UPDATE: Here's the text of a press release announcing the concert's cancellation.
Buju Banton Concert Cancelled: IUHRC and OUT Thank the Bluebird
This afternoon the Bluebird cancelled Buju Banton’s concert, which was scheduled for Thursday, September 14. IUHRC (IU Hoosier Rights Campaign) and OUT (IU GLBT Student Union), along with all members of the Bloomington community, want to extend our sincerest thanks to the Bluebird management for this courageous decision. They have affirmed their long-running commitment to diversity, the GLBT community, and the values we share here in Bloomington: inclusion, tolerance, and civility.
As an expression of our gratitude to the Bluebird, IUHRC and OUT are inviting all those who had been informed about the upcoming demonstration outside the Bluebird to come join us inside the Bluebird for an evening of fun instead.
14 comments:
It is sad to see so many who are so ignorant oppress a wonderful religion and music to benfit your own cause. I for one will always hail Emperor Haile Selassie I and no one can take that away. Isn't it enough that these men exist from a world of slavery created by the west who taught these men that homosexuality was wrong? And now you want to chastise them for it? I hope that eventually the gay communtiy can co-exist with us who have no problems but wish not to make gay rights their personal cause in life. Human rights above all...equal rights and justice for all, not just gay people. I feel shamed that such ignorance can taint the community I love so much. You are the ones spreading hate, not the rastas. Stop holding back human rights for gay rights. Why do people allow Eminem to make anti-gay remarks, and it's ok beauce he performed with Elotn John? You are being racist if you support this form of censorship.
So much ignorance, so little room to combat it. I doubt Kirby will read responses here.
For those among us who remember Ethiopia under Selassie...it was no picnic. History won't be kind.
In gay-friendly Bloomington, at a bar with a tremendous legacy like Bluebird, this act should never have been booked in the first place. They cancelled it after pressure.
I do know history, I do read responses, and I have no shame in posting my name with my comments. In fact, I have several gay friends and relatives. I do believe in what is supposed to be a diverse community that all opinions should be heard, whether you like them or not.
Also, many doubt Jesus, Buddah, Allah, Mohammed, etc. That is their opinion and right to do so, however disrespectful they may be. My point is, you can never take a man's faith no matter how hard you try. I'm surprised you do not know this if you are gay or a supporter of the gay community.
And if you feel so strong about combating ignorance, stop harassing bar owners and strangers on the internet who do in fact support your cause or may have previous to you censoring the religion they believe and love.
AI quote,"His song, Boom Bye Bye, contains lyrics which promote the murder of gays, urging people to shoot gay men in the head, pour acid over them and burn them alive. Banton has also been linked to brutal hate crimes committed against several Jamaican gay men two years ago."
What kind of religion digs this kind of shit, Kirby. Sick and pathetic.
Once again, I do not enter other cultures to decipher their dialect incorrectly to further my personal agenda. Rap artists have written about killing gays, police, beating and raping women, using them for prostitution, etc. for decades. In America this is legal, though the acts are not. If you were to actually listen to the words of this music and religion you would hear over and over again the word 'love'. I guarantee you if you never got this twisted information from the internet you would not be bothering another minority who is living in ghetto poverty and trying to uplift his youth from this situation, not to mention the AIDS epidemic that is destroying his island from the rampant practice of prostitution and child molestation.
The only thing that makes me happy about this situation is knowing that Buju Banton will still get paid for not playing, and I will always support rastafari. Try listening to the words of this music which pleads for the repect of women, mothers for bringing the gift of life, repecting your parents and neighbors, NOT judging another, being responsible for your community, etc. God will be the final judge according to rastafari, so there is no way they could in effect preach murder.
Let's just ignore this zealot. He doesn't realize that artists are symbols, and their works can lift us all, or pull us down.
Selective arguments for selective pieces of holy books.
Pathetic.
In most every organized religion, such selective interpretation is a sin.
AIDS is a disease, idiot. It was not begun nor will it be ended strictly by the gay community.
