Black Gay Bloggers Unite Against Homophobic Artists

GentlySerious
July 11 2006, 9:40AM

DE-FUND LIFEBeat: As a NYC non-profit organization, LIFEBeat receives funding from the government. The strongest way to follow up with this problem is to lobby the appropriate funding agencies to stop giving money to this organization in NYC because, in addition to their board (apparently), LIFEBeat makes these life-threatening decisions with taxpayers money. I urge everyone to follow-up and make sure that city and state and federal money is never used to support homophobia in the name of HIV-prevention.

Den
July 11 2006, 9:50AM

Hey, I guess its your time to waste.

I'm just wondering when will be the first concert you try to stop IN Jamaica. There are all the big ones coming up this summer, I'm sure you'll be down here trying to get it cancelled. Good luck with that.

nahtan serious
July 11 2006, 10:45AM

Den what is your point??? Beenie man, TOK Sizzla , Bounty Killa, all of them can sing whatever they want in jamaica because we in the caribbean allow them to but why should they be allowed to spew their hate in other countries that have laws that recognose that gays should have equal rights. Ban them! I dream of the day when they will not be allowed to verbally victimise west indian gays at home!

Marlon
July 11 2006, 11:05AM

…what societies really, ideally, want is a citizenry which will simply OBEY the rules of society. If a society succeeds in this, that society is about to perish. The obligation of anyone who thinks of himself as responsible is to examine society and try to change it and to Fight it – At No Matter What Risk.
- James Baldwin

GentlySerious
July 11 2006, 11:11AM

Marlon: Thank you for that Jimmy Baldwin quotation.

ben
July 11 2006, 11:52AM

beenie man and TOK. ugh. so nasty, so tasteless, such a misuse of talent to spew that bile.

I'm not going to be writing to LIFEbeat though. Much as these artists disgust me, it occurs that they might reach communities who would not otherwise consider the impact of the virus, who might never have considered themselves at risk. And that might save someone's life.

Michael-Vincent Crea
July 11 2006, 12:45PM

Peace Keith! My edited email to Canelli (cont.):

Having ministered in Africa and co-chaired the 1988 first HIV/AIDS Conference to African American Catholics in D.C., I can attest that YOU have total disregard to the sensibilities and sacredness of the LIFE and LOVE of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender men and women, whose lives are being BEATEN to death, especially those in the Black and African diaspora communities, by HATE CRIMES encouraged by Beenie Man, TOK and pimps, blinded by corporate 'profits before people.' IS THAT YOU?! LIFEbeat?!

I'm Italian. I don't know about YOU, but if Beenie Man and TOK called for "GUINEA WOP's to be squeezed into sausage," I would NEVER even speak with them, let alone give them a stage to spew their sick, very sick and deadly venom, worse than any HIV/AIDS shall ever be or become on its own.
DISGRACIA!!!

YOU need a benefit for Blacks and Africans: www.blackaugust.com for how it's done with Respect!!
As said by Ozzie Davis, in the film of the same na

Mike Prov1
July 11 2006, 12:57PM

I wasn't sure who Wayne Wonder was, being sandwiched between the two homophobic acts on the billing. Wayne has me wondering about his lyrics.

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/waynewonder/anythinggoes.html

Den
July 11 2006, 1:09PM

My point is to fight it EVERYWHERE, if you think its wrong. Does it become okay just because they do it here. No one is doing anything to SOLVE the problem, their just sweeping it under the rug. Just because its allowed here legally, does that mean its right?

And then you get a Beenie Man show cancelled in England somewhere, the week before there was a Damian Marley, no one protested that. I guess he gets a bligh because his name is Marley or something, because he sings the same type of material without nearly as much critique.

And not to get too technical on the situation, but one of the men featured here, Brian Williamson, the man who pled guilty to his murder a couple months ago had lived with him several times and is by most accounts a homosexual himself.

bradlee
July 11 2006, 1:24PM

Well done people! Gone are the days where we as people are no longer affected by HIV/AIDS (i said affected not infected). We are all AFFECTED.

All i want to say is Yes they have a right to express them selves but when what you say affects the lives of people by the words in you music then you are not only responsible but are accountable for the world you make.

Beenie Man, Busta Ryms and all those who hate themselves because they Hate others, you need to remember that you get what you express, so you thought we wouldnt stand up and through back? We have, and now you are going to see that we all have to live together in this world.

