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Black LGBT Orgs. Protesting Buju


BUJU BANTON ALT 03 X390 (GETTY) | ADVOCATE.COM

Two black LGBT organizations have joined the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation in condemning the Grammy nomination of homophobic singer Buju Banton.

The National Black Justice Coalition and Gay Men of African Descent are working on a petition drive to protest Banton's Best Reggae Album nomination for his Rasta Got Soul. The singer has a history of being antigay and is from Jamaica, a country where violent attacks on gay people are common.

In his 1988 song "Boom Boom Bye," Banton uses an antigay slur, claims that gay people must die, and says he will "shoot them in the head" or "burn them."

“We must take a stand against any type of negative expression that encourages violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people," said Sharon Lettman, president of the NBJC. “With music being a major cultural influence, such messages that fuel hate and homophobia place our community in harm’s way.”

“By nominating this album, the Recording Academy is sending the message that the violence against the LGBT community especially in Jamaica, which Buju Banton has so wantonly celebrated and encouraged in his music, is not worthy of condemnation, and that protecting our lives is of little importance,” said Gay Men of African Descent executive director Tokes M. Osubu.

The petition may be viewed at Change.org.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Michael Banks
    Date posted: 12/14/2009 3:51:21 PM
    Hometown: Montreal

    Comment:

    God I hope he is not gay,, that is one hell of an ugly bitch,, thank god he is not in my neighbourhood I would be afraid to go out at night,, relax folks I am NOIR also..

  • Name: Tom
    Date posted: 12/13/2009 12:09:17 AM
    Hometown: Winnipeg

    Comment:

    Brendan, you have posted the best commentary on this issue. Well said!!

  • Name: Just Desserts
    Date posted: 12/12/2009 9:34:43 PM
    Hometown: CA

    Comment:

    He's been arrested in Florida on federal drug charges.

  • Name: Anton
    Date posted: 12/12/2009 11:54:18 AM
    Hometown: NYC

    Comment:

    That's one scary lookin' bro!

  • Name: Joseph
    Date posted: 12/12/2009 3:21:52 AM
    Hometown: Montgomery, AL

    Comment:

    Calvin, the RIAA has NOTHING to do with the Grammy Awards. Furthermore, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (the organization which presents the Grammy Awards) has nothing to do with the nominations, aside from announcing the nominated performances and recordings. The record labels and Academy members select albums, songs and artists that THEY believe are worthy of the appropriate Grammy and those selections are sent to various committees to determine eligibility of those nominees. That screening process is used to narrow the field to no more than 5 nominations per category and those are the selections that appear on the ballots that go to the Academy's voters. The RIAA is the organization which audits sales figures to determine gold and platinum awards (when you hear that a record's "gone gold," that means the RIAA has certified the record reached a certain sales level).

  • Name: Brendan
    Date posted: 12/12/2009 12:40:30 AM
    Hometown: Hoboken, NJ

    Comment:

    Looking at Buju's picture above is the best evidence I have yet seen to prove Darwin's theory of evolution.

  • Name: Thad
    Date posted: 12/11/2009 8:51:22 PM
    Hometown: Frisco

    Comment:

    Calvin, you can't give Hitler a place in an art show because there was nothing anti-semetic about the piece he submitted. Art doesn't exist in a vacume, it is a commentary on the world we live in, and meant to be viewed in a larger sense.

  • Name: Calvin
    Date posted: 12/11/2009 8:30:29 PM
    Hometown: Chicago, Edgewater

    Comment:

    Roy and Thad You two are getting bent outta shape over nothing. There's no hint of homophobia on the Grammy nominated album. And didn't the self-loathing Elton John work with the homophobic Emminem once?

  • Name: Roy
    Date posted: 12/11/2009 6:12:24 PM
    Hometown: Madison

    Comment:

    They are actually rewarding him for hating gays!!!

  • Name: Thad
    Date posted: 12/11/2009 5:37:07 PM
    Hometown: Frisco

    Comment:

    I don't care how catchy your music is, if your lyrics included decapitating jews, you'd never get a grammy. But of course in America, it's still acceptable to hate the gays.



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