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Several local LGBT groups including Equality Ohio and Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio have started a campaign to push for the cancellation of the upcoming Buju Banton show scheduled to take place at The LC on October 3rd. Messages from these groups have been re-posted on Facebook earlier today and are denouncing the reggae musician as homophobic for song lyrics that call for the murder of homosexuals. Some of the lyrics were also posted here on The Buckeye State Blog.
Update: 9/11/09 6:30PM – The show has been canceled.
Several venues in other cities have already canceled tour dates for Buju Banton, citing similar outcries from other LGBT groups and activists. Those canceled cities include San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Cincinnati, Minneapolis, Las Vegas, Dallas and Houston.
Below is some additional information about the musician from a recent article in On Top Magazine:
In his native Jamaica, where being gay is punishable by 10 years in prison, anti-gay violence is rife and typically tolerated by the authorities. In 2004, Banton was tried and acquitted on charges that he participated in the beating of six gay men.
Both Equality Ohio and Stonewall Democrats of Central Ohio are encouraging people to politely call or email Amy Cooper, The Marketing Director at PromoWest Promotions at 614-461-5483 or amy@promowestlive.com to expression their opinions on this scheduled event.
It takes awhile for us gays to find our haters. I suppose we’re too busy shopping for Madonna cd’s.
Pretty heated thread, no? This has been said already but it is a free speech issue. When the Klan comes to town does it serve you better to ban them and squash the chance to open constructive dialogue and just maybe sway someone? I do not think so. I feel it serves anyone offended by this man better to let the band play and use their playing as a vehicle to promote positive and construct dialogue; like seems to be happening here.
On another point, and I do not know this band’s history so I could be wrong, it seems that his music is no longer promoting hate or intolerance. Sure, he may have made some hideous music in his youth but how long should he be punished if he’s trying to change his perspective; at least professionally. He may hate gay people personally but who really knows. I do not think anyone here personally knows the guy. If he is no longer producing, promoting or playing hateful and destructive songs, maybe it’s time to give him another chance.
Again, I am only basing my points on what I have read here, and that was limited too. I also may have complete regurgitated another post. Sorry .
No need to give him another chance if you wouldn’t anyhow. But why tell other people they can’t go to a concert if they are in to the music. I don’t know, just seems like what’s good for the goose should be good for the gander. That’s all.
Also, what’s up with the TX icon. :(
Okay, fine. If Banton ends up performing then maybe I’ll go. I’ll round up all my gay friends and we’ll turn it into a circuit party. A little glitter here…a little drag there and POOF, Banton is a gay icon!
(The TX icon is just my fancy new shirt from mondotees.com)
So five years ago (2004) a guy beats six men for being gay and people assume — just assume — that he’s changed? Heh?
I’ve already got my shirt for the concert…
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m91/JoshOSU75/reggay.jpg
The concert has been canceled.
^ no joke?
Michael Daniels, with Outlook, just fb’d that it was canceled and thanked everyone who helped make that action possible.
I tried to call and confirm, but of course their regular office hours are over. They have pulled the concert listing from their website though.
Edit: Just got an email confirmation from Promowest. It is canceled.
“I hope this victory sends a deafeningly loud message to other promoters and concert venues that singers who glorify violence against LGBT people, or any group of people, should never be welcomed. It shouldn’t be necessary for us to pressure promoters to do the right thing; people like Banton should never have been booked in the first place.â€Â
- L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Chief Executive Officer Lorri L. Jean, after the center spearheaded a successful effort to have Banton’s shows shut down in Los Angles.
In 2006, Banton spoke out against his gay protesters with two simple words: “F**k them.”
Now that his concert in Columbus has been cancelled, I reply “no Buju, fuku”
Why is something that is so trivial getting so much more attention than something that will continue to affect the quality of our day to day lives for decades?
Well, CU got a mention in the Dispatch article about this in today’s paper.
great news! snarf chill out with the sword fighting comments dude….. not cool.
wow i forgot all about this guy… I remember one time i was at black gay pride in Atlanta and the Club DJ who happened to be from the radio station happened to play this song…. about 1000 club goers started to boo and walked out the club, told everyone in line that the club promoters were playing hateful music and the venue lost a LOT of money… I don’t think the DJ knew exactly what Banton was saying in the song, but it was a powerful moment none the less…
That being said im glad it was canceled. It says alot about our local community. I have heard some of his more recent stuff and it’s not as hateful. He is a dance hall king, but i myself would never attend one of his concerts.
You would think of all the groups to fight againt free speach LBGT folks wouldn’t make such a big deal over an artist. I respect both sides of the line on this one and one day those same people will be screaming freedom of speach. Or possibly have work take them to another culture where they wish they could actually be themselves just like Buju here.
Truth of the matter is that Buju most likely still got paid his deposit and the person who really lost out is the Columbus based promoter who still had to honor his contract.
It’s quite interesting to see so many people who have heard, maybe, a snippet of one song go ahead and give him a label, especially among those who I would guess would hate being labeled as anything themselves. Buju wrote the song when he was 15 and he wrote it in response to a molestation/murder of a young boy by a homosexual man. The song never went anywhere and was never really promoted, until it was rereleased, without Buju’s permission, in 1992. Buju has publicly apologized. It is the only song of his that even comes close to mentioning homosexuality. Just about all of his other music is spiritual, uplifting, positive music that has changed the face of reggae music in general. I’ve seen Buju several times since 1997 and, while I’ve seen him start a few lines to start the discussion, he’s never performed the whole song and its lead to talk of forgiveness and peace. Yes, you too after years of apologizing, and being harassed for the indescretion of one teenage song, you might say “F them” too. I would encourage people to see the show when its rescheduled, which it WILL be, and judge for yourself.
fuck the song! he broke into a home and almost beat a bunch of men to death for being gay. proven guilty or not the country of Jamaica is notoriously known for HATING gay people. if oj simpson murdered 2 people in this country and got away with it im sure its no problem to beat gay men in Jamaica….. and get away with it. believe it or not i have a gay Jamaican friend who is terrified of the thought of having to go back. he has had to live in silence for years in Jamaica. it is rated one of the worst places for gay travel and lifestyle. type in gay Jamaica in google and see what pops up……… do it.
Coreroc Says: You would think of all the groups to fight againt free speach LBGT folks wouldn’t make such a big deal over an artist.
This is just my own personal 2 cents, but I didn’t really see this as a free speech issue, as it was not a performance or demonstration on public grounds. This was a private business (The LC) providing a service (the paid-entry event) that some of the venue’s customers (regulars or potential customers) called in to complain about.
Businesses get complaints and protests all the time if they have business practices that their customers disagree with. It’s up to the business to decide if they want to continue with their practices or change to fit what their customers want.
This is capitalism at work, right?
@Sherman
Do you hear yourself? “Proven guilty or not…”, then you go on to associate things that happen in his country with him. Because homosexuality is not well accepted in Jamaica, you automatically condemn him? As is shown, he was proven innocent of the crime.