Buju Banton--Advocate of Killing Gay People Coming to Eureka--Action Needed
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From Mitch Trachtenberg, community resident: I have written an open letter to the Humboldt community and would appreciate your assistance in publicizing it. The letter is at HumboldtAgainstHate.blogspot.com. It's contents are also below. To those of you who will make money in any way off this concert, be aware that you are taking blood money. Mitch Trachtenberg AN OPEN LETTER TO THE HUMBOLDT COMMUNITY On June 9 2004, Brian Williamson was found murdered at his home. Williamson was the public face of the gay rights movement in Jamaica, one of the most homophobic places on the planet. Rebecca Schleifer of Human Rights Watch arrived at Williamson's house to find a crowd singing and dancing. People were singing a reggae song, Boom Bye Bye, written by Mark Myrie, a reggae performer who goes by the stage name Buju Banton. This song calls for the murder of gay people, recommending the Uzi machine gun. It calls for throwing acid in our faces. Promoter Carol Bruno of People Productions is paying Buju Banton to perform in Eureka. Gil Miracle, owner of the new venue Nocturnum, has rented his space to Bruno. Local newspapers are carrying advertising. Bruno will tell you that Banton wrote Boom Bye Bye when he was fifteen. She won't tell you he still sells it and profits. She'll tell you most of his songs are about peace and love. She won't tell you he says he's at war with the faggots. Here's part of an open letter from Lorrie L. Jean, CEO of Los Angeles' gay and lesbian center. She's responding to an open letter from Banton's manager: While 'setting the record straight,' you didn’t mention that in 2007, when some of Banton’s European concerts were threatened with cancellation, he signed the 'Reggae Compassionate Act. (under his real name: Mark Myrie) agreeing (among other things) to never perform anti-gay songs. Perhaps you neglected to mention this, because just weeks later, Banton denied he ever signed it and continued to perform 'Boom, Bye Bye.' He was videotaped singing it in Miami in 2006, and sang it in Guyana in 2007. In 2005, Banton was personally involved in an attack on six gay men in Jamaica. Here's a quote from Amnesty International's 2005 Annual Report: "popular musician Buju Banton was charged with assaulting six men who he alleged were homosexuals. His song lyrics repeatedly advocated violence against gay men and lesbians." Bruno will tell you Banton was never convicted. She won't tell you that the witnesses never showed at trial. One man lost an eye. Imagine for a moment if a singer were coming to town who advocated the violent murder of interracial couples, who'd written a song that was played as a celebration at such murders, who refused to renounce violence against such couples, and who still profited from the song. Imagine that the singer's promoter explained that most of his songs were about God's love, and complained that interracial couples couldn't just "get over it." Imagine that the singer had personally been involved in a violent assault on an interracial couple, in which one lost an eye. How would you feel? How would you feel if you were part of an interracial couple, or had a friend or friends in one? I understand that many of those who will go to the concert (if it happens) are not anti-gay. Many will have heard and believed the lies that Bruno and others spread in order to make blood money off performances by people like Banton. Many will idealistically defend free speech and the right of an artist to "freedom of expression." If this concert goes on, I know there will be a large group outside Nocturnum, exercising our rights to freedom of expression as well. Our point will be simple: if you won't renounce your advocacy of our murder, we don't want you in Eureka. CALL IN YOUR PROTEST TO THIS CONCERT The owner of Nocturnum is Gil Miracle. His phone number is 707-449-0163. His email address is gilmiracle@sbcglobal.net The owner of the production company bringing Buju Banton to Eureka is Carol Bruno of People Productions. Her phone number is 707-923-4599 and email is people@peopleproductions.net Here are more informational links on Buju Banton for your reference: citycenterpoz.blogspot.com/2009....html humboldtherald.wordpress.com/200...ldt/ kunsoo1024.wordpress.com/2006/...night/ blogs.sfweekly.com/shookdow...ces_b.php www.digitalcity.com/2009/08/...