Salisse was a brutal dictator. Whom the USA propped up. Just liek the Shah and many others in the north African-Med. area.
There's no end to this man's idiocy.
Let his god take care of him. (S)he will.
Thanks to everyone who called, e-mailed, or made plans to come demonstrate. As a sign of our gratitude towards Dave Kubiak for doing the right thing and cancelling this show, we want to invite everyone to join us for a celebration and party at the Bluebird Thursday night. Come party inside instead of standing outside!
Wish I could go and relive college memories, but it's a work night.
I think my spirit is floating around there, though...many, many nights spent there during undergrad years.
One of the only bars in Bloomington that'd let a poor college student pay no cover, nurse one beer for the whole evneingk, and listen to good live music.
Oh, and Kirby--I'll let my own sense of morality determine whether listening to Elton John supports censorship. Or whatever drivel you were trying to say.
If you try real hard I think you can remove your head from your arse.
Thank you for this opportunity to post my feelings.
I would like to first say Kirby has been nothing but respectful with his comments and unfortunately, his opposition has not been. Myself nor Kirby appear to be saying that it is ok to speak ill of of the gay community. I do not share these biggoted views nor do I share the same views as homosexuals, but that's ok. That is the beauty of free speech. That is the beauty of this community. The gay community has truly put their agenda ahead of others this time, and it is very dissapointing. Some 600 happy reggae fans (note these are not all "pathetic" rastas) were in attendance last time when Buju played the Bird and not a single anti-gay comment was made. Dave knows who he is booking, he talks to them about these issues. Some dancehall artists are more vocal than others, but this is an island wide feeling not just particular to Rasta. Some may consider Jamaica a little behind the times, but this is part of their culture and extreme poverty is the most important issue on the island post colonialism. I do not hate Jamiacans for this this, and I welcome the opportunity to educate them. I love their culture for the beautiful aspects. As for Buju, well Morgan you have the wrong guy. The "Bum Bye Bye" song was over 10 years ago, and if you would take the time to read any website or bio on Buju they would say he has turned a new leaf, passed his ghetto upbringing. This is Buju's claim to fame and he only has been popular since this change. I love Sizzla and Capleton, but Morgan that is who you are after. Please do not censor something you do not listen too. Buju only speaks of positvity and rightousness, something not so common to the Bluebird stage. I am friends with Kubiak, he would tell you the only reason he cancelled is the 3 misinformed news crews and false press, not that he cares about misinformed gay rights. He would tell you there has been a influx of bad info to the public and media. He is not happy you took close to 5 thousand dollars out of his pocket and you owe him a full house tonight. Morgan you have done the Bloomington international community a great diservice. As they would say "tell the children the truth". If you do not like the music vote with your $, and please do not censor the music which so much of love. Mr. Tilleman your outright abuse of the press and email lists was immature, self-centered and innapropriate. This will be communicated to the reggae fans and press.
By the way Selassie emancipated some 20 countries in Africa anonymous, I'm sure this was no picnic, but a dictator he was not. Just an King, which is a little different set up than ours, but once again post colonialism?? People love to throw the word ignorance around, but really ignorance is just a lack of education.
I had awoderful evening planned with friends coming form Indy and it was a going away party for my Fiance' who is off to Grad school. Last chance to see a lot of friends ect.
So please think of others outside of the gay community next time.
I'm a big supporter of gay rights. But cancelling Buju Banton's show is misinformed.
A few years ago, one of Buju Banton's closest friends was murdered, and since then he has been nothing but a positive emcee.
I highly recommend "til I'm laid to rest." One of the greatest Jamaican dance hall songs of all time. This song was the beginning of Buju Banton's total renunciation of violent and misogynistic lyrics.
Maybe the gay community should have inquired about whether the artist would take the opportunity of being in Bloomington to speak about his transformation, and the negative effect that hatred can have on people.
Might have done more to educate people. Instead they chose to silence him!
this is a shameful use of collective power.
