Buju stands against gays

Using the popular website Facebook, Buju Banton is taking a stand against gay rights activists by forming the ‘We Support Buju Banton’ group. This comes shortly after the singjay was forced to cancel his seven-city tour of the United States due to protests from gay rights groups.

However, Banton’s Gargamel Music yesterday confirmed that the tour is still on, and that Banton will be kicking off his anticipated ‘Rasta Got Soul’ US Tour on September 12 in Philadelphia.

It was reported in The STAR earlier this week that The New York Times and major networks like NBC had confirmed that promoters in Chicago, Houston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Dallas had called off shows Banton was scheduled to headline.

violence against homosexuals

Banton’s ‘Rasta Got Soul’ tour was to have begun on October 2 at the House of Blues in Chicago. However, protests from the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center stopped the tour due to claims that Banton’s 1992 hit Boom Bye Bye encourages violence against homosexuals.

A release sent by Gargamel Music stated, “We are disappointed by the hasty cancellation of a few shows by Live Nation/House of Blues and Goldenvoice/AEG, but fans will be happy to know we have over 30 confirmed shows that are definitely playing and we are working to replace the cancelled dates.”

The release further explained the reason and meaning of the infamous song. “Buju Banton was all of 15 years old when he wrote Boom Bye Bye in response to a widely publicised man/boy rape case in Jamaica. It was not a call to violence. The song was re-released on a popular dancehall rhythm in 1992 and caused a huge uproar after receiving commercial radio play in the States. For the record, it is the only song he ever made on the subject – and he does not perform it today,” the release said.

facebook group

While Banton has been promoting his own Facebook group calling for support, NBC reported that the gay activists also recently launched a campaign on the website to block the US tour.

In the meantime, the ‘We Support Buju Banton’ Facebook group already has over 500 members and the names and contact details for members of the various Live Nation groups. Fans are asked to, “Stand up and make your voices heard by flooding their phones, email boxes and fax machines with testimonials in support of Buju Banton. Remember to be respectful when contacting these executives. We want them to take us seriously.”

This is not the first time Banton has had tour dates cancelled due to efforts by gay and lesbian lobbyists. Since Banton’s career took off in the US in 1995, gay rights activists have targeted his shows in that country.

Source: JamaicaStar