Clear Channel’s taking a stand against homophobia. The radio conglomerate’s New York-based hip-hop station, Power 105, heeded a GLAAD call and will not be broadcasting this weekend’s Reggae Carifest.
Two of the performers at Saturday’s festival, Buju Banton and Bounty Killer, drew gay activist fire over their continued use of homophobic lyrics.
GLAAD sent out a call to Clear Channel urging them to pull the plug. And the mega company agreed.
Via GLAAD:
Yesterday we issued at GLAAD Alert calling on Clear Channel to withdraw its sponsorship of Reggae Carifest, in light of the fact that two of its featured performers  Buju Banton and Bounty Killer publicly advocate and promote anti-gay violence in their songs.
Following publication of that alert, Clear Channel quietly but quickly dropped its sponsorship of the event.
The decision, reported today by Newsday, means that Clear Channel joins other companies and venues worldwide that refuse to support these performers’ dangerous messages of violence and hatred. GLAAD hopes that in the future, Clear Channel will be more forthright in condemning violence and hatred in the music and performers they sponsor.
The war against anti-gay performers reached a new pitch earlier this year as activists circulated the Reggae Compassion Act, which urges artists to self-censor their anti-gay sentiments. Banton allegedly signed the act, but then went back on his word. Now his words will reach a smaller audience.
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Tallskin
Excellent news!
Paul Raposo
Everyone has a right to free speech, in particular artists. However if you use your art to spread violence and hate you forfeit that right. I’m glad GLAAD pointed this out and CC did the right thing by walking away. My only concern is how will this play out for already harassed Caribbean LGBTQ’s.
Tallskin
Actually matey, it was OutRage! and gays in England who “pointed this out” and started the Stop Hate Music campaign. Your yankee organisation GLAAD was johnny come latelies and only got involved ages after the campaign started.
Just want to establish the truth about this, that’s all. Cos the world does exist outside of the USA!!!
Dawster
… but can we still use “bitches” and “hos”?? what
can we use “bitches” and “hos” if we are referring to homos?
(btw… buju banton is the biggest ass there is… many venues across the USA have already refused to allow him to play do to his stupidity. this is great news)
Paul Raposo
“Just want to establish the truth about this, that’s all. Cos the world does exist outside of the USA!!!”
Yeah, no shit, Sherlock. I know the world exists outside of the USA. You know how I know this? Because I’m in CANADA, numbnuts. I know Peter Tatchell has worked hard to point out anti-gay musicians and has boycotted their concerts and I also know he had no effect on US stations. GLAAD, however, did and they too deserve praise along side OutRage!
Dawster
actually, Paul.. Tallskin is right.
Buju’s song “Boom Bye Bye” (the gay bashing song) was released in 1992 and got a lot of airplay in 1996-1997 after it was remixed.
OutRage! campaigned exclusively about this song and other anti-gay reggae songs during that time… GLAAD did not.
so… “sherlock”… make sure you know your history before writing… (numbnuts).
Paul Raposo
Uh…Dawster, what is this post about? It’s about GLAAD contacting CC to inform them of the anti-gay performers who were appearing at an event CC was sponsoring. CC agreed that they should not sponsor that particular event and pulled out. Nothing in the article about anyone else’s involvement, so no one else was praised in my first comment.
Now I didn’t realize that before one leaves a comment, we must research and report on the entire history surrounding a particular event and note each and every person involved and their actions, even if they and their actions are not mentioned in a blog post, or article.
Lastly, douchebag, no where did I claim Tallskin was wrong. I merely pointed out that even though OutRage! worked tirelessly to fight homophobic music, their work didn’t do shit to convince North American stations to disown those anti-gay artists. GLAAD, however late to the game they were, accomplished this task and are deserving of some recognition.
As far as “Boom Bye Bye” getting lots of airplay, that was during the Clinton era where we were targets for everyone, while the people who voted Clinton into power cried out for diversity–for everyone except LGBTQ’s.
Dawster
i thought Canadians were suppose to be nice. maybe that healthcare system doesn’t cover anger issues.
i was responding to your blatant, and unwarranted attack on Tallskin. calling a person names for realizing that GLAAD was “johnny come latelies” was rather rude.
as a matter of record, OutRage! was successful as many venues rejected having artists like Buju play on their stages.
finding out a little information about the subject at hand helps tremendously, but knee-jerk reactions work too, i suppose.
Paul Raposo
“i thought Canadians were suppose to be nice.”
Just the Maritimers. The rest of us are assholes, especially the Inuit. Real pricks, them.
“maybe that healthcare system doesn’t cover anger issues.”
Nor dental.
“i was responding to your blatant, and unwarranted attack on Tallskin. ”
I’m sure Tallskin will sleep better tonight knowing he’s safe and secure. However, TS has been quiet adept at defending himself in previous posts.
“calling a person names for realizing that GLAAD was ‘johnny come latelies’ was rather rude.”
As was the tone and content of TS’s reply to me.
“as a matter of record, OutRage! was successful as many venues rejected having artists like Buju play on their stages.”
But never in North America. GLAAD had a hand in that and deserves praise for their actions. Especially considering that no one paid no attention when they called for a boycott of Eminem.
“finding out a little information about the subject at hand helps tremendously,”
It certainly does, Dawster, so do some leg work next time.
“but knee-jerk reactions work too, i suppose.”
As evidenced by some of your replies.