A first step: anti-gay singer Buju Banton meets with LGBT activists in San Francisco

[ccharles000]

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/13502/a-first-step-antigay-singer-buju-banton-meets-with-lgbt-activists-in-san-francisco

Kudos for this action, even if it didn't bear fruit. Opening a dialogue about homo-hate music woven into Jamaican culture has to begin with some of the musicians who popularized it. Activists met with Buju Banton, who has had many of his concerts canceled due to actions by LGBTs to pressure the venues to cancel the event.

As Michael Petrelis reports, he and other members of San Francisco's gay community sat down with the singer. It's the first time he's met with gay activists, so this is at least breaking the ice.

The meeting was very civil and productive, even though at times I had to play the "bad cop" activist, especially when Buju was dominating the discussion, and we made several suggestions for him to consider, in order to start to undo some of the problems he has in the gay community because of his past anti-gay lyrics.

We proposed that he think about making statements in Jamaica calling for love toward gays, donating to the JFLAG group, hold a town hall meeting in Kingston about the need to respect gays, and sing about loving gay people. All the suggestions were rejected, frustrating us.

It was explained by us that American gays are not singling him out, as we advocate for gay tolerance in Jamaica, but that we have also applied pressure on the government and business leaders to affect change that benefits gays across the island nation.

See, that obviously had to have been an uncomfortable meeting, given the polar opposite views of Banton and the activists. But they were not afraid to move past personal comfort zones for the greater good. It's a lesson many people out there to consider when trying to build bridges. Sometimes success is that first meeting to say "let's talk."

[Toasterlad]

1. Sorry. I Don't Negotiate With Bigots.

If Banton had agreed to write one song that mentioned gay people positively, but refused to stop performing his other homophobic songs, would that have been enough to halt the effort to ban his concerts?

I have a zero tolerance for bigotry.

[imdjh]

2. I think that we are supposed to be understanding of his culture.

I can't quite articulate why that ought to be insulting to all Jamaicans, but I feel certain that someone here has the words to describe how "understanding" of that sort would fall into the category of not expecting any better from them.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

6. But that "culture" includes a very large number of gays/lesbians who live in fear.

This saddens me greatly, but at least he sat down with them.

[donco6]

3. Doesn't sound like he gave an inch.

So screw him.

[Bluenorthwest]

4. He's a hate filled bigoted seller of violence

He calls for murder and attacks of acid throwing.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

5. This is truly a breakthrough. He is one of the most vicious of the homophobes in the Carribbean

entertainment culture.

What's so infuriating is that the homophobia in Jamaican has created a climate of fear for Jamaican gays and lesbians. But there is such a large number of gays/lesbians there. Homophobia is so 1980s. :nono:

[keepCAblue]

7. It's not a breakthrough...

Banton has met with LGBT groups in the past, made worthless promises which he remorselessly broke, such as continuing to sing Boom Bye Bye many times after promising LGBTs he would *never* sing it again, AND after signing the Reggae Compassionate Act. More telling are his words directed toward LGBTs, such as "Fuck them!" and "There is no end to the war between me and faggots!".

Banton's meeting with LGBTs in SF was merely an attempt at damage control after seeing so many of his performances canceled. It's hurting his bank account and to that I say, GOOD.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

9. O.K., I didn't know that he had met with them in the past. Why is he continuing to meet with them

if he has no intention of moving forward? That's weird, no?

[sui generis]

8. asking anyone to "love" anyone else is anathema to me

and I am one of those fruity tooty moes myself.

The better activism would have been to say "you talked about killing another human. You talked about killing your brother, somebody's son, somebody's father or mother. You talked about putting a bullet in their head."

I think that's the main problem I (the Royal I) have a problem with those lyrics. If you subtract the killing, you are free to hate all you want, just don't take action on your hate.

I think we have a lot of growing up to do before we successfully interact with the Bujus of the world.

[TheWraith]

10. ...

...

Personally I'd just kick him in the nuts and call it a day.

But then I'm pretty simple.