What part of "LIFE" does "LIFEBeat" not understand?
LIFEBeat, an organization that bills itself as "the Music Industry Fighting AIDS", has scheduled a benefit concert featuring, among others, reggae artists Beenie Man and TOK. Beenie Man advocates hanging lesbians, while TOK is apparently more in favor of burning:
From dem a par inna chi chi man car
Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!! (Bun dem!!!!)
From dem a drink inna chi chi man bar
Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!!! (Dun dem!!!!)
When Keith Boykin contacted LIFEBeat Executive Director John Canelli to find out why an anti-AIDS organization would book performers who have openly called for the murder of gays and lesbians, Canelli explained, "It's a tough decision....Look at the numbers of people getting infected. My job is to save lives." Tell that to Jamaican gay activist Lenford "Steve" Harvey, or any of the other gays and lesbians who've been victims of anti-gay violence in that country.
Black GLBT bloggers are leading the effort to get LIFEBeat to realize that it's not OK to promote artists who encourage murder, and that doing so for an event that is allegedly a benefit in support of people with AIDS is an incredible slap in the face--the equivalent of inviting Prussian Blue to perform at the NAACP Image Awards.
Donald Agarrat: www.anzidesign.com
Keith Boykin: www.keithboykin.com
Clay Cane: www.claycane.blogspot.com
Jasmyne Cannick: www.jasmynecannick.com
Steven Claiborne: http://saclaiborne.blogspot.com/
Terrance Heath: www.republicoft.com
Andre Lancaster: http://journeyintolight.blogspot.com/
Frank Roberts: www.brooklynboyblues.blogspot.com
Pam Spaulding: www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/
Bernard Tarver: www.bejata.com
ETA: The good news is that LIFEBeat has reconsidered. The bad news is that instead of simply un-inviting those artists, they cancelled the whole thing and blamed "the firestorm incited by a select group of activists". I mean, sheesh! What are those crazy black fags and dykes thinking, to be upset by the idea of giving a forum to musicians calling for hanging and burning them?
From dem a par inna chi chi man car
Blaze di fire mek we bun dem!!!! (Bun dem!!!!)
From dem a drink inna chi chi man bar
Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!!! (Dun dem!!!!)
When Keith Boykin contacted LIFEBeat Executive Director John Canelli to find out why an anti-AIDS organization would book performers who have openly called for the murder of gays and lesbians, Canelli explained, "It's a tough decision....Look at the numbers of people getting infected. My job is to save lives." Tell that to Jamaican gay activist Lenford "Steve" Harvey, or any of the other gays and lesbians who've been victims of anti-gay violence in that country.
Black GLBT bloggers are leading the effort to get LIFEBeat to realize that it's not OK to promote artists who encourage murder, and that doing so for an event that is allegedly a benefit in support of people with AIDS is an incredible slap in the face--the equivalent of inviting Prussian Blue to perform at the NAACP Image Awards.
Donald Agarrat: www.anzidesign.com
Keith Boykin: www.keithboykin.com
Clay Cane: www.claycane.blogspot.com
Jasmyne Cannick: www.jasmynecannick.com
Steven Claiborne: http://saclaiborne.blogspot.com/
Terrance Heath: www.republicoft.com
Andre Lancaster: http://journeyintolight.blogspot.com/
Frank Roberts: www.brooklynboyblues.blogspot.com
Pam Spaulding: www.pamspaulding.com/weblog/
Bernard Tarver: www.bejata.com
ETA: The good news is that LIFEBeat has reconsidered. The bad news is that instead of simply un-inviting those artists, they cancelled the whole thing and blamed "the firestorm incited by a select group of activists". I mean, sheesh! What are those crazy black fags and dykes thinking, to be upset by the idea of giving a forum to musicians calling for hanging and burning them?