So BLACK GAY PEOPLE lets make a difference and change this, its time we treat ourselves with worthiness and show we care about everyone and espeacially OURSELVES by showning we exsist to love and honour the exsistance of life, and by allowing discrimination, so it saves one group of people instead of everyones lives! is showing our Unworthiness for our selves & Life! LOVE

Garcia
July 11 2006, 2:02PM

what i dont understand is that some of the board members in this organization are out gays and lesbians do they not feel obligated to do something... like for instance speak out against it in the first place... why would they feel that the rest of us wouldn't mind if these reggae stars perform...didn't they have a say in who got invited to this concert...im very disappointed in this and in this organization and the board members who happen to be prominent gay and lesbians.

Troy
July 11 2006, 2:38PM

Dear LIFEbeat

For shame!

On July 18th 2006, your organization will confirm the many deaths of many African American people who are same gender loving who were killed and kept down on all levels as the very ones who did nothing but recognize their right to be given the same rights as everyone else in the world. Did you know Brian Williamson who were killed in June of 2004 or Lenford ‘Steve’ Harvey, killed in November 2005? These two, among others spoke out against homophobia and discrimination right where they lived and yet were killed for it, meanwhile your organization will bring more homophobia in the form of a concert who’s headlined artists Beanie Man and TOK will perform sponsored and promoted by your organization. To me, this seems to be a very distinct way of killing and putting down people of color who are same gender loving all over again.

Without hesitation but full & clear knowledge, sensitivity, the venue, it’s performers and anyone attending any event connected with your organization wi

meme
July 11 2006, 2:48PM

It is really sad that Beenie Man, Buster Ryms and all the others who hate themselves(and confident gay men), because they do not trust themselves around us and subconsciously are attracted to us but can not act on it because of society, yet they will want to tap it late at night in a dark alley somewhere, then call us fags when they are with their boys or on stage raping is really sad. Hip-hop is nothing more than a way for many so-called straight and even worst confused so-called straight men to prove to themsewlves that they are more of a man that another. Real straight people are not in the least bit interested in gays. DL-Brothers and brothers in the closet are the cause for many of these problems.

mark
July 11 2006, 3:12PM

Dear Mr. Canelli,
I am writing this letter to express my profound and utter disappointment with your decision to not only to proceed with Beenie Man and TOK to perform at LIFEbeat's concert but your rationale for doing so. Obviously your attempts to address a group that might not otherwise be exposed to HIV-prevention messages is well-intentioned and necessary, however it is seriously undermined by the very people you have invited to perform. That you can justify your decision by ignoring the life's of real people who are the targets of the homophobic vehemence spouted by these artist's is just reprehensible.
I urge you to do the best thing, which is to show your unremitting support for GLBT people, by either encouraging these artist's to address this community by renouncing their vitriolic rhetoric in their songs, and the clear and present danger these words cause for many considered at risk of HIV in our communities; or refuse to give them a platform at your concert.
This encourages life

Doug Cooper-Spencer
July 11 2006, 4:50PM

Keith,
Do you think it would help to also go after the sponsors of the concert as well? I see at Eurweb that BET, Vibe, etc. are sponsors.

nahtan serious
July 11 2006, 7:10PM

The fact that the man that killed Brian was homosexual makes to difference..the climate of homophobia means that anyone can be violnet against a homosexual and NOT feel the full wieght of the law. Haven't you consisdered that the hompohobia indoctrinated in him by the climate in Jamaica may be have contributed to the violence he showed to Brian.

Why should things stay the same???

Most reggae /Dancehall artists are homophobic but beenie man and TOK are two of the worst offenders ... we may not catch all of them but we have clear evidence against these two so take them down I say!

Henri
July 11 2006, 7:40PM

The biggest, baddest gay men in New York City need to ALL show up to protest this murderer's appearance there.

We should all sing Beenie's own songs and reverse the lyrics to sing about doing to HIM what he sings about doing to US.

Den
July 11 2006, 8:15PM

Nathan you're saying my point. The climate is exactly like that. And you have poor lowly little JFLAG doing all the work here. Change the climate, otherwise you'll keep having to cancel concerts like this until... whenever. Cancelling a concert is easy and if Keith Boykin acheives it he can sit back and say he did something? But he really hasn't because the songs still play on radio, I JUST heard Welcome to Jamrock on the radio 10 minutes ago, and they don't clean it up like they do in the states, the song goes
"FUNNY MAN A GET DROPPED LIKE A BAD HABIT!"

That's the climate down here. And you say TAKE THEM DOWN, take them down where? Off a stage they're performing on for free? Take them down from that stage? Go ahead! Good luck! Good luck in acheiving absolutely nothing, trust that the time you spent trying to cancel A CONCERT, could have been better used in actually trying to save lives of gays in Jamaica, be proud of yourself.

