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UPON hearing about Buju Banton’s recent meeting with various gay community leaders, I was – initially – in complete shock. Reggae fans won’t need to be schooled on Buju’s long-running struggles with the gay community, who have successfully protested to have many of the deejay’s concerts cancelled. Unfortunately for Buju, his anti-gay hit, Boom Bye Bye continues to haunt him even now – 17 years after its release – with gay rights protesters still using him as the poster child for the ‘homophobia in reggae’ debate.

So it seemed strange that Buju – born Mark Anthony Myrie – would choose to put himself in the company of the very group who have, surely, been a thorn in his side for so many years.

But with more careful consideration, it dawned on me that this meeting was perhaps well overdue. Whether or not Buju is repentant for Boom Bye Bye – which he says he no longer performs at his live shows – the fact remains that his anti-gay reputation is, quite frankly, losing him money.

The cancellation of so many of his shows is bound to have made a considerable dent in his income. Add to that the fact that so many of his fans have been disappointed when they’ve been left with useless tickets for his cancelled shows, and it seems sensible that the dancehall legend would enter into dialogue with the gay community.

However, I was left somewhat troubled by the nature of this meeting. Granted, it would have been naïve to expect the attendees to sit together hand in hand, and belt out a chorus of I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing. It would have been equally misguided to think that the gay attendees would have given Buju an easy ride.

But with gay community organiser Michael Petrelis – who was in attendance at the meeting – saying after the showdown that the gay participants would “continue to strongly support the Cancel Buju Banton web site,” I wondered if the meeting was nothing more than an opportunity for the gay leaders to personally humiliate the much-loved reggae star.

The meeting took place before a concert Buju was scheduled to perform in San Francisco – the city which is often referred to as the ‘gay capital of the world’. The show was at risk of being cancelled, following protests from gay rights campaigners. But according to San Francisco blog site sfweekly.com, the concert did go ahead, because LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists “agreed to let the show continue as planned.” The statement seems almost gleeful; as if the group was reveling in the fact that they granted permission for Buju to perform.

Buju Banton is not a child. And yet the agenda of this meeting, according to Mr Petrelis, was to explain to Buju “why the gay community is

still upset with Buju's hostility toward gay people”. Is the suggestion that Buju is too stupid to realise – after 17 years of protests against him – why the gay community aren’t his biggest fans?

Let’s get some perspective here. While anyone with basic morals would agree that the incitement of violence or hatred against any group is wrong, the fact still remains: you can’t force people to like you! Of course, dialogue is often what brings understanding between different groups. But one can’t help feeling that the idea behind this meeting was simply to chastise Buju, as though he was a naughty schoolboy, and force him to embrace homosexuality with open arms. News flash: this isn’t likely to happen, so it might be best to stop trying.

As if that wasn’t enough, Mr Petrelis left the meeting not only insisting he would continue to support the boycotting of Buju’s 2009 tour, but he would also continue to support “the boycott against Jamaican tourism and Red Stripe beer.” Surely, this is a step too far. You don’t like an artist so you’re going to boycott the country he’s from? And boycott one of the country’s most popular beers? Come on!

Mr Petrelis also told The Voice that the gay attendees of the meeting asked Buju to “continue to meet with more gays as he travels around the USA.” But what if Buju doesn’t wish to meet with more gays? Why should he have to meet with more gays? Why can’t Buju just agree to never again incite violence in his lyrics and then get on with his life and be free to perform for his many fans throughout the world?

Gay rights campaigners have successfully dug into the reggae archives and found a number of lyrics that can be used to support their claim that some of the music has incited violence against gay people. And yes, this is a regrettable chapter of reggae’s history.

But has the gay community considered that here, in 2009, the reggae community’s so-called hostility towards them is less to do with gay people’s sexual practices, and more to do with the fact that they keep calling for the cancellation of reggae shows? Reggae fans just want to be able to see their stars perform live, just like other music lovers. Stop them from doing so and, understandably, they’ll be p****d off.

The reggae stars who once wrote anti-gay lyrics can’t go back in time and re-write them, so what are they to do? What is the sense in continuing to protest against these artists, who simply wish to earn a living by performing for the many fans they’ve garnered over the years?

Whatever happened to the saying ‘to each, his own’? If you don’t like reggae, that’s fine, but there are plenty that do. So why not let them get on with watching the artists they love, most of which have no desire to spout rubbish about hating gay people?

If both sides of this debate are to move on, both sides have to be sensible. Reggae acts can’t expect gay rights campaigners to condone or ignore anti-gay lyrics. But if gay rights activists are expecting reggae acts to join with them to protest against homophobia, this is equally naïve.

So how about being realistic and calling a truce that will enable both sides to do away with this sorry saga? Because ultimately, neither side is going to force the other to do things their way.

Published: 20 October 2009
Issue: 1394

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