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E-fricking-gads.
New York, NY, December 9, 2009 – The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, today responded to a statement issued by the Recording Academy following GLAAD’s petition drive protesting the recent Grammy nomination of reggae singer Buju Banton’s album “Rasta Got Soul.”
Banton has long a history of advocating the killing of gay people. In a popular song released in 1988 entitled “Boom Bye Bye,” Banton repeats the anti-gay ‘f-word’ and says that “f—–s have to die” and he will “shoot them in the head” or “burn them.” The Associated Press has reported that the song “Batty Rider” from Banton’s 1993 record “Mr. Mention” glorifies the shooting of gay men.
In October 2009 Banton was quoted in news reports as saying “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs ‘there is no end to the war between me and f—-t’ and it’s clear.”
The Recording Academy sent this statement to GLAAD:
The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Awards have a long history of supporting freedom of speech and creative expression, and of supporting artists and the music they create. Artists of a variety of political or cultural perspectives have been nominated or featured on the telecast, despite protests and backlash. The Academy acknowledges that there are very strong and diverse opinions on many issues and in many instances, we have helped initiate dialogue on matters that require education and further discussion. It takes tolerance to teach tolerance, and it is through dialogue and debate that social discovery may occur. The GRAMMY Awards is a celebration and recognition of outstanding musical achievement by music makers, regardless of politics, and that will continue to be our mission.“While we appreciate the Recording Academy issuing a response, we firmly disagree with their justification for nominating Buju Banton for a Grammy Award,” said Jarrett Barrios, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). “Advocating the murder of gay people is not a ‘political or cultural perspective.’ We urge Recording Academy members NOT to support Buju Banton’s nomination. Ignoring his continued promotion of brutality against gay people sends a message that violence against our community is OK.”
GLAAD urges you to protest Buju Baton’s Grammy Nomination and tell Recording Academy members to not support his nomination. Please sign our online petition now: http://www.glaad.org/bujubantonpetition.
About GLAAD
The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. For more information, please visit www.glaad.org
Y’know, does the Recording Academy get that the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community can be mighty retributive with their pink dollars to those who are seen and being against the LGBT community? Does the Recording Academy not get that LGBT people might fall away in droves from watching their awards show, and boycott those who advertize on the Grammy Awards because they’ll be seen as supporting Buju Baton’s hate speech?
I swear, this has got to be the stupidest move that the Recording Academy could have made here — supporting the nomination of an artist who glorified the killing of gay men in a song, and called gay people by the antigay other f-word, and declared that stood behind his commentary as recently as October while again using the the antigay other f-word. Stupid, stupid, stupid Recording Academy.
27 Comments
Hate musicDoes this mean the Recording Academy would be happy to start nominating neo-nazi/white supremacist music? Maybe Prussian Blue should get a nomination for best pop duo?
astoundinghave they gotten around to nominating the radio broadcasts that helped spark the rwandan genocide? i mean, if those words were able to lubricate a genocide, that’s pure artistry isn’t it?
just one question: when did rick warren buy a controlling share in the academy?
Prussian Blue with back up vocals by David Duke,Go for the Hateful Trio.
I thought the same thing…After all, it’s as non-mainstream as Banton…
Every year there’s talk about whether the Grammy’s matter anymore, whether they’re relevant. I know my favorite artists are either never recognized by the Academy, or by the time they’re recognized, I’ve been a fan for YEARS and my reaction is “what took you all so long?”
If THIS is how they’re trying to stay relevant, they deserve to disappear.
More importantly,does the Recording Academy not realize that people are being violently assaulted and murdered everyday in this country because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and/or gender expression? Advocating the murder of LGBT people has real world effects. If Buju Banton wants to say he hates LGBT people, fine. But advocating violence should never be glorified or honored and, instead, must always be protested.
While it’s not the same thing…I can’t help but think how Eminin’s homophobic lyric writing was celebrated not all that long ago and what I saw as an astounding lack of outrage over it. Maybe Banton is just playing a “character.”
