South Florida Caribbean News is reporting that Toyota of Hollywood is sponsoring Raggae Bash 2009 in Miami on Oct 31, featuring not only Buju ("shoot queers and burn them up like tires") Banton, but Beenie ("Hang lesbians with a long piece of rope and execute all the gays") Man, too!
At least 35 gay men have been murdered in Jamaica since 1997, the police are as likely to help bash LGBT people as to protect them, homosexuality is still criminalized and when the country's leading gay activist was chopped to death with a machete in 2004, a Human Rights Watch researcher arrived at the scene to find a crowd of people singing the chorus of Buju Banton's song "Boom Bye Bye"
Boom bye bye
Boom [as in gun sound] goodbye, goodbye
[as in we won’t be seeing you again, you’re dead]
Inna batty bwoy head
In a queer’s head
Rude bwoy no promote no nasty man
Rude boys don’t promote no queer men
Dem haffi dead
They have to die
Send fi di matic an
Send for the automatic [gun] and
Di Uzi instead
The Uzi instead
Shoot dem no come if we shot dem
Shoot them, don’t come if we shoot them
[as in don’t come to help them]
Guy come near we
If a man comes near me
Then his skin must peel
Then his skin must peel
[as in pour acid over him]
Burn him up bad like an old tyre wheel
Burn him up badly, like you would burn an old tyre wheel
Contrary to the lies of his management, Banton continues to perform the song "Boom Bye Bye" and video of him saying "There is no end to the war between me and faggots" is viewable at http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/
Yesterday, Lorri Jean, CEO of the LA Gay and Lesbian Center sent an open letter to Banton's manager:
Open letter to Buju Banton’s manager Tracii McGregor:
In your open letter dated September 3, you state that you’re "setting the record straight" on "grossly inaccurate portrayals" of Buju Banton, following the recent cancellation of many of his performances.
You claim, as you have in several media reports, that Banton was only 15-years-old when he wrote the song that glorifies the murder of gay men, "Boom, Bye Bye."
What you don’t mention is that he and your record label not only continue to profit from the sale of this song, still available for purchase on compilation albums, but that Banton has continued to perform it—in 2006 in Miami, and as recently as 2007 at the Guyana Music Festival. If the song’s "not a call to violence," as you claim, then what exactly does Banton mean when he sings: "faggots... have to die" and that he will shoot them in the head and "burn them up bad?"
Though it’s disturbing someone so young could have enough rage to write those lyrics, Banton continues to perform and justify it nearly two decades later when he is clearly an adult man. This song is sadly reflective of the anti-gay culture in Jamaica... a culture that Banton helps to sustain through his music; a culture that resulted in the brutal murder of prominent gay Jamaicans in the last five years, including the gay rights campaigner Brian Williamson and the HIV educator Steve Harvey. Indeed, when Williamson’s body was discovered crowds gathered outside his house and started cheering and singing "Boom Bye Bye" in celebration of his killing. This and similar gay-bashing violence led Time magazine to recently ask if Jamaica is "the most homophobic place on Earth." And it was just a few days ago that a gay British diplomat was murdered in Jamaica, in what many believe was a hate-motivated homophobic killing.
As you know, Banton himself was charged with a gay bashing attack just five years ago, though—under suspicious circumstances—he was acquitted.
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."
You cite, as an example of Banton’s "love for humanity," his support for disadvantaged youth and his creation of a foundation to help HIV-positive babies. "He has spent an entire career making amends," you say. But curiously, you never mention what he has said or done to atone for more than 18 years of performing a song that glorifies the murder of gay people. The only quote I can find from Baton on the issue is in a Billboard.com news story from three years ago, in which he says of gay rights groups: "Fuck them. I have never bashed any gays before, and if I bashed gays, I bashed them 16 years ago."
I believe everyone has the potential to let go of whatever rage and hate they may have in their heart. If Banton is truly remorseful for performing "Boom, Bye Bye" and contributing to the anti-gay climate in Jamaica, and publicly vows to never perform the song again, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center would be happy to support an end to the boycott of his concerts.
In fact, while Banton is in the U.S., we’d like to invite him to the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center to meet with us and to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act again. While here, we’d love to talk to him about the impact of hate speech and to meet with some of the homeless LGBT youth who live in our transitional-living program... youth who are victims of a homophobic culture, fostered by songs like "Boom, Bye Bye."
You say that "our war against one artist" has prevented "a more fruitful discussion that could perhaps effect real change." The unfortunate truth is that Banton is just one Reggae singer who has glorified the murder of LGBT people and we’ve protested against the others (Capleton, Sizzla, and Beenie Man) as well. The goal, however, has never been to silence artists—it has been to put an end to music that promotes violence against LGBT people. We’d like nothing more than to have a fruitful discussion that will result in the end of such music. Will you and Buju Banton take us up on this offer, Ms. McGregor?
Lorri L. Jean, CEO
L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
And British Honorary Consu John Terry was killed in Jamaica just last week in another hate-motivated murder.
He had been badly beaten about the head and body, possibly with the base of his bedside lamp, and then strangled with a cord ligature and a piece of clothing left around his neck.
On the bed was a hand-written note which described Mr Terry as a "batty man", derogatory slang for a homosexual. Signed "Gay-Man", it added: "This is what will happen to ALL gays.
Please call/email/visit Toyota of Hollywood to let them know what you think of their sponsorship of murder music
Office: 954-966-2150
Email: malter@toyotaofhollywood.com
address: 1841 North State Rd 7, Hollywood, FL
and call Toyota's corporate offices in Torrance, CA
to let them know as well
800-331-4331
800-443-4999 for TDD
5:00 AM - 6:00 PM Monday - Friday and 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM Saturday, Pacific Time
or you can email Toyota's corporate offices here
http://toyota.custhelp.com/...
For more info on Buju Banton's murder music and the cities that have not yet cancelled their stops on his current tour, visit
http://cancelbujubanton.wetpaint.com/
Join the Facebook group "Cancel Shows for Faggots Must Die Singer"
and please pass this on to your friends and family in South Florida