San Diego MUST be a 'Firewall' to Buju Banton TONIGHT

UPDATED with video of the L A Center protest at the Cabana Club.

The Belly Up in San Diego is allegedly “furious” over the uproar cause by Jamaican reggae singer Buju Banton. But “furious” is apparently not enough for them to cancel his show tonight.

Banton has been the target of an international boycott and a national effort to boycott his US tour because of his express hatred of “faggots” – in particular, his lyrics in “Boom Bye Bye” which call for the murder and maiming of gay people.

Last Monday San Francisco Supervisor Bevan Dufty – who is a candidate for mayor of San Francisco – blogger Michael Petrelis, Equality California’s Andrea Shorter, the San Francisco Center’s Rebecca Rolfe and others met with Buju Banton in a diplomatic attempt to call him to account.

As LGBT POV reported – Dufty and Petrelis subsequently called the meeting a good “first step” – though they acknowledged that nothing had come from it but a photo op.

At least one gay Jamaican apparently thought the meeting was a good idea, Petrelis reported.

Meanhile, Banton’s PR machine – claiming that he no longer sings or makes money off that “Boom Bye Bye song,” nor does he brag about his hatred of “faggots” – spun the meeting into a serious publicity crack in the boycott.

Banton’s reaction to the meeting was to give an interview to the Jamaica Observer reiterating that he had not give up his “war” against faggots.

Despite the fresh interview, the damage was done and clubs that had previously cancelled Banton’s concerts started rescheduling – including the Cabana Club in Hollywood which was picketed by a coalition of groups, lead by the LA Gay & Lesbian Center.

In an email obtained by LGBT POV, LA Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri Jean urged Dufty and other members of that San Francisco meeting to issue a strongly worded statement making it clear that Banton made no concessions and that:

“the effort to stop his performances is as vital as ever to cancel this kind of murder music.

Unfortunately, your meeting and the publicity around it is being used as a justification by clubs and promoters to now reverse their former stands and re-book Banton.  This is turning into an unmitigated disaster and unless you take firm and unequivocal action immediately I fear that the damage done may become irreparable.

Not only has the San Francisco meeting exacerbated matters in L.A. and San Diego but we’re starting to hear from colleagues around the country who have been working on Banton matters for a very long time that the same thing is happening there.  Clubs are re-booking him and using the meeting that he had with you as the reason why it is now permissible.  In fact, perhaps you don’t know, but that Petrelis photo and his blog post are being promoted on a webpage promoting Buju’s tour and selling tickets to his concerts!!!!

Dufty issued what appeared to me to be a rather weak statement, which opened with:

I unequivocally endorse the continuing boycott of Buju Banton and his music and concert tour.

Today, the LA Gay & Lesbian Center‘s Lorri Jean told me:

We must make it clear to Buju and to clubs that book him that no one should profit from anti-gay murder music.  Buju by his own words has declared “war” on the “faggots” and this is a war WE must win!

The clubs now want “proof” that Banton actually sings about hatred. The coalition to cancel Banton’s concerts pointed to Banton singing “Fire Burn Batty,” (posted on YouTube on Sept. 2, 2009) where you can clearly hear Banton proclaim:

“There is no end to the war between me and faggots!”

Nonetheless, the Belly Up is apparently insisting that Banton meet with gays in San Diego as a condition for him to appear at the club.

And San Diego gays are apparently thinking about complying. Why? Do they think they will be able to make headway with Banton, when it appears his paying dance hall audience enjoys the conflict?

Listen to the reaction on that tape after Banton sings, “There is no end to the war between me and faggots!” It’s one of appreciative agreement.

And while there may not be a direct connection, there is a ripple effect when the word “faggot” is used so often by celebrities, it becomes an acceptable public term, not hate speech. Both  San Diego News Network’s Joseph Pena and gay San Diego blogger Mike Tidmus described hearing the term “faggot” used during the counter-protest to Fred Phelps outside a San Diego high school Friday.

SDNN reported:

“The 2:10 p.m. demonstrations were timed with the end of classes at the downtown high school, and students who streamed out onto sidewalks were greeted with the combating messages. Some were unfazed, others shouted in support of the gay rights groups, and one student passing by the commotion said, “These faggots have got to go.””

Tidmus, who told me he heared the word “faggot” uttered three separate times – just put up a post calling San Diego a “firewall” in the effort the stop Banton;

“As intense negotiations continue today, the day of the concert, San Diego has become a firewall. Tonight’s scheduled performance is a line in the sand that will determine, possibly once and for all, if Banton — and singers of his ilk — are allowed to continue to recklessly spew hate and advocate violence against the GLBT community. Stressing the urgency of confronting this singer of hate songs tonight in Solana Beach is not mere hyperbole. Hopefully, the San Diego community and our friends and allies will again rise to the challenge and powerfully make the case — as we did yesterday when 500 San Diegans showed up to confront the Westboro Baptist Church — that all of San Diego is a Hate Free Zone.

The first brick in that “firewall” needs to start with the refusal of gays to meet with Banton. He has only more publicity to gain – making the LGBTs who protest his lyrics look weak and compliant. And what does the LGBT community gain? “Proof” that he’s antigay? We have that. The knowledge of knowing we’re the nice ones in this war? We know that, too. And guess what? Buju Banton doesn’t care.

The LGBT community should not meet with Buju Banton until he is ready to publicly renounce his murder music. Otherwise, in my humble opinion, we are complicit in the hate crimes and “faggot” hate speech that follows in his wake.

Tagged as: Events, Issues