Just a questionHow does one boycott the Recording Academy?
The Ugandan Recording Academy?I dont see them endorsing racist country singers.
Perhaps I need a change of spectacles.
Or maybe they just think that homophobia and advocating Final Solution is ok whilst racism is not
Start slowly, first by contacting Margaret Cho and Kathy Griffin. Ask them for the list of people who vote for the grammys. Then set up an automatic email on some site to send the voters information on Banton
One doesn’t watch their awards show……and denies them ad revenue in future years.
And too, if in Los Angeles one can decline to participate in putting on the event (i.e. other artists, caterers, costumers, camera operators, etc.).
Also, one doesn’t have to throw Grammy parties at LGBT clubs; one doesn’t have to attend any Grammy parties at other clubs and locations. One can talk to the advertizers who are are scheduled to sponsor the event and work to have them drop sponsorship. One can talk to the network putting on the show and express dissatisfaction that they are airing an awards show where one who embraces killing a part of thier audience — a part of the audience that as a demographic spends over 700 billion dollars a year in the U.S. Economy — has been nominated for an award.
One can take action as an individual, or one can organize a reponse. GLAAD has taken the first response as an organized action — first they expressed their own organization’s displeasure at the nomination, and now their organizing a community response when the Recording Academy gave an pretty unsatisfactory response. I’m sure there are next steps contemplated if the petition doesn’t result in Buju Baton doesn’t have his nomination withdrawn.
There are a few ways to directly boycott the Recording Academy, and there are many other ways to apply indirect pressure to the Recording Academy to remove the nomination from consideration.
Remember, Buju Baton is the one who called this a war, saying:
To quote Cesar Chavez on responding as a community:
Have any LGBT friendly music star type folks……spoken against this in any way?
Or any LGBT Grammy recipients threatened to renounce their awards if he is chosen?
Advocating murder is nothing more that protected free speech, after allAny suggestions on civilized countries? I am developing a strong urge to just leave the US and go live in one.
The ONLY show of clout that would matter to the GRAMMYSIf sponsors withdraw their support, and if named performers and nominees say they won’t attend with this fag hater in the running.
signing petitions means NADA.
Spain, South Africa, Netherlands, Canada, Norway, Sweden,Australia, Belgium, Nepal, Portugal, Iceland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Venezuela, New Zealand, or Israel for SSM or for other civilly recognized unions: Andorra, Australia, Colombia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Portugal, Slovenia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and Uruguay. They are also available in parts of Argentina (Villa Carlos Paz, Río Cuarto, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Río Negro), Mexico (Coahuila and the Federal District) and the United States (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey, Nevada, Oregon, Wisconsin and Washington and the federal District of Columbia).
Could disrupt the grammysand make sure that “FInal Solution” and Gay genocide” figure strongly in the disrpution.
Buju Banton has blood on his hands. Another homophobic reggae artist recently performed in Uganda, specifically songs about slitting the throats of LGBT’s. This kind of lowering the threshold from being able to sing about killing us led directly to inciting our murders and then to enacting laws codifying the means of our mass extermination
I suggest we inform performers and sponsors and NetworkShould Banton win and be able to say what he sings, in this NATION it’s hate speech, and any LGBTs harmed by his inciting killing F*GGOTS, will be a HATE CRIME. The network which airs the show, and sponsors will also be charged.
I will BOYCOTT not only the Grammy telecast, but EVERY show that network airs, and all the products they advertise.
Clive Davis is hosting a pre-Grammy gala“The Recording Academy and Clive Davis will continue the tradition of the annual Pre-GRAMMY Gala. This exclusive celebration – attended by artists and industry VIPs in music, film and television and featuring special musical performances – will take place on Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, Calif., the evening before the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards.”
Pressure might start focused on Clive Davis to withdraw.
http://www.grammy.com/Recordin…
I’m researching more targets of our pressure.
