Concerts by reggae stars Buju Banton and Beenie Man, whose songs feature homophobic lyrics, have been cancelled because of lobbying by local gay community organizations, according to a release from the British gay-rights group OutRage!
Banton was slated to perform in Brighton on July 5 while and Beenie Man was supposed to sing at Bournemouth on July 29. Groups lobbied the police and local officials to use their powers to close a licensed premises if public safety was at risk.
In 2004, many Beenie Man concerts were cancelled in the U.S., primarily because of allegations that the lyrics in the singer’s songs advocated homophobic behavior to the point of murdering gays and lesbians. Tobacco behemoth R.J. Reynolds axed 14 performances, while shows in other cities (such as Chicago) were also cancelled. While he was been the subject of much criticism, the BBC Web site reported that Beenie Man Beenie Man claims that his use of the phrase ‘batty men’ refers to child molesters and not gays.
According to UK Gay News, Banton’s hit tune Boom Bye Bye advocates shooting gays in the head, pouring acid over them and burning them alive. The publication also noted that Banton ‘narrowly escaped conviction earlier this year’ for taking part in the assault of some gay men in Jamaica.