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April 03, 2008

Commentary

Get Up Stand Up
By: Richard Burnett

JFLAG_logo.jpg

Steffens: "Bob would be terribly upset about all of this"

"I hate it when people call me a hero," Gareth Henry, leader of the Kingston-based gay civil rights group Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG), told me over breakfast last October while in Montreal to lecture at Concordia. "I have to do what I do. My rights as a Jamaican citizen have been violated, so we must challenge the Jamaican government to do something [about widespread anti-gay violence in Jamaica]. It's true the chances of my being attacked are inevitable. But that's why I must go back." Then, on his way to the office last November - after 13 of his gay friends were murdered since 2005 - two thugs approached him and threatened his life. "We know who you are and we're going to kill you," they told him.

Says Gareth today, "So I didn't go back home. I called my mother to collect my things."

On Jan. 26, Gareth returned to Canada and claimed refugee status. This time he hopes he won't have to return to Jamaica. "I prefer to live."

Gareth, British activist Peter Tatchell, myself and others have long documented how anti-gay dancehall reggae by the likes of Buju Banton, Sizzla and other dancehall stars fuels the anti-gay hate and violence in Jamaica, a nation Time magazine in 2006 called "the Most Homophobic Place on Earth."

Despite cancelled concerts worldwide, however, these dancehall dons remain unrepentant. So Stop Murder Music Canada (SMMC), along with Canada's national gay lobby group Égale and the international Metropolitan Community Church, are launching an

international tourism boycott of Jamaica, as well as a boycott of all Jamaican goods and services, beginning on May 17, International Day Against Homophobia, if Jamaica doesn't repeal its buggery laws and introduce a national pro-gay education campaign. In Toronto, the coalition has twice met with Jamaica's Consul General, Anne-Marie Bonner.

"We've asked the Jamaican government to respond by May 12," says SMMC founder Akim Ade Larcher. "This boycott will [also] include [all] reggae performers." "We didn't go into this lightly," says Égale executive director Helen Kennedy. "It took a long time to get to this point. I'm cautiously optimistic they will do the right thing and denounce the escalating violence against gay people in Jamaica."

Others, like Montreal dub DJ Moss Man - who flew to Jamaica this week to film the new feature film Get Rock to Rocksteady: The Roots of Reggae, which will culminate with an April 19 concert with old-school superstars Ken Boothe, Judy Mowatt, Derrick Morgan, Leroy Sibbles, Marcia Griffiths, The Tamlins, Dawn Penn, U-Roy and others - have reservations about the boycott.

"I sympathize with the movement but I say a boycott might just backfire and make people more angry [against gay people]," Moss Man told me. "Boycotting Jamaicans won't make a difference anyway - they're already dirt f*cking poor. Maybe they should target foreign nationals and rich Jamaicans."

"I think it's stupid to boycott an entire country over a specific issue that should be solved internally in Jamaica," says Cezar Brumeanu, manager of Montreal's House of Reggae nightclub and executive director of the Montreal International Reggae Festival. "Only Americans seem to get involved in other countries'
internal affairs, and look where it got them: They're hated by everyone. I say let the Jamaicans solve their own problems internally, not by outside forces. As for the festival, we are not in the boycott business, we are in the reggae music business for everyone who likes to enjoy it."

Even the Fort Lauderdale-based International Gay & Lesbian Travel Association doesn't support the tourism boycott. In a statement, the IGLTA claims it "is in complete solidarity with Jamaica's own LGBT leadership, J-FLAG. Therefore, like J-FLAG, it is not our intention to provoke reprisals or political condemnation in Jamaica by supporting a global tourism boycott. We understand [a boycott] could be counterproductive to making true progress in that Caribbean nation, and instead we will focus on education, publicity and market competition to highlight and help curb these terrible abuses."

But Akim Ade Larcher is having none of that. "I have not seen the IGLTA take part in any education or awareness of homophobia in the Caribbean. For them to come in at this late date saying they don't support a tourism boycott is not in the best interest of effecting change in Jamaica. As for J-FLAG, strategically they can't [publicly] call for an international boycott - it puts their members' lives on the line."

