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SF Reggae Fest Drops Anti-Gay Singer
Organizers of San Francisco's Reggae In The Park have dropped a controversial Jamaican singer following complaints from the city's LGBT community.
SF Reggae Fest Drops Anti-Gay Singer
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
Posted: September 13, 2004 8:14 pm ET
(San Francisco, California) Organizers of San Francisco's Reggae In The Park have dropped a controversial Jamaican singer following complaints from the city's LGBT community.
Capleton, one of a growing number of reggae singers linked to homophobic music, was scheduled to be one of the headline acts at the festival at Sharon Meadow on October 2 and 3.
Last May, Amnesty International reported that in a reggae concert in Jamaica, Capleton and other performers "sang almost exclusively about gay men. Using the derogatory terms for gay men - "chi chi men" or ‘battybwoys’ - they urged the audience to ‘kill dem, battybwoys haffi dead, gun shots pon dem. Who want to see dem dead, put up his hand’".
Capleton issued an apology to San Franciso gays in an effort to head off a threatened demonstration.
"I do not advocate violence or abuse against anyone, nor do I support prejudice, bigotry or discrimination," he said in a statement.
"It bothers me deeply to hear that some of my past lyrics, which I no longer perform in concert, have been interpreted as offensive to gay and lesbian communities."
Gay community leaders called it insufficient and too late. Organizers of the event apparently agreed, decided that he would be disinvited to perform.
Capleton, and two reggae singers who advocate violence against gays, will however play in New Jersey on Sunday. (story)
Capleton, Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel will perform at an outdoor concert in Newark. Organizers of the Reggae Festival say they aware of the nature of the music and the public outrage over it and have required the three sign contracts stipulating they will not perform songs which promote hatred toward gays.
Another reggae singer associated with anti-gay lyrics, Beenie Man, is currently on a US tour that has been marked by almost daily announcements of cancellations after concert halls and organizers were made aware of the nature of the singer's lyrics. (story)
Earlier this month the organizers of the MOBOs, Britain's urban music awards, announced that they are canceling the nominations of reggae superstars Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, after they refused to apologize for their lyrics inciting the murder of lesbian and gay people. (story)
©365Gay.com 2004
by Mary Ellen Peterson
365Gay.com Newscenter
San Francisco Bureau
Posted: September 13, 2004 8:14 pm ET
(San Francisco, California) Organizers of San Francisco's Reggae In The Park have dropped a controversial Jamaican singer following complaints from the city's LGBT community.
Capleton, one of a growing number of reggae singers linked to homophobic music, was scheduled to be one of the headline acts at the festival at Sharon Meadow on October 2 and 3.
Last May, Amnesty International reported that in a reggae concert in Jamaica, Capleton and other performers "sang almost exclusively about gay men. Using the derogatory terms for gay men - "chi chi men" or ‘battybwoys’ - they urged the audience to ‘kill dem, battybwoys haffi dead, gun shots pon dem. Who want to see dem dead, put up his hand’".
Capleton issued an apology to San Franciso gays in an effort to head off a threatened demonstration.
"I do not advocate violence or abuse against anyone, nor do I support prejudice, bigotry or discrimination," he said in a statement.
"It bothers me deeply to hear that some of my past lyrics, which I no longer perform in concert, have been interpreted as offensive to gay and lesbian communities."
Gay community leaders called it insufficient and too late. Organizers of the event apparently agreed, decided that he would be disinvited to perform.
Capleton, and two reggae singers who advocate violence against gays, will however play in New Jersey on Sunday. (story)
Capleton, Bounty Killer and Vybz Kartel will perform at an outdoor concert in Newark. Organizers of the Reggae Festival say they aware of the nature of the music and the public outrage over it and have required the three sign contracts stipulating they will not perform songs which promote hatred toward gays.
Another reggae singer associated with anti-gay lyrics, Beenie Man, is currently on a US tour that has been marked by almost daily announcements of cancellations after concert halls and organizers were made aware of the nature of the singer's lyrics. (story)
Earlier this month the organizers of the MOBOs, Britain's urban music awards, announced that they are canceling the nominations of reggae superstars Elephant Man and Vybz Kartel, after they refused to apologize for their lyrics inciting the murder of lesbian and gay people. (story)
©365Gay.com 2004
For more information:
http://www.365gay.com/newscon04/09/091304s...