Clyde Smith
July 11 2006, 8:35PM

I'm not black or gay but I am a blogger and I have lost a lot of friends to AIDS so I took the liberty of posting a graphic for your campaign in my sidebar.

I'd actually already written Lifebeat a nasty note before I found this post via novaslim.com.

Stay strong,
Clyde

nahtan serious
July 12 2006, 8:43AM

Dem ...nothing is for free DEn. Beanie man and TOK are able to promote their albums and reach a bigger audience by performing. By hindering this their record companies and them will be affetced. And perhaps young jamaican artists coimng up will think carfeully before spewing antigay lyrics. beanie and Buju were hurt financially when they were banned from the UK. Life beat is an american organisation, keith is and american.. They do not owe us in the caribbean anything. we have to do for ourselves. BUT They can influence these artists ( who must go international if they really want to make big bucks). I have had enough of the antigay sentiments. i have enough of ignoring the antigay lyrics when I go to a club in the caribbean. Take them down! Let them know that antigay lyrics are unacceptable! Period wherever you are from!

Den
July 12 2006, 10:24AM

You REALLY think this is doing something though? Removing them from an event they aren't being paid for? And you know what? Its not even about JA. Its about being somewhere besides in front of these people. I wonder if Keith will fight this hard to stop a concert from... Kansas or somewhere like such.

He seems to be lost on ranting and raving about gay gay gay. This isn't even a gay issue, the artists won't be using homophobic or offensive lyrics at the show (I wonder what songs they'll be singing then) why not at least do this at a show where they will be offensive material? And this has become such a regular occurrence with protesting, it doesnt make Jamaican new anymore. Beenie gets stopped here, Capleton gets stopped there, Sizzla (he rarely gets stopped anymore) gets stopped there. And what happens as a result? Beenie Man gets an extension from Virgin, Elephant Man is about to sign a major deal, Sizzla signs with Damon Dash. That makes JA news!

Really taking them down?

nahtan serious
July 12 2006, 12:15PM

Yes...it is also showing us who our friends really are and who are our enemies. I say ban every last one of them. Make a statement. Keith is a political gay man which explains his desire to advance gay causes...why do u have a problem with that??? Are gays less deserving of respect and equal treatment??? I don't think so..!

Den
July 12 2006, 1:16PM

I don't have a problem with him advancing gay causes. THIS is not advancing gay causes. What does keeping these artists off this stage do for any gay person anywhere? I mean really, how could this possibly benefit any gay person? It doesn't make them less accessible, those who want to hear the songs will still hear them, they wont even go away. New York is such a hotbed for them, they may even be back within the week performing.

DO SOMETHING! Banning wont show you who your friends and enemies really are, it'll show you who wants to whine and wants to really do something. At the top of the frontpage its a story about a homosexual attacked a Jazz Concert, do you go off and try to ban Jazz artists next?

Keith seems very under-researched and lost in trying to put off this event, one little event. There'll be more. You want to sit here and whine, fine, thats your perogative, but know that while you concentrate on banning this event, gays are still being persecuted and killed, and not because of LIFEBeat.

Stuffed Animal
July 12 2006, 5:33PM

Keith,

By this weekend, I will have a post up on my blog, Christ, The Gay Martyr, in support of this effort. I've already emailed my thoughts to John Canelli.

http://christthegaymartyr.blogspot.com/

Stuff

Mark Fischer
July 12 2006, 6:24PM

Keith,

With an ample awareness of the MMM issues and history, I still suggest inviting Cleo Manago to be a co-supporter and speaker in this effort would be a "higher ground" and unifying action.

My suggestion is conditioned upon the assurance that Cleo would be a supportive player who would not abuse the invitation for divisive, self-serving purposes.

I believe there is a need to bridge the "chasm" in hte community even if it is not of your making.

Thanks for considering my idea.

I am sure you will make a sound and reasoned decision.

Keep up the good work!

Best Regards,

Mark Fischer
Washington, DC

Keith Ball
July 12 2006, 8:56PM

Hi Keith,

I am an Aboriginal(black) gay HIV positive man from Sydney Australia. Another one of my positive brothers from northern Australia emailed me the article about the anti - gay rappers performing at the New York concert. I was so happy to hear that they will not be performing now due to my black brothers and sisters in the US protesting.

Well done. Here in Australia, homophobia is still quite prevelant in some Aboriginal communities and we all need to ensure that we do whatever we can to fight against it. I have lost too many of my HIV positive brothers who have committed suicide because their families will not accept them because they are gay and or HIV positive.

Keep up the fight, because unfortunately that what it is, a FIGHT.

Yours in Unity,
Keith Ball.