Banton, is beg sought by police Jamai nnectn wh a homophobic attack on a group of gay Banton was allegedly one of a group of about a dozen armed men who forced their way to a hoe Kgston on the morng of June 24 and beat up the occupants while shoutg homophobic sults, acrdg to the least two people were taken to the hospal.

Mr Banton - whose song Boom Boom Bye Bye threatens gay men wh a "gunshot ah head" - was intified by several wns and is wanted for qutng.

"There is a pattern of police difference to attacks on gay men Jamai that go far beyond what Buju Banton is alleged to have done this se, " said Rebec Schleiser of Human Rights Watch, who has spoken to several of the victims.

POLICE SEEK JAMAIN SGER AFTER ARMED ATTACK ON GAY MEN

"Peter Tatchell, of Outrage, said: "This substantiat our claims of the lks between murr mic and actual physil vlence agast gays and lbians. Crics of the mpaign [to stop murr mic] have said that the homophobic ntent of his lyrics is 'ironic' or jt 'fantasy'.

"Last month, ncern that a ncert London by another dancehall favoure, Beenie Man, uld ce vlence agast gays led to s ncellatn. One of Beenie Man's songs ntas the lyrics: "I'm a dreamg of a new Jamai, e to execute all the gays. "Concern at the climate of homophobia Jamai has tensified recent months followg the murr of the untry's most proment gay activist, Brian Williamson, a -founr of Jamain Fom for Lbians, All-sexuals and Gays (J-Flag), was found wh his throat cut and multiple stab wounds to his neck and face.

BUJU BANTON’S DGHTER ABIHAIL MYRIE APOLOGIZ TO LGBT COMMUNY FOR USG GAY SLUR

A recent poll found 96% of Jamains were opposed to mov to legalise homosexual relatns. Several gay Jamains have succsfully claimed asylum Bra on grounds of homophobia. Sign up today for our ee To TopTwo black LGBT anizatns have joed the Gay and Lbian Alliance Agast Defamatn nmng the Grammy nomatn of homophobic sger Buju Natnal Black Jtice Coaln and Gay Men of Ain Dcent are workg on a petn drive to prott Banton's Bt Reggae Album nomatn for his Rasta Got Soul.

The sger has a history of beg antigay and is om Jamai, a untry where vlent attacks on gay people are mon.

In his 1988 song "Boom Boom Bye, " Banton an antigay slur, claims that gay people mt die, and says he will "shoot them the head" or "burn them. ""We mt take a stand agast any type of negative exprsn that enurag vlence agast lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr people, " said Sharon Lettman, print of the NBJC.

THE VOICE OF CHICAGO'S GAY, LESBIAN, BI, TRANS AND QUEER COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

"Wh mic beg a major cultural fluence, such msag that fuel hate and homophobia place our muny harm's way. ""By nomatg this album, the Rerdg Amy is sendg the msage that the vlence agast the LGBT muny pecially Jamai, which Buju Banton has so wantonly celebrated and enuraged his mic, is not worthy of nmnatn, and that protectg our liv is of ltle importance, " said Gay Men of Ain Dcent executive director Tok M.

Ls happily, he also released the most famo Jamain song ever rerd, Boom Bye Bye, which openly ced the killg of gay people. Peter Tatchell is nfint that Banton will ntue to put the past behd him, statg that “ would be even better if he uld acknowledge and apologise for those vlently homophobic lyrics, but the ma prry is that he don’t ntue and repeat them.