Reggae singer Shaggy, who is probably best known for his 2000 megahit “It Wasn’t Me”, made some head scratching remarks during a recent interview.
Speaking to Soundchat Radio, the Grammy Award winner was asked whether he’s ever felt unfairly demonized simply because he comes from a country that Time magazine once declared “the most homophobic place on Earth.”
“Clearly,” he said, “On every level.”
“I’ll tell you how bad it is. We were doing promo and I was supposed to go on a television show, and we put in request… And they did not accept me based on the fact that I was from Jamaica, and they were saying that I represent homophobia.”
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He added, “Now, there is no track record of me doing this. But just the fact that I’m a reggae artist, right, and this is a mainstream television show and–it was me and Sting–and they wouldn’t mind keeping Sting, but I couldn’t come on because of that.”
In 2018, Shaggy and Sting collaborated on an album together. 44/876 debuted at number nine on the UK Albums Chart and went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Reggae Album in 2019.
“The point I am trying to make based on the homophobic connotations that we have as Jamaica, for a lack of better word, they wouldn’t accept me on the show to promote a major album,” Shaggy said.
We’ll give him that. Simply being from a homophobic place doesn’t automatically make a person a homophobe.
But here’s where the interview got kinda, well, weird.
Because despite homosexuality still being considered illegal and punishable with up to 10 years in prison in Jamaica, Shaggy, who identifies as straight, insists things really aren’t that bad for LGBTQ people there.
“If you look at it, if you look at the ratio for people who live in Jamaica compared to homosexual crimes, most of it is crime of passion, homosexuals against homosexuals,” he said without citing any sources.
He made similar remarks in 2015, when he told Global News: “We don’t have all this gay-bashing crime. You don’t see that. It’s not there. That is not really happening in Jamaica.”
“Gays and lesbians should have the same rights as anybody else and when they’re in Jamaica, they do have the same rights. Nobody’s going around trying to kill them.”
In 2013, a group of partygoers tortured and murdered 16-year-old Dwayne Jones for dressing in women’s clothing. Dwayne’s murder received international media attention.
Related: Jamaica: Angry Mob Traps 5 Gay Men For Trying To “Spread” Their Homosexuality
Smith David
Wow!!!..So instead of using his platform to speak against hate, or at the very least say that he loves all his fans regardless of sexual orientation, he says this dumb isssh…
I’m of Jamaican heritage and I can tell you, the island of Jamaica will never ever accept gay people. Shaggy’s a liar and is completely manipulating with this hateful rhetoric.
Fahd
When I think of Jamaica, I think of homophobia. Nothing I hear or read makes me think “no, it’s not like that”. I suppose it’s just one more vestige of their colonial heritage the Jamaican society hasn’t been able to overcome. Sorry, I love the sand, the sun, etc., but who needs the ignorant prejudice — no vacation dollars from me.
Kangol2
Shaggy, Shaggy….noooo. First, why not speak out AGAINST homophobia and anti-LGBTQ hatred? Why not affirm the heroic, invaluable work that JFLAG (Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays), for example, is doing? Do you even contribute to the Rainbow Railroad to aid Jamaicans fleeing anti-gay violence?
Second, while I applaud his affirmation that LBGTQ people should have the same/equal rights in Jamaica, my man appears to be a bit clueless about the reality of anti-LGBTQ violence in Jamaica. While one of the former Prime Ministers did propose protections for LGBTQ people, the state and police, etc. have often looked the other way at anti-LGBTQ attacks, LGBTQ activists have been beaten and killed, and so on. Maybe he doesn’t know this so someone should educate him.
Godabed
I think he’s inarticulate with what he’s trying to say. And technically he’s not wrong. For example you know how they say when someone bully’s a gay person they tend to be gay themselves? Internalized homophobia can be toxic but it can also be deadly, we all know about the Gay Defense used to get murderer’s off for killing a LGBTQIA person for coming on to them. This is a real thing.
I think he’s referring to crimes of passion via internalized homophobia, which does happen a lot against LGBTQIA people.
Now where he gets it completely wrong, is he’s using this assertion as fact with nothing to base it on. The fact that being LGBTQIA is a crime is extremely problematic and will skew heterosexuals thought processes around the topic. They need more education and clearly Shaggy needs that too, but that’s true for most of America.
Chrisk
A crime of passion means lovers that gets violent with each other. That’s what he meant. Not just those that struggle with internalized homophobia. Like no one would call Mathew Shepard getting killed a crime of passion.
Your point would require some real incite on his part and I guarantee you it’s not there. Just his own bigotry.
Chrisk
“they do have the same rights. Nobody’s going around trying to kill them.”
Yeah, except for that little 10 year prison sentence. I’ve seen plenty of videos showing the violence towards gay people in Jamaica to know he’s an effing liar.
No one is demonizing him but he clearly does represent homophobia by excusing the violence by his willful blindness and saying it’s their fault.
Donston
Jamaica is known for almost unchecked homophobia, trans-phobia, queer-phobia, purporting of anti-gay stances and purporting toxic masculinity. And yes, not knowing how to cope with homosexuality, queerdom, fluidity, contradictions, traumas, where you are in the gender, sexual, romantic, emotional, relationship preference spectrum is generally widespread in the world and can lead to internalized phobias or overcompensation. But Shaggy seems like he’s embittered by Jamaican authorities simply not embracing and supporting him. It has nothing to do with anything “gay”. And it doesn’t seem as if he’s done any research on Jamaica and how it handles “queer” shit. Public figures (and people in general) need to start doing a tad bit of work and research before expressing themselves on certain issues in a public forum. He’s making himself sound ignorant and making it all about him.
Liquid Silver
I wonder what Ashton and Mila have to say about that. Oh, well, probably nothing.
cuteguy
Black ppl like lgbtq are oppressed and yet they usually hide behind religion to justify he homophobia they’ve been taught. I am hopeful this will change and evolve. And before the Cams on here start, my comment is not meant to be racist. In fact, I’m lgbtq person of color so I speak from experience. All you entitled white lgbtq commentators can keep quiet bc you have not walked in my shoes
Kangol2
Not attacking you, but just to say, I hope people don’t forget there are Black LGBTQ people, it’s not either/or, it’s both/and. So many people–not you–seem to erase the people who occupy multiple identities, and fight multiple battles as a result.
Leash
Source? @Shaggy
I don’t think he’s saying that with malicious intend, I just think he’s an uninformed idiot. Which by itself is harmless, but spreading misinformation like that is very harmful.