Grammy SponsorsDelta Airlines
Mastercard
T Mobile sidekick
Westwood One
Nokia
Hilton
People magazine
USA Today
CBS interactive
Harman International
http://www.grammy.com/Sponsors/
Another Way to BoycottRemember that the Recording Academy springs from an association of the record companies. Hit them where they are most vulnerable. Don’t buy music. No more iTunes. And tell them about it. There are free (illegal) ways of getting music, the fact of which is all too well known by those same companies. I’m not advocating anything illegal, merely indicating the option exists.
Where I have trouble comprehending the Academy’s position is how they reconcile encouraging murder with artistic freedom. It’s not altogether unlike what we’ve heard many times: Freedom of speech does not give one the right to yell “Fire!” in a crowded theatre (unless there really IS a fire in a crowded theatre).
There’s no justification for encouraging murder, not even in the name of artistic freedom. It’s irresponsible and demonstrates conspicuous intellectual laziness.
Pitiful.
“It takes tolerance to teach tolerance”I can’t believe they had the nerve to write that. Be tolerant of people who want to kill you?!?!? Who in his right mind would do that?
But it’s more of the same BS we hear all the time. And not just from the mainstream. Gay Inc. tells us pretty much the same thing, all the time. Be nice. If people want to hurt you, or kill you, or strip you of your rights as a citizen, you just have to be nice to them and they’ll stop what they’re doing and be nice to you, too..
I’ve had enough. E-goddamned-nough. I swear, the next time I hear some variation on that, I’m going to explode. H.L. Mencken said it perfectly:
I’m just about at that point now. Not until–and I suspect, only when–our entire community gets there will we see any real change.
from their siteBesides signing the petition, here are also academy’s phone/fax numbers.
The Recording Academy
3030 Olympic Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Ph: 310.392.3777
Fx: 310.399.3090
Grammy Foundation (uses same phone number as above)
Toll-free: 1.877.GRAMMY.ED
grammyfoundation@grammy.com
Does the recording academy not know…That high ranking board members of HRC are in the recording industry…??Of course, these are one who refuse/are afraid to come out. After all almost all male gay singers are prevented from obtaining reccording contracts in the US, but gay killer singers get AWARDS!Get your pink triangles ready folks… I hear jack boots and HEILS coming down the pke.
David Geffen and Elton might have enough clout in the biz to steer the Grammy’s away from this insane nomination
Maybe we should be writing songs ourselves…about killing bashers in self defense. You know, some sort of Pink Pistols ode, or maybe “Another One Bites the Dust.” Afterall, they should be willing to tolerate “Bashing BACK” in order to teach tolerance. [/sarcasm]
Or better yet, we could write songs about Banton…”Come out, Buju Banton, admit it to the world…it’s time to stop internalizing, blah, blah, blah..you don’t have to hate anyone, including YOURSELF…for loving another man.
Or words that effect. Wouldn’t that just frost his cake?
Mila 18…Just sayin’…
This is Buju Banton’s fourth Grammy nominationI think it is good that GLAAD is publicizing this issue and taking some action. Getting word out about these “kill lesbians and gay” dancehall musicians is a good thing.
The Grammy voters will decide if Buju Banton actually gets a Grammy. I’m thinking that there might be some LGBT people voting.
To learn about the very homophobic dancehall music, the “Dancehall Dossier” is a good place to start http://tinyurl.com/2xax3b Those artistes are still out singing those songs.
Buju does seem to be singing “Boom Bye Bye” much less these days. He apologized for it in 1992, but kept singing it until at least 2004.
Buju Banton has a new anti gay routine and is still as virulently homophobic now as he was in 1992. (“Boom Bye Bye” is essentially a paraphrase of Leviticus 20:13)
For more information http://cancelbujubanton.wetpai…
and http://tinyurl.com/ye8paw2 This Time Magazine article: http://tinyurl.com/qd7h3 “The Most Homophobic Place on Earth?” is a very interesting read and has some details of Buju Banton’s alleged involvement in an assault on some gay men in Kingston, Jamaica in 2004. He was arrested, but the case never came to trial.
Hear, hear.