Even J-FLAG's former co-chair, Gareth Henry, told me last October before he escaped to Canada that he would support a tourism boycott of Jamaica. "The violence against gay people is still increasing," Gareth told me this week.

As for my L.A.-based friend Roger Steffens, chair of the Grammy Awards reggae committee, personally dubbed "Ras Rojah" by Bob Marley and whose massive reggae archives were recently acquired by Jamaica to become the National Museum of Jamaican Popular Music, he says, "I think Bob [Marley] would be terribly upset about all of this and say that reggae music is positive and constructive. You can't go around killing people just because they live a life different than yours."

The Jamaican boycott goes into effect on May 17 on International Day Against Homophobia.

Posted by yardFlex at April 3, 2008 11:54 AM


Comments

Posted by: slim d on April 3, 2008 02:35 PM

HENRY R HENISHA i would luv 4 u to return to jamaica, so we can bag ur frocking body and send it to the pit toilet, we nah change fi frock b*tty, we luv b*ddy ina p*ssy down here, failure to do leave us alone, i will personal join the gun team and mek them dun all uno f*ggot whey a frock b*tty, b8tty frocker, nasty boy a stright shot fi uno


Posted by: madald on April 3, 2008 03:11 PM

Move into the ocean if unu want to be accepted.


Posted by: DoWha? on April 3, 2008 03:25 PM

Maybe instead of a BoyCott, dem B*tty Boy deh fi think bout a GirlCott instead! We Jamaicans will support dat to di fullest!
Saddomism = DoveCott!


Posted by: Queen B on April 3, 2008 03:52 PM

Gareth, I feel ur pain but boycotting against Jamaica is going to put people's lives in danger especially for the gays and lesbians living in Jamacia. They do not like ur life style and you cannot force them to support ur life style.
Oh my God! ur going to have a riot!
I cannot tell you what to do but innocent people are going to get hurt.
I will pray for you.


Posted by: DIAMOND on April 3, 2008 04:14 PM

WOW! CANADA A TRU FISHMON COUNTRY. ME VEX LIK SH*T RIGHT NOW. ME CANT BELIEVE WHA I JUST SAW.

---- IF A MAN LIE WID MANKIND, AS HE LIE WID A WOMAN, BOTH OF DEM HAV COMMITTED AN ABOMINATION, DEY SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH; THEIR BLOOD SHALL BE UPON DEM--LEV. 20-13------

DIS GOES OUT TO ALL DEM DISGUSTIN PPL INNA CANADA & ALL DEM NASTY FISH BWOY & FISH GYAL DEM ALL OVA DA WORLD.
WHA A DISGRACE. ALL DEM INNA CANADA & ANY OTHA PLACE DATS HELPIN DIS FOOLISHNESS GO ON --SOCK UNNU BL**DCL8T MADA.

ALL J-FLAG STAFF ESPECIALLY GARETH HENRY, MOSS MAN,ROGER STEFFENS,HELEN KENNEDY,PETER TATCHELL,EGALE,IGLTA, AKIM ADE LARCHER, MCC, & EVERY OTHA GAYS HELPIN -- SOCK YAH MADA


Posted by: Tashi on April 3, 2008 05:05 PM

BUT THESE GAYS ARE GETTING TOO DAME BOLD... JAMAICA WAS NEVER A PLACE THAT ALLOW THESE NASTY ACTS OUT IN PUBLIC.... I REMEMBER THEY USED TO HIDE IT, NOW DEM DEH PON VIDEO WID DE SLACKNESS, AND NOW DEM WAAN THE GOVERNMENT FI COMPLE WID DEM BULLSH*TT... THE DAY THAT HAPPEN IS WEN WE'LL SEE BLOODSHEED ALL OVER JAMAICA WORSE THAN HOW WE SEE IT NOW, IF YOU WANT TO LIVE FREE WID DE NASTYNESS MOVE YU NASTY ASS TO A PLACE LIKE AMERICA OR CANANDA.... DEM TOO DAME NASTY....