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Congratulations!
I hope this starts a trend to educate all the homophobic and shallow exploiters who have defamed the spirit of reggae music. They will be held accountable for their foolish and inflammatory hate mongering!
Thank you San Francisco
Power To The Peaceful
One Love!
Irie!
I hope this starts a trend to educate all the homophobic and shallow exploiters who have defamed the spirit of reggae music. They will be held accountable for their foolish and inflammatory hate mongering!
Thank you San Francisco
Power To The Peaceful
One Love!
Irie!
CAL: SF: October 2-3, Sat-Sun:
"Reggae in the Park" festival,
in Golden Gate Park.
Festival WON'T include "burn the queer" singer Capleton.
Please see SF Examiner, 13 September 2004:
"Controversial reggae artist cut from festival.
Jamaican singer called homophobic."
by Alison Soltau.
............
For commentary & details,
look to SF queer weeklies on Thursday, 16 September.
.............
So now queers can attend this festival if they wish;
especially on Saturday.
[Sunday is the date of Castro Street Fair.]
.......
-- TBL
Would the Gay Pride Parade ever be cancelled if San Franciscos heterosexual community found it distasteful and harmful to them or their children?
so you equate the public expression of existence with inciting mobs with death threats?
what planet do you live on?
what planet do you live on?
Sure, they should get upset if there were prominent gay musicians calling for straight people to be murdered.
There aren't.
There aren't.
Who says ,such things is often mindful of these things, homosexuaility has been on this planet for eons.if it don't concern you don't mind it.Mind your own business. Ism is ism, fear comes from ignorance. Let the Most High be the judge of us all.
fuck you all who fucked up reggae in the park.
i was all excited to go see capleton, and you guys had to go fuck that up.
i'm for equal rights and tolerance, but damn... talk about misplaced energy.
why don't you try to get bibles banned for telling them to kill gay people? is that not a bigger threat to the gay community than a reggae artist trying to make a living.
i think that if a performer like capleton apologizes for what he's done, then that should be enough. i think that music is far more positive than negative.
people are a product of their circumstances, and it's hard to get out of that mindset. a lot of these artists came from homophobic cultures, so it would take a while to overcome those feelings... beliefs are hard things to transcend.
give them a fuckin break.
don't you have bigger fish to fry, like president bush?
if you don't like it, don't support it, but don't try to ruin it for the rest of us... some of us actually like their music... you act like it's a klan ralley or something... (by the way, why don't you spend more time with those people).
artists change and evolve... their message is more one of unity than division. if you focus on a only a few lyrics they wrote when they were younger and dumber, then you are ignorant.
i doubt he would have performed any of those songs, and i doubt that any gays would be hurt as a result of him playing a concert.
a song isn't going to make someone hate another group of people anyway.
i was all excited to go see capleton, and you guys had to go fuck that up.
i'm for equal rights and tolerance, but damn... talk about misplaced energy.
why don't you try to get bibles banned for telling them to kill gay people? is that not a bigger threat to the gay community than a reggae artist trying to make a living.
i think that if a performer like capleton apologizes for what he's done, then that should be enough. i think that music is far more positive than negative.
people are a product of their circumstances, and it's hard to get out of that mindset. a lot of these artists came from homophobic cultures, so it would take a while to overcome those feelings... beliefs are hard things to transcend.
give them a fuckin break.
don't you have bigger fish to fry, like president bush?
if you don't like it, don't support it, but don't try to ruin it for the rest of us... some of us actually like their music... you act like it's a klan ralley or something... (by the way, why don't you spend more time with those people).
artists change and evolve... their message is more one of unity than division. if you focus on a only a few lyrics they wrote when they were younger and dumber, then you are ignorant.
i doubt he would have performed any of those songs, and i doubt that any gays would be hurt as a result of him playing a concert.
a song isn't going to make someone hate another group of people anyway.
Solidarity and support to all those who turned out for Mr. Her. As a former valley resident, I can fully attest to the discrimination against all people of color, especially those who are newer immigrant groups.
Keep up the fight! Your strength is in your unity!
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