A coalition of Black lesbian and gay bloggers have launched a worldwide online campaign against a music industry group’s decision to ignore requests to cancel performances by homophobic reggae artists Beenie Man and TOK at their July 18 reggae concert.

The concert, scheduled to take place in New York, is being used as a benefit to reach American youth about the dangers of HIV and AIDS. The coalition of activists is calling on LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS organization, to either rescind the invitation to Beenie Man and TOK or demand that the two artists make a public statement prior to the concert disavowing their homophobic music and remarks.



In Beenie Man’s song “Han Up Deh,” he sings, “Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope.” The term “chi chi” is a Jamaican reference to homosexuality. The term is often used to refer to “chi chi men” but can also refer to lesbians (chi chi women or chi chi girls). Loosely translated, the lyrics mean, “Hang lesbians with a long piece of rope.” Similarly, in TOK’s “Chi Chi Man,” they encourage the burning and killing of gay men.



“Gays of Caribbean descent continue to be targets of hate crimes, including murder,” commented activist and blogger Jasmyne Cannick. “It has only been a little over two years since Brian Williamson, a Jamaican gay activist and founder of Jamaica’s gay civil rights group J-FLAG was found murdered, his body mutilated by multiple knife wounds, simply because he was gay.”



“LIFEbeat needs to understand that Jamaica’s growing HIV/AIDS epidemic has led to widespread violence and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS and gay men,” Cannick continues. “Many Jamaicans still believe that HIV/AIDS is a disease of gays for ‘moral impurity.’ It’s commonplace to see violent acts against gays in Jamaica. Through these artists’ lyrics, they encourage this behavior and we here in the United States should not do the same by allowing them the platform.”



Keith Boykin, author and host of the BET J series MY TWO CENTS spoke to the LIFEbeat executive director John Canelli Monday morning. Canelli admitted that his organization knew that Beenie Man and TOK were homophobic artists but decided to do the concert anyway. “We didn't make the decision blindly and we knew there would be controversy, Canelli told Boykin.



“While we support the mission of LIFEbeat to educate our youth about the dangers of HIV/AIDS, we cannot support the use of blatantly homophobic recording artists to achieve that mission,” Boykin said. “In fact, to provide a forum for these musicians actually contradicts the mission of LIFEbeat in that the artists promote homophobia that contributes to AIDS.”



Other performers during the concert include reggae artists Wayne Wonder, Sasha and Kulcha and a special performance by rapper Foxy Brown. The concert is being supported by BET, Vibe Magazine, Music Choice and New York’s Power 105.1 FM.



A partial listing of the bloggers included in the online campaign include: Donald Agarrat, Keith Boykin, Clay Cane, Jasmyne Cannick, Terrence Heath, Frank Roberts, Pam Spaulding, and Bernard Tarver.


Donald Agarrat: www.anzidesign.comKeith Boykin: www.keithboykin.com Clay Cane: www.claycane.blogspot.comJasmyne Cannick: www.jasmynecannick.comTerrance Heath: www.republicoft.com Frank Roberts: www.brooklynboyblues.blogspot.com Pam Spaulding: www.pamspaulding.com Bernard Tarver: www.bejata.com

As if all of this wasn’t enough, Emil Wilbekin, the openly gay former editor-in-chief of VIBE magazine, is on their board of directors. In addition, Hilary Rosen, the openly gay former head of the Recording Industry Association of America, is on their board of advisors.



So what can you do?



Send an email, fax, or make a phone call to the following people demanding that they either rescind the invitation to Beenie Man and TOK or demand that those two artists make a public statement prior to the concert disavowing their homophobic music and remarks.



I'm sure you would agree that we've come too far in the struggle against AIDS to allow vicious homophobia to go unchallenged in the public sphere.



Contact Information:

LIFEbeat, Inc.
630 Ninth Avenue (between 44th and 45th Streets)
Suite 1010
New York, NY 10036
www.lifebeat.org/


Telephone: 212.459.2590
Toll-free: 800.AIDS.411
Fax: 212.459.2892


John Cannelli, Executive Director, x101, jcannelli@lifebeat.org


Sarah Peters Manager, Operations, x119, speters@lifebeat.org

jasmynecannick.typepad.com/jasm....html


Today in New York, the campaign continued against LIFEbeat, the music industry’s AIDS organization. New York Black same-gender loving and transgender activists held a press conference in front of the LIFEbeat headquarters demanding that LIFEbeat go ahead with a gay friendly reggae concert donating the proceeds to J-FLAG, the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals, and Gays. Among the participants were Colin Robinson (pictured), Kenyon Farrow, Stacey Ann Chin (pictured), and Keith Boykin (pictured).




"This would be the first time a protest of these artists raised money for us,” said Karlene, co-chair of J-FLAG. “The international protests have helped build awareness and accountability back here. Artists who perform homophobic or hate songs must be sent a strong message that their acts are inhumane and will not be tolerated. But it’s even better when this can result in support for our difficult and under-financed work to counter this hatred where these musicians live.”




Yesterday, LIFEbeat called off its reggae concert in light of building pressure from Black gay activists regarding a scheduled performance by two homophobic entertainers, Beenie Man and TOK.




“LIFEbeat has basically chosen to cop-out and blame us for their ill-considered decision to use these artists in the first place,” commented D.C. blogger Terrence Heath.




The concert was scheduled to take place at New York’s Webster Hall on July 18.




Continue reading to see more photos.






Photo credit: Andres Duque