Play music by reggae and rap artists that promotes hatred against gays and you will be closed down, bars and clubs have been told in Brighton and Hove. The so-called Murder Music by a number of Jamaican performers has been linked to violent attacks on gays in both the UK and Jamaica. "I'm a firm believer in freedom of speech but I'm against the incitement of hatred against minorities," city councilor Dee Simson, the chair of the council's licensing committee told the BBC. "We have a large gay and lesbian community in Brighton and Hove and we want to protect people from facing such hatred." The regulation is expected to receive final approval from the council next week. LGBT equality group OutRage has been lobbying for several years to get "Murder Music" banned. Last year a concert by one of the performers, Buju Banton, was cancelled after Brighton police notified the club that his lyrics could result in violence against gays. The club voluntarily cancelled the concert but Simson said other venues might not be so inclined without the new regulation. Banton's number one hit Boom Bye Bye urges listeners to shoot gay men in the head, pour acid over them and burn them alive. Although the song was first recorded years ago it has recently been re-released. The Brighton ban would include not only live performances but allowing the music on juke boxes or recordings to be played by DJs in clubs and bars. Beenie Man, another reggae artist, also has been under fire for his music. The lyrics to his song Bad Man Chi Chi Man (Bad Man, Queer Man) say in Jamaican dialect "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!!" Similar lyrics appear in music by Elephant Man and Sizzla. Outrage praised Brighton for its initiative: "Free speech does not include the right to advocate the killing of other human beings," spokesperson Peter Tatchell told the BBC.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Friday, 7th December 2007 - 10:41am