Posted by: DIAMOND on April 3, 2008 05:22 PM

GARETH HENRY - YOUR MADA SHOULD BOX U INNA YAH FACE- YAH FISH BWOY - WHA A DISGRACE U ARE. U BETTA STAY INNA CANADA B*TCH- CAH U NAH WAN RAMP WID US NOW

PETER TATCHELL- YAH BL**DCL*T RIGHT WE A DA MOST HOMOPHOBIC PLACE INNA DE WORLD. WHA U WNATED US TO BE LIK UNNU INNA BRITAIN SOCKIN COCKY.

STOP MURDA MUSIC CANADA {SSMC} & METROPOLITAN COMMUNITY CHURCH {MCC}- U GO SOCK UNNU BL**DCL*T MADA. YAH WISH U COULD BOYCOTT US & MAK US ACCEPT YAH NASTINESS. PLLLEEEAASSEEE- MCC- WHA U GUYS SUPPOSE TO BE A CHURCH - SH*T - A WAH KIND OF CHURCH DAT- YAH ALL GON BURN -SOON CUM

ANEE MARIE BONNER - GO CHUCK OFF OF DA CLOSEST FREEWAY TO U OK

AKIM ADE LARCHER- U AGO DEAD SOON- WHA A SHAME- WHA U WANT US TO BOW DUNG TO U {LOL}-- WHY DONT U GO SOCK A COCKY? ISNT DAT WHA U DO BEST-

HELEN KENNEDY {EGALE}- U GO FIND A 100YR OLD P*SSY TO SOCK. DAT GOES FOR ALL DA EGALE CREW

MOSS MAN- A U A STA8 B*TCH HOW U FI SEY BOYCOTTING JAMAICIANS WONT MAK A DIFFERENCE -OH WE ARE ALL FROCKING DIRT POOR-OF COURSE WERE POOR- U MAY NOT BE POOR YAH SELF- BUT WE RATHER BE POOR THAN TO SOCK BUTT CRACK FOR MONEY

TO ALL DI ARTIST PERFORMIN- I HAV RESPECT FOR ALL U ARTIST BEFORE, BUT NOW IM DISGUSTED. WHA A NASTY DECISION U GUYS HAV MADE-

CEZAR BRUMEANU- U A DI ONLY ONE WHO SEY A DESCENT TING - BUT STILL U NEED FI GET A BOX SAME WAY

IGLTA & LGBT- YAH NEED FI GET A BIG BULLET FOR BEING STUPID- YAH NEED FI JOIN FORCES WID J-FAGGS & CUM DUNG TO JAMAICA & GET A BIG LICK INNA YAH HEAD

AKIM ADE LARCHER- SEE HOW STUPID U ARE - U GUYS ALRDY FIGHTIN ONE ANOTHA-U A BIG EEDIOT- U TRIN TO BUILD YAH LIKKLE GAY COMMITTEE - BUT IT NAH GO WORK- ME NAH BLAME IGLTA. DEY DONT WAT TO CUM DUNG TO JA & GET A FAT BULLET LIK U DO.

ROGER STEFFENS- U ARE A RETARD - HOW U FI SEY IF BOB MARLEY WAS HERE - HE WOULDVE BEEN UPSET. HOW U FI KNO DAT. *SSHOLE- GO SOCK YAH MADA SAME WAY SEEN - U NAH KNO NUTTIN-WE KNO DAT ALRDY DAT ITS YAH STINKIN LIVES - WE JUST DON WAN YAH INNA JA.

IN GENERAL, EVERY RASTED PERSON OR CREW MENTIONED ALL NEED FI REALIZE SEY YAH NASTY & SELASSIE I KNO SEY YAH BETTA UNDERSTAND DAT JAMAICIAN PPL WILL NOT ALLOW U TO FROCK UP DEM ENVIROMENT W/ YAH FROCKERY.


Posted by: shabba on April 3, 2008 06:17 PM

Dem Sadamite ya fi get lost out of all the people Dem who a dead Dem rarely die,the bible condemns homosexuality and even if it didn't it still would a get bun out.
Canada are hypocrites because in the middle east dem man deh kill Faggot like fly but, do they stop buying the oil from them,no.
IF the Goverment even thinks of following this a now u a go si fish boy dead.


