Gay artists Tom Goss and Matt Alber were in D.C. this week, preparing for their upcoming joint tour when they wrote “This Is Who We Are,” an anthem against the U.S. military’s failed policy of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” which bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. miltary.
From The New Gay, here’s video of an impromptu, roof-top jam session:
Banton
Gay rights activists have called the recording artists academy to use Sunday night’s Grammy Awards telecast to denounce music that promotes or celebrates violence against any group of people and the artists who perform such music.
In a full-age ad in Friday’s Grammy-edition of Variety, more than 20 progressive organizations, lead by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, posted an open letter to the Recording Academy’s President Neil Portnow in response to anti-gay reggae singer Buju Banton’s nomination for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category.
Click the image below for a larger version:
Click this image to read a larger version of the Variety ad.
Throughout his career Banton has performed music that glorifies the violent murder of LGBT people, and as recently as three months ago he refused to stop performing such music, according to a statement by GLAAD. Last October he was quoted in news reports saying, “This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs, ‘There is no end to the war between me and fa**ots.’”
The Recording Academy has said that the Grammy Awards honor musical achievement “regardless of politics” and that artists from many different political and cultural perspectives have been nominated over the years.
Buju Banton, the Jamaican reggae star whose anti-gay lyrics have drawn international criticism, is in a federal lockup in Miami, facing drug conspiracy charges, reports the Miami Herald.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents say Banton, real name Mark Anthony Myrie, has been in custody since Thursday and will soon be transferred to Tampa, where the U.S. Attorney is charging him with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than five kilos of cocaine.
While legions of dancehall reggae enthusiasts view Banton as one of the most prolific voices of Jamaica’s poor masses, critics say he’s a gay basher whose lyrics incite violence by calling for attacking and torturing homosexuals.
His song Boom Bye Bye, a dancehall hit released in the 1990s, advocates shooting gays in the head and setting them on fire.
Such lyrics have made Banton the target of angry gay activists, who this this fall forced the cancellation of a string of concerts by the artist during a U.S. tour that included a Halloween night concert in Miami.
The L.A. Gay and Lesbian Center recently issued this statement, referring to Banton’s Grammy award nomination for the album Rasta Got Soul, “It’s an affront to LGBT people, and to all fair-minded people around the world.”
In a posting that appeared on their website Friday, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center condemned the Grammy nomination for Buju Banton, a “notoriously anti-gay performer whose music promotes the violent murder of LGBT people:”
Throughout his career, Banton has performed music that promotes a culture of violence against lesbian and gay people; he sings in “Boom, Bye Bye” that “faggots get up and run” when he comes, that “they have to die,” and that he will shoot them in the head or “burn them up bad.”
Banton is completely unrepentant, refuses to stop performing the song, and recently said, “There is no end to the war between me and faggots.”
“It’s an affront to LGBT people, and to all fair-minded people around the world, that Buju Banton was nominated,” says Center Chief Public Affairs Officer Jim Key. “We certainly hope the members of the Recording Academy will not bestow the prestigious honor of a Grammy on someone whose music promotes murder.”
- L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center.
After taking heat from Adam Lambert’s fans and gay advocates for a week, ABC on Friday extended an olive branch of sorts to the “American Idol” runner-up, reports the Los Angeles Times.
ABC canceled Lambert’s scheduled appearances on “Good Morning America” and “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and stopped considering him for “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” which drew thousands of complaints from viewers and gay advocates who believed the network was retaliating against him because he is gay.
On Friday night, Lambert took to Twitter, where he first announced the cancellations, to tell his fans that he will appear on “The View” next Thursday.
“Hey friends! I will be performing and hanging w the ladies of ABC’s The View Thursday the 10th!” he tweeted.
Lambert will be interviewed by “The View” hosts and will perform. Both will be pre-taped because Lambert has a scheduling conflict and cannot be in New York on Thursday, sources said.
Lambert will appear on “The View” the morning after his interview with Barbara Walters for her “10 Most Fascinating People” special on ABC.
The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which earlier accused ABC of subjecting Lambert to a double standard, applauded ABC’s invitation.
Lambert made headlines with his provocative performance last month at the American Music Awards in which he kissed a male musician.
