Washington Blade - July 14, 2006
Dyana Bagby

In a statement posted on its website July 12, the AIDS organization LIFEbeat said it decided to cancel its Reggae Gold Live Concert scheduled for July 18 at New York's Webster Hall.

Due to "the possibility of violence at the concert from the firestorm incited by a select group of activists, ... canceling the event was the only responsible action," the statement said.

Blogger Jasmyne Cannick, who is a co-founder of the National Black Justice Coalition, a gay rights group, said she's happy the effort paid off, even though LIFEbeat organizers suggested it was the bloggers, and not the anti-gay Jamaican rappers, who might have incited violence.

"They're trying to say it's us, but it's not. Why would we use the same violent tactics these artists call for against gays," Cannick asked July 12, shortly after learning the concert was canceled.

'Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope'

The campaign against the concert, organized by an ad-hoc group of black gay and lesbian bloggers, aimed at educating LIFEbeat about the history of Beenie Man and T.O.K. and to make them aware of the recent murders of gay people in the Caribbean, Cannick said.

In Beenie Man's song "Han Up Deh," he sings, "Hang chi chi gal wid a long piece of rope." The term "chi chi" is Jamaican slang for homosexuality. Loosely translated, Beenie Man is singing, "Hang lesbians with a long piece of rope."

T.O.K.'s song "Chi Chi Man" encourages the burning and killing of gay men.

LIFEbeat's statement said further dialogue is important and its staff and board of directors "have always and will continue to support the GLBT community."

Hours before the cancellation was announced, Keith Boykin, another of the black gay bloggers, said there was "no excuse for this, for allowing musicians to perform that encourage murder against gay men and lesbians."

"This is an outrage, insulting and reprehensible," Boykin said.

Both Boykin and Cannick are occasional opinion columnists for the Washington Blade.

Calls to LIFEbeat Executive Director John Cannelli were not returned.

LIFEbeat's statement said the cancellation was "very unfortunate" because "the intended good that could result from bringing this community together around this potentially groundbreaking event will not be realized."

Boykin said he was particularly disappointed that Emil Wilbeken, a member of the LIFEbeat board, did not publicly denounce the rappers. Wilbeken is gay and former editor-in-chief of Vibe magazine.

"He's supposed to get it, and he doesn't," Boykin said.

LIFEbeat's outside board of advisers includes Hilary Rosen, who is gay and chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America from 1998 to 2003. She is former interim executive director of the Human Rights Campaign, and her partner is former HRC Executive Director Elizabeth Birch.

Rosen did not respond to messages left at her office.

The group T.O.K. issued a statement July 11 through LIFEbeat addressing the controversy before the concert was canceled.

"T.O.K. has definitely matured over the years, and our music and its subject matter reflects that. Our last album, 'Unknown Language,' was about evolution, using our music and influence to uplift and unite," it said.

Beenie Man also issued a statement through LIFEbeat the same day: "AIDS is an epidemic that doesn't discriminate. It's not a gay or a straight thing, it is a fight for life and I'm proud to stand with LIFEbeat in the fight against a disease that exists regardless of one's sex, race or sexual orientation."

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