Posted by: DUBFYAH on April 3, 2008 07:35 PM

EVEN ANIMALS NUH SEH IT'S NOT RIGHT TO SLEEP WITH THE SAME SEX...BUT HUMANS SLEEP WITH THE SAME SEX!
OH WHAT A SIN TING !



Posted by: pretty on April 3, 2008 08:23 PM

why dont jflag use their time power and energy for something more constructive that can benefit jamaica as a whole. they need to stop exxagerrating their plight. jamaica hates gays, everyone knows that, but they are not persecuted to the degree jflag wants the international community to believe. all this bad propaganda is not good for jamaica's economy.


Posted by: Long Bench on April 3, 2008 11:01 PM

The call for boycotts has its place in forcing issues to the forefront; complaining that these folks have no right to call for a boycott doesn't do much. Its not the boycott itself that matters, its the kind of ripple effect it provokes.


Posted by: Jamaicanlady on April 4, 2008 01:10 AM

This boycott will be as affective in convicing Jamaicans to change thier views on homosexuality, as George Bush's attempt to say a country is for terrorism if they are not speaking out publicly against it. That campaign, or guilt trip he tried to put on people in other countries for not being accepting of his war, was just as unbecoming and useless as this boycott will be. It won't change a thing. Take this for thought, our murder rate jumped up several percentages a year ago, but so did our visitors, from 2million to 3million. This alone proves a boycott won't work, crime alone should keep people away, but they just keep coming in bigger numbers. You can't change Jamaica's views, you won't change Jamaica's views, don't like it, then stay in Canada!


Posted by: ndaula on April 4, 2008 06:04 AM

This is insane! If these people want more fire for gay people, then they have opened the turretts! You can not get a positive response this way.


Posted by: a weh di r#$s?? on April 4, 2008 08:17 AM

Which Bob Marley dem a talk bout? Can't Cocksman Bob! Wah mek dem tink Bob did aggo inna dem corner wid dem battyism? Unnuh mix up wi Reggae Hero inna unnuh likkle shitty argument yaah!

Yuh know mi cant undastand di lie weh dem batty bwoy yah willing fi tell fi get a farrin. Wi nevva use to kill di fuckers dem but now it aggo change! Dem tink seh giving us ultimatum ago mek it betta fi dem? If dem did just low di people dem dem woulda notice seh wi have gotten more tolerant wid di Fish dem. Right now most a wi just get a laugh bout dem lifestyle because wi know di more dem turn to batty di more pussy deh fi di straight man dem fi fuck! When batty man get murder inna Jamaica is usually dem own kill dem because dem violently jealous!

Weh dem tink aggo happen to dem now dat dem waan come strong-arm wi? Wi aggo retaliate! Why dem nuh mek sleeping dawgs lie? Dem tink seh wi national heroes dem become national heroes because dem tek strong-arm tatics from di British? Dem need fi undastand wi culcha and know seh it nuh pay fi try push a Jamaican inna corner. Blood wi shed dem way deh!

Yow Batty Bwoys, if unnuh nuh leave well enuff alone and mek wi come to terms wid di rumpism inna wi own time and pon wi own terms den might as well unnuh find place put inna unnuh country put di rumpist dem weh deh yah, cause den unnuh cant hold wi responsible fi weh wi will do to dem when wi start feel di pinch.

Be warned. Memba mi tell unnuh, wi nuh tek kindly to strong-arm tatics.

Mi done talk!


Posted by: brown on April 4, 2008 09:25 AM

come on now


Posted by: PinkCattie on April 4, 2008 10:31 AM

Of course dis man want BOYcott.. Cause him LOVE BOYS. As I say man dat STRAIGHT dead & no one say him dead cause him STRAIGHT. Baby Mothers a get killed & no one say dem dead Cause dem a BABY MADDA. Dem JFLAG a dead cause DEM OWN MAN a BEAT dem cause DEM deh wid too much MAN. DEM A CHEAT & DEM MAN a kill dem.

ATTENTION ALL J'CAN: If u can't get Visa just go a CANADIAN EMBASSY & say u HOMO & People a Threaten U that is the NEW ting. MEK dis MAN neva try come USA???? USA Immigration No fool-fool Like CANADA. Dem would a send him right back a JA.