He turned over a new leaf, eh? That's funny - I don't see that ANYWHERE on the first 10 pages of results on Google... I do see on the Wikipedia entry though: "Banton has incited a considerable amount of international controversy because of his 1992 song "Boom Bye Bye" which calls for violence against homosexuals — including shooting them in the head, pouring acid over them and setting them on fire. As a result, Banton was forced by his label to issue a statement; nevertheless he refused to apologize, citing his Rastafarian religion, citing the Bible (Leviticus 18:22 & 20:13) as the basis for his beliefs. Banton still performs the song, notably at the Smirnoff Festival in Negril, Jamaica 8 August 2004. As a consequence, Banton's concerts are often met with protesting crowds and calls for cancellation."
So he apologized - but didn't. He's turned over a new leaf - but still performs a song that calls for acid to be thrown on gays, etc... Um... I'm glad he's not coming to Bloomington - and I'm proud my blog also helped to shut down the concert!
Nazi, hypocritical, pathetic misinformed, ready for next lame cause, queer, he played that in JAMAICA and he didnt even play 30 seconds of it! If you know anything about dancehall you would know they love to tease songs and I am sure the jamaican crowd absolutely loved it. The Indiana music community is outraged by last nights communistic fiasco.
Bill this lame site and stirring up gay pride seems like quite an accomplishment for you. It is amazing in todays world this is all you have to talk about. But really you just upset a lot of people and cost a small local business a lot of money. (That may not have the budget you would imagine!) Did you go to last years show, no, because we all enjoyed it??
It may feel good to all get all together for a cause, but all in all I think it hurt YOUR cause in the Btown community. Many people are not happy with the Bloomington GLBT community today. Had this been TOK or Bouny Killa we might have understood.
Uh..way to go Bill.(said w/ a lisp)
Here's Billys email:
bil@bilerico.com
Did you google this bro?
DESTINY
The rich man's wealth is in the city
Destruction of the poor is his poverty
Destruction of your soul is vanity
Do you hear
I and I, I wanna rule my destiny
I and I, I wanna rule my destiny
Destiny, mama look from when you call me
Destiny, mama look from when you calling
I wanna rule my destiny
yeah, yeah oh help I please Jah Jah mek mi rule
I've been blessed I've been touch
I love Jah so much
They keep fighting me I'm not giving up
May the realms of Zion fill my spiritual cup
Wisdom overstanding can never be too much
Give I protection Day and night
Cast away their cords from us
you have them in the region in the valley of decision
Restraining the heathen with a rod of iron
you know not the destiny of a next man
Why hold him set him free too long
Verse 3:
My destination is homeward bound
Though force try to hold I down
Breaking chains has become the norm
I know I must get through no matter what a gwaan
I have looked up the 1992 (14 years ago) "Boom Bye Bye" song and although it says some terrible terrible things about gays and guns and violence ect., it does not mention acid once.
This acid thing has obviously scared people falsely.
Who are we to judge a man's past or judge him by what songs he plays in his hometown. If you didn't like him, just don't go.
I am also disappointed in the gay community/blogs and orginazations for ruining my night last night.
So ironic that the Bloomington "values" are "inclusion, tolerance, and civility". I see very little of this in the GLBT supporters words. If you truly had peace with your position, you would actually exhibit these virtues and let those who have their own beliefs, wether you agree with them or not, continue with them. One group fighting aginst another for their "rights" gets us nowhere. Acknowledgement of other beliefs, and being at peace with them is pure cleansing. Continue to fight fire with fire GLBT community, and you shall burn. Expect to get acceptance by fighting other's rights to their opinion will get you nowhere. Foolish pride. I have no personal beef with gays, lesbians or anyone who lives their lives as they wish, so long as they do not trample on those of others.
Also, if the GLBT community would actually do their research, they would see that "Boom Bye Bye" was released 14 years ago in 1992. Counless albums, singles and tours have existed prior to the fuss in which Buju has preached messages of love and acceptance.
Fight fire with fire, get burned.
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