Stop Murder Music

LGBT advocacy campaign

This article needs to be updated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. (August 2022)

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Discrimination

Forms

* Institutional
* Structural
* Statistical
* Taste-based

Attributes

* Age
* Caste
* Class
* Dialect
* Disability
* Genetic
* Hair texture
* Height
* Language
* Looks
* Mental disorder
* Race / Ethnicity
* Skin color
* Scientific racism
* Rank
* Sex
* Sexual orientation
* Species
* Size
* Viewpoint

Social

* Arophobia
* Acephobia
* Adultism
* Anti-albinism
* Anti-autism
* Anti-homelessness
* Anti-drug addicts
* Anti-intellectualism
* Anti-intersex
* Anti-left handedness
* Anti-Masonry
* Antisemitism
* Aporophobia
* Audism
* Biphobia
* Clannism
* Cronyism
* Elitism
* Ephebiphobia
* Social determinants of health
* Social determinants of health in poverty
* Social determinants of mental health
* Fatphobia
* Gayphobia
* Gerontophobia
* Heterosexism
* HIV/AIDS stigma
* Homophobia
* Leprosy stigma
* Lesbophobia
* Discrimination against men
* Misandry
* Misogyny
* Nepotism
* Pedophobia
* Perpetual foreigner
* Pregnancy
* Reverse
* Sectarianism
* Supremacism
* White
* Transphobia
* Non-binary
* Transmisogyny
* Trans men
* Vegaphobia
* Xenophobia

Religious

* Ahmadiyya
* Atheism
* Baháʼí Faith
* Buddhism
* Catholicism
* Christianity
* post–Cold War era
* Falun Gong
* Hinduism
* Persecution
* Untouchability
* Islam
* Persecution
* Jehovah's Witnesses
* Judaism
* Persecution
* LDS or Mormon
* Neopaganism
* Eastern Orthodox
* Oriental Orthodox
* Protestantism
* Rastafari
* Shi'ism
* Sufism
* Zoroastrianism

Ethnic/national

* Afghan
* African
* Albanian
* American
* Arab
* Armenian
* