Buju Banton meets with gays: Hope for future dialog but no apology offered
”You have a bad PR problem. I’m not gonna get a medal for talking to you…. I’m more hopeful walking out of here than walking in here.”
Lesbian Andrea Shorter who met with controversial reggae artist Buju Banton over his song ”Boom Boom Bye Bye” which calls for the killing of gay men. Banton’s latest tour dates have been canceled across the country as gay rights supporters have protested against his “murder music.” Apparently, Banton denied that label, but added that anti-gay sentiment is ingrained in the laws and culture of Jamaica. He also continued to say he no longer performs the once popular dancehall song despite some evidence that he did so as recently as two years ago, and says he started an AIDS organization 15 years ago. He claims that his positive messages are not getting out, yet offered no apology or support for GLBT organizations.
Some have blamed gay protesters for pepper spray that was released at the San Francisco concert a few days later, but there is no evidence that protesters were responsible, and they had left the scene more than an hour earlier. (SF Weekly) (B.A.R.) (CBS 5)
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