New York City -
A Jamaican pop singer who advocates "executing" gays will begin a US concert tour next month.
Beenie Man, whose real name is Anthony Davis, will appear in 33 cities from August 1 to November 8, including New York City, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Atlanta.
Beenie Man's hit tune, Bad Man Chi Chi Man (Bad Man, Queer Man), instructs listeners to kill gays: "If yuh nuh chi chi (queer) man wave yuh right hand and (NO!!!)/If yuh nuh lesbian wave yuh right hand and (NO!!!)Some bwoy will go a jail fi kill man tun bad man chi chi man!!!./Tell mi, sumfest it should a be a showdown/Yuh seem to run off a stage like a clown (Kill Dem DJ!!!)".
In Jamaican patois slang, "batty man" and "chi chi man" are the equivalent of "poof" and "faggot."
Beenie Man has dueted with Janet Jackson and Missy Elliott and is trying to break into the lucrative US pop market.
In a recent interview he defended the homophobic content in his music saying it reflects Jamaican culture.
"The music reflects how Jamaican people see it," he said. "I think there are things that are a part of Caribbean culture just like any other culture in the world. Everybody has their way of life. People have beliefs and that comes from who they are. The music come from that."
Last month, Jamaica's most notable gay civil rights leader was brutally murdered in his home.
A Beenie Man concert scheduled for London several weeks later was cancelled following a protest by British gay rights group Outrage. When the singer arrived at the airport he was questioned by British police but allowed to enter the country.
Friday, Outrage called on American gay rights groups to put pressure on the venues which had booked Beenie Man to perform.
“No one would give a platform to a singer who advocated killing black or Jewish people," said Outrage spokesperson Peter Tatchell in a statement.
"A performer who brazenly glorifies and encourages the murder of lesbians and gay men should not be rewarded with concerts and financial success.”
“Securing the cancellation of Beenie Man’s concert is very important. By hitting him in the pocket, it will help pressure Beenie Man and other anti-gay Jamaican singers to abandon their murderous incitements," Tatchell said.
by Beth Shapiro
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2004
Beenie Man, whose real name is Anthony Davis, will appear in 33 cities from August 1 to November 8, including New York City, Chicago, Miami, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Atlanta.
Beenie Man's hit tune, Bad Man Chi Chi Man (Bad Man, Queer Man), instructs listeners to kill gays: "If yuh nuh chi chi (queer) man wave yuh right hand and (NO!!!)/If yuh nuh lesbian wave yuh right hand and (NO!!!)Some bwoy will go a jail fi kill man tun bad man chi chi man!!!./Tell mi, sumfest it should a be a showdown/Yuh seem to run off a stage like a clown (Kill Dem DJ!!!)".
In Jamaican patois slang, "batty man" and "chi chi man" are the equivalent of "poof" and "faggot."
Beenie Man has dueted with Janet Jackson and Missy Elliott and is trying to break into the lucrative US pop market.
In a recent interview he defended the homophobic content in his music saying it reflects Jamaican culture.
"The music reflects how Jamaican people see it," he said. "I think there are things that are a part of Caribbean culture just like any other culture in the world. Everybody has their way of life. People have beliefs and that comes from who they are. The music come from that."
Last month, Jamaica's most notable gay civil rights leader was brutally murdered in his home.
A Beenie Man concert scheduled for London several weeks later was cancelled following a protest by British gay rights group Outrage. When the singer arrived at the airport he was questioned by British police but allowed to enter the country.
Friday, Outrage called on American gay rights groups to put pressure on the venues which had booked Beenie Man to perform.
“No one would give a platform to a singer who advocated killing black or Jewish people," said Outrage spokesperson Peter Tatchell in a statement.
"A performer who brazenly glorifies and encourages the murder of lesbians and gay men should not be rewarded with concerts and financial success.”
“Securing the cancellation of Beenie Man’s concert is very important. By hitting him in the pocket, it will help pressure Beenie Man and other anti-gay Jamaican singers to abandon their murderous incitements," Tatchell said.
by Beth Shapiro
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau
©365Gay.com® 2004
This article originally appeared on 365gay.com. Republished with permission.
