An upcoming
HIV/AIDS benefit concert in New York is coming under fire
for including two performers known to be antigay.
Among the artists scheduled to perform at the July 18
show at Webster Hall, organized by LIFEbeat: The Music
Industry Fights AIDS, are popular Jamaican dancehall artists
Beenie Man and T.O.K., whose song lyrics have encouraged
violence against gays, the Associated Press reports.
"The idea that they would invite artists who
encourage murdering gays and lesbians is so
outrageous, insulting, and unbelievable," activist
Keith Boykin told the AP. Added blogger Jasmyne Cannick: "If
it was an artist with a history of Jew-bashing or
slurs against African-Americans, would you keep the
artists in the show? They never would've been invited.
For some reason with gays it's acceptable."
But while LIFEbeat's executive director, John
Canelli, condemned the antigay lyrics of Beenie Man
and T.O.K.--and explained that both acts
agreed before the protests began not to use any offensive
lyrics in the show--he said that including them
was an important opportunity to "create dialogue
around AIDS and the Caribbean-American community."
"By both artists agreeing to perform at an
HIV/AIDS prevention concert in 2006 shows they have
recognized the devastation this disease has had on
their communities and that they want to effect some positive
change," Canelli told the AP. He added that
the presence of the artists, who are donating
their time, gives LIFEbeat a chance to reach out
to their fans, whom they might not otherwise connect with.
According to the AP, both Beenie Man and T.O.K.
have released songs that are antigay, including a
track by the former called "Han Up Deh," which calls
for a lesbian to be hanged, and "Chi Chi Man" by the
latter, which encourages the burning of gay men. Last week,
scheduled concerts by Beenie Man and Buju Banton,
another dancehall artist, were canceled in the United
Kingdom because of such antigay songs.
But in statements, the artists sounded a more
conciliatory note. "T.O.K. has definitely matured over
the years, and our music and its subject matter
reflects that," the group said according to the AP,
while Beenie Man said, "AIDS is an epidemic that doesn't
discriminate. It's not a gay or a straight thing, it is a
fight for life, and I'm proud to stand with LIFEbeat
in the fight against a disease that exists regardless
of one's sex, race, or sexual orientation." (The
Advocate)