-protest/ www.examiner.com/x-4107-Ga...es-US-tour www.edgeboston.com/index.php www.deseretnews.com/article/...3,00.html www.styleweekly.com/ME2/dirmod.asp www.mlive.com/entertainme...o_detro.html www.columbusdispatch.com/live/...V.html Here’s a letter from Kim Berry, Womens Studies, at HSU with some great information in it that was sent out to the HSU Multicultural Queer Studies Program participants: Dear MQS folks: Please see the announcement below about Jamaican Reggae artist Buju Banton's scheduled performance in Eureka. If you are concerned about violently homophobic messages, please call the Nocturnum Nightclub to protest the booking: 707.923.4599. You might want to mention that the Ohio venue cancelled his tour, is taking a monetary hit, and is replacing Banton's performance with a photography exhibit of Jamaican lesbian, gays, and all-sexuals glbtqjamaica.blogspot.com/2009/...d.html . I have also included a brief analysis of violent homophobia in some Jamaican Reggae artists' works, drawing upon the frameworks I use in my "Queer Across Cultures" class. Yours, Kim Berry "Kill Gays" Artist Back On Tour In Ohio, California By On Top Magazine Staff Published: September 30, 2009 Controversial Jamaican reggae artist Buju Banton will appear in Ohio and California after all. Amid boisterous protests from gay rights groups, tour dates in Columbus, Cincinnati, San Francisco and Los Angeles, among other cities, were canceled, shutting out Banton from Ohio entirely. Banton's 1992 hit Boom Bye Bye advocates for the murder of gay men by shooting them in the head with a submachine gun and pouring acid on them to "burn him up bad like an old tire wheel." Banton is scheduled to appear at the Shattuck Down Low in Berkeley on October 10, the Nocturnum in Eureka on October 11, the Voodoo Lounge in San Jose on October 13, the Casbar in Santa Rosa on October 14, the Club Cabana in Los Angeles on October 15 and the Belly Up Tavern in Solana Beach on October 17, Gargamel records announced. ontopmag.com/article.aspx If you are sick of Homophobia being glorified and promoted in our community, SPEAK UP!!! CONTACT NOCTURNUM NIGHTCLUB @ 707.923.4599 or www.facebook.com/peopleproductions It is important to place the violent homophobia and heterosexism of some Jamaican reggae artists in historical perspective. Homophobia and heterosexism were imposed upon the people of Jamaica through slavery and colonial rule. Ironically, over time these imposed ideas were normalized, and many nationalist leaders used the symbol of the heterosexual nuclear family as the symbol of the new nation. "Anti-buggery" laws from British colonial rule became part of independent Jamaica's laws, and the heterosexual family was written into the constitution, laws and policies of the newly independent nation. The new nation struggled economically. Despite attempts to create an economically sovereign country, Jamaica was caught in the trap of debt and forced to tailor its economy according to the rules of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization (see the film Life and Debt for an excellent analysis of economic relations in Jamaica that can most clearly be called neo-imperialism). Jamaica has seen its food security destroyed as its small scale agricultural producers have been outcompeted by subsidized agricultural inputs from the US; health and well-being has declined as funding for key social services was decimated by structural adjustment policies of IMF-WB loan agreements. Many Jamaican reggae artists are actively anti-imperialist; in a painful irony GLBTQ identities, desires, and relationships are being seen as yet another Western imposition on Jamaica. This linkage of queer with Western, although historically inaccurate, has made it a powerful symbol in some Jamaican reggae music. (Note: Anth/WS 430: Queer Across Cultures, next offered in Spring 2011, explores these issues in detail.) Let us condemn the violent homophobia masquerading as anti-imperialism in Buju Banton's lyrics AND simultaneously condemn continuing relations of economic imperialism in Jamaica. Let us also ally ourselves with GLBTQI Jamaicans (in Jamaica often self-described as lesbians, gays, and all-sexuals) and follow their lead in negotiating the painful and dangerous ironies of homophobia in Jamaica today. Learn about and support the work of Jamaican Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays www.jflag.org/. Read about current issues on glbtqjamaica.blogspot.com/ . - Todd , posted 10/03/09 |
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