Y canada no GIVE PEOPLE a DARFUR, SUDAN or Iraq Refugee Status??? A dem a suffa in a dis world. dis man an him sex wantings no deserve status. He is a PUNK real hero no RUN. Real hero STAND UP & FIGHT. MARTIN LUTHER KING NEVA RUN WHEN DEM DID A THREATEN HIM & ALL BLACKS him fight till him dead.


Posted by: Dalllio Star on April 4, 2008 11:55 AM

yooooow weh dem a try wi nuh want nuh gay rights a yard bun dem out Canada nuh body nuh like unuh suh unuh can stay a canada. If Jamaica government approve nothing a deh suh the war start wi nah protect nuh battyman are lesbian a wi country put dem pon one island fi dem self suh wi can bomb it up but wi nuh want dem a wi yard.....Them can boycott nuh body a wah day yah dem money start worth something


Posted by: NaSehNuttin on April 4, 2008 12:11 PM

BOYCOTT WHAT????? Jamaica has been against fishmanism from day one so how come dem a gwaan like a something new? Dem gwaan like dem waan wi fi conform to dem dutty lifestyle, we nuh condone that. BOOM BANG BANG fi all a dem! B@#@(#*Clath!


Posted by: Dugu Dugu on April 4, 2008 01:25 PM

fag stay a canada, the fag dem a turn hitler style bout gay education marcia griffiths an mowatt a disgrace if dem follow di fag dem bob would never tolerate the killings but him nuh tolerate fag neither WHY THE JAMAICAN COMMUNITY NOT REACTING IN PUBLIC ABOUT THIS OUTRAGE


Posted by: bishop ranking on April 5, 2008 06:18 AM

We haffi send them go a DoveCott


Posted by: adonai on April 5, 2008 10:23 PM

yow i cannot believe what i'm hearing i hope to GOD that the PM has an aide who is reading this article adn he is also prepared to call a state of emergency onmay 17, if he is considering to concede to thes creatures and i know he will not conform to some Fags, as much as they tried to implicate the former administrator he did not conform, and besides which party will want to be remembered as the party to legalize gayism in JA,anyways if one would want to be remembered as that party he willalso be the party to introduce anorchy and chaos too, dont you think we have enough sins to deal with here and they want to add more they can leave us alone,i know it cannot happen no time soon, but if it does i will seek assylum in cuba.. no fish round here...look at a class act like Buju Banton and the man them would stop at nothing to kill the man's career, but these devil worshipinp people forget that here is a god above.if the canadian government is in league with these people and i said if, then they can keep their farmwok tickets, as that is the only thing they offered us. and to tell the truth i'm sick and tired of every so called developed country bad mouthing us, none of them are helping us after they raped our country of its resources and leave us to scour just to survive, and we are stuck in a survival mode, so until one of them can offer a practical and tangible solution. they all can nleave us alone. we can do bad all by ourself..serious things will happen!!!!


Posted by: shack on April 6, 2008 05:32 AM

Why don´t they boycott all the sharia-led countries such as Saudi Arabia and The UAE? There, the courts stone them to death.
Answer: Oil = gas for their cars. Hypocrites! Canadians love The UAE and go there all the time. They should start in the right place instead of bashing Jamaica all the time.

No one will care anyway. Jamaica have a great natural resource called reggae and I will continue to buy it. Maybe even more so because of this "boycott".
I will continue to buy Red Stripe and jamaican rum aswell. Everybody knows the best dark rum comes from Jamaica.


Posted by: marcus on April 6, 2008 11:30 AM

well well, just like murda a sin, same-sex intercourse is sin. i dont think itz right 4 people anywhere to have to accept sin. an 2 all dem fish bwoy sex iz 4 reproduction, if ur fadda did lye wid a man u wudnt b here 2 come cause dis frockery. so jus as tha world wantz 2 bun out murda muzik dem fi bun fish man 2. plus tha bible which iz the principles 2 life has it written so go study before u come talk bout accept fishman ting. LAVA, BRIMESTONE, FIRE BLAZE and mek fish man get consume if not now then in the days of judgement.
bless


Posted by: major ova heat on April 6, 2008 11:55 AM

who the frock u think u are want to come an tell us how to run our country Garneth henry u should a dea.. an rotten long time u a sell out ja go an suc.... u stinking mada *sshol..... like u. as 4 moss man we are poor an proud we neva ask u an u nasty fishma... friend dem fi food nothing u big pus... gal jankroo who di frock u think u are we have right to do what we pleae dis is a frockin free world an we all love our country freedom an space so u an all u canadian gay friend dem frock you an dont cum down here .froc.... offfffff.... dogs.


Posted by: arlene murdock on April 6, 2008 07:26 PM

fish boys fi stay far . the rass goverment should never take that report at all. him shoulda mek them no say thats a fuc**ing under statement him cannot bring that to the jamaican people because.them we riot, how them did want bush fi gi gay rights fi married, and him tell them straight a union should be with someone from the opposite not from the same madah fuc** sex . no no way none a that a rasscloth. brine stone and fire if that ever happen. the goverment need to be a leader not a follower, lead you own country. thats all i have to say. one love. dont cause no more disgrace pon jamaica please.


Posted by: arlene murdock on April 6, 2008 07:28 PM

b*tty boys fi stay far . the r*ss goverment should never take that report at all. him shoulda mek them no say thats a fuc**ing under statement him cannot bring that to the jamaican people because.them we riot, how them did want bush fi gi gay rights fi married, and him tell them straight a union should be with someone from the opposite not from the same madah fuc** sex . no no way none a that a r*sscloth. brine stone and fire if that ever happen. the goverment need to be a leader not a follower, lead you own country. thats all i have to say. one love. dont cause no more disgrace pon jamaica please.


Posted by: UNKNOWN on April 6, 2008 08:30 PM

A wappen to dem b**boi ya?...if dem boycott Jamaica we jus goin bun dem out EVEN MORE...and dem a tlk bout Bob???...GO S**K UNNU MUMA!!!...fish fi dead memba dat

Boom Bye Bye inna B**TYBWAY
Alliance


Posted by: wha yuh feel like Gareth on April 7, 2008 04:58 PM

Bum bye bye ina batty man head i man nah support dem nasty gay dem a fi .........


Posted by: IrieItes on April 8, 2008 05:16 PM

Wether you like it or not, Jamaican laws will have to change as it is the ONLY way each and every citizen can live with EQUAL RIGHTS. Stop living with a stoneage mentality. You don't like gays, fine. Mind your own business and you will see, gays and lesbians will not come and bother you. If the dancehall industry had been smart enough to not promote violence and death, there would be no boycott. Action, reaction. I'm happy to see that some Jamaicans are really trying to move the music forward by questionning the amount of violence dancehall is promoting (not only to gays and lesbians but violence in general). With all the escalading mob violence that Jamaicans gays and lesbians are facing, the international community, gays and straights are and will continue to put a lot of pressure on Jamaican government to change these laws that bring shame and discrimination. There is no way out. A tourism boycott is not what most of us want, but things WILL CHANGE and by witnessing that Jamaican government has no intention yet to remove these stupid laws, the international community will use sanction to punish the country. Just like people did to protest against Apartheid. Government should think about somethning else than pnly to be re-elected. A true governement that would really want to make shure it's cirtizen are safe, would remove these laws imediately. Specially that all this 'battyman' hate is a direct connection to the raise of HIV in the caribbean beacause people fear to go and be test, fearing they might be labeled as gay. RELIGION HAS TO BE LEFT OUTSIDE OF GOVERMENT. This is a must in order to govern a country properly. Religion is a personal choice and should not be imposed on people. Please, we need more positivity in this tread, stop feeding on hate, you are the only one who lose. As Bob marley put it: WAKE UP AND LIVE!


Posted by: queenb on April 9, 2008 08:03 PM

a wah dis mi a read, a wah really a gawn? who da f**k dem tink dem be? dem cawn tell di jamaican gov'ment how fi run im country, because no body cawn tell dem how fi run fi dem country, dem tink if dem get dem fi stop sing song against these SLIMES wi a guh stop kill dem out?. Yo di long and short of it is WI NAW LEGALISE NUH FORM A B*TTYISIM INNA JAMAICA a dat wi sey, ba&&y bwoy fi DEAD DEAD str8 up and down


Posted by: schack on April 10, 2008 05:34 AM

EDIT: I will no longer buy Red Stripe since they have jumped on the boycott Jamaica bandwagon.


Posted by: shack on April 10, 2008 06:15 PM

What I wanna know is why, WHY!, they insist on single Jamiaca out? You care to answer that IrieItes?
There are so much other countries where persecution of "gays" is much worse (Russia, Yemen, Iran, The UAE, Saudi Arabia etc etc), why you bully Jamaica?
Is it cause they are a poor, small island? What´s going on?
Why don´t you boycott the sharia led countries where homosexuality is punishible by death according to their laws?
Jamaican courts don´t send homos to death, it´s just that the people of Ja don´t like em and hence, the artists says so. Is that so horrific?


Posted by: NaaBegNoFriend on April 16, 2008 04:41 PM

Unnu see it now. I live in Canada and if Jamaica
agrees your gonna see how bright and how much power the fish dem will get. Canada pop down cause of dem. I BEG JAMAICA, DONT BOW DOWN


Posted by: IrieItes on April 18, 2008 07:44 AM

EDIT: I will no longer buy Red Stripe since they have jumped on the boycott Jamaica bandwagon.

What I wanna know is why, WHY!, they insist on single Jamiaca out? You care to answer that IrieItes?
There are so much other countries where persecution of "gays" is much worse (Russia, Yemen, Iran, The UAE, Saudi Arabia etc etc), why you bully Jamaica?
Is it cause they are a poor, small island? What´s going on?
Why don´t you boycott the sharia led countries where homosexuality is punishible by death according to their laws?
Jamaican courts don´t send homos to death, it´s just that the people of Ja don´t like em and hence, the artists says so. Is that so horrific?

Answer to SHACK two comments: FIRST: If you want to boycott Red Stripe that is your choice. To say that they have 'jumped on the Jamaica bandwagon' is not accurate. A few years ago (October 2004), several corporations tried to dress a code of conduct onstage, which is much needed in (some of the) reggae/dancehall scene. They cannot impose what a musician put on a record, but if they put some money in a show that can shurly say don't promote violence and don't promote discrimination. 41 months later, Red Stripe his walking off promoting these events, because we see that even with the restrictions, singers still don't know how to behave onstage. Not only one or two of them, but a whole bunch. A total lack of respect. Last Guiness Sting concert is a very good example of that. When you write 'EDIT:' maybe that means you are one of the editor on YardFlex. I can overstand you being piss off as dancehall is your passion and you probably think it's OK for those singers to behave like this. Again FREEDOM OF SPEECH does not allow someone to go up on a stage and to advocate violence to a minority. This is unacceptable, what ever your religious values. A boycott is mean to protess against the things you don't agree. Fine boycott Red Stripe because they have decided to not be associated to the promotion of violence. And by the way, there is not only the gay issue that is the problem in dancehall lyrics, the glorification of violence and guns is a huge problem. But personally I can think of several boycott that would make more sence: boycotting corporation that use animals in laboratory to test teir products (millions of animals are killed each year to test the products that we eat and put on our skin), boycotting corporations that use child labour, pregnant women. Boycotting corporations that make people work 70 hours a week. This is modern slavery. Boycotting cars corporations that still put SUV and promote them as if we need that. Boycott of Esso (ExxonMobil) ans Shell, for beeing the worst gas company... and the list goes on. Did you ever wonder how people were treted on the feild when they are collecting cocoa beans when you eat your chocolate? What about your coffee? Did you knew that when you purchase Kraft food, you are putting your money in a tobacco company? (Kraft is Phillip Morris (aka: Marlboro). They aslo own JELL-O, Toblerone, Post, Shake 'N Bake, Sanka Coffee, Starbuks Coffee, Maxwell House, Miller Beer, Tang, Kool-Aid... Some of use who stand in the middle class, when can use our dollar to make a difference. We have internet at the tip of our finger. You always start with coopamerica.org. SECOND: why single Jamaica out when it comes to gay rights. Thats a good question, I will try to answer it to the best of my ability. If my memory is good, 80 countries still criminalized homosexuality. Some of them have a record of extreme violence. Jamaica is one of them. I don't think that Jamaica is singeled out. If you go on PeterTatchell.net website, you will see that is is quite involeved in pushing these rights in several countries. Tatchell has started the Murder Music campaign in 2004, but since then as moved to several other projects. The campaign is still on, but I don't think he is investing much time. It's more gays and lesbians organisations that target the dancehall music when the signes that haven't signed the RCA (Reggae Compassionate Act) comes to their town. NOW the Jamaican boycott has been launch by gays and lesbians that are living in the Caribbean or were born in the Caribbean. It is not officially started. Jamaica still have three weeks to address the topic and revise its laws and embark into a national educational campaign on homosexuality. Jamaica should not be alarmed by that, as not much things will changed for straight (heterosexual) people, simply that it will demistify the fact that homosexuality is something that is aquired from birth and that only a small percentage of the population is born like this. Some studies says 10 percent of the population. Bisexual men and women can still live a 'regular' life, even if they are attrack to same sex, but gays, lesbians and transsexuals have the rights to live free of discrimination, verbal violence and physical violence. I tell you, EVERYONE will win in a change of situation. When people are happier, it's a chain of energy, everyone will win.


Posted by: IrieItes on April 23, 2008 07:09 PM

ARE YOU SKANKING?

THEY DON'T WANT US TO UNITE. ALL THEY WANT US TO DO IS KEEP ON FUSSING AND FIGHTING. ARE YOU SKANKING? THEY DON'T WANT US TO UNITE. ALL THEY WANT US TO DO IS KEEP ON KILLING ONE ANOTHER.

BROTHERLY LOVE, THE SISTERLY LOVE I FEEL THIS MORNING!

(Top Ranking, Bob Marley, 1979)

Please go back to your roots Jahmekya!

Make shure you have AFRICA UNITE in you record collection. If you don't already have dis one, put it on your priority list!

Jah Raaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaastafari


Posted by: IrieItes on April 23, 2008 07:28 PM

SURVIVAL is the name of the album. But my message is JAMAICA UNITE! CARIBBEAN UNITE! AFRICA UNITE! Unite for the benefit of your own people! Don't let polytrics and church leaders with a discrimination agenda divide you! You should ALWAYS question someone who is preaching division. And specially someone who who preaches hatered. ONE LOVE! It's a REAL message of unity, even sent to people who have violence in their heart. Make Jah light guide you on your journey. Accept your neighbour as they are. sexuality is such a personal matter, let people live their own reality.


Posted by: evad on May 2, 2008 12:04 AM

Pleeeeeeeeeeeasssse
Don't Speak ill of the GOng its just plain wrong

The Gong will or might not want di fish dem dead but mi sure the Gong did read from Genisis to Revealtions and mi sure him read Leviticus and Romans in between and him might want fi seh who is him not to obey the words of JAH fi bun fire and brimstone pon Sodom

Selah
Give I Sheila


Posted by: IrieItes on May 6, 2008 10:02 PM

Always wondered if MIDNIGHT RAVERS was about homosexuality. I think it is. Bob sings in it: "to their problems there is no solution" (talking about gays) and at one point, he even says 'to my problem, there is no solution'. So he realised that the fact that he (might) have problem to deal with homosexuality, there is no solution but to accept that it's part of creation. AGAIN that's only my interpretation. This song as to be taken in it's context, it was written in 1972, the same year that Bob has spent 6 months living in Europe. Maybe he had people that were openly gays or lesbians living in his close neigbourhood. He was starting to tour ouside of Jamaica and he was being expose to different cultures. Again this song was written in the middle of his career and I would think that his overstanding of homosexuality might have even evolve in the years that followed. I'd like to think of him as an extremly open minded person and when he sang ONE LOVE he really meant it. I feel so conected to his musical legacy that I know he is fully happy when we sing his music, regardless of the oppression we are going through, his music can be associate to ANY social cause, specially when it's fighting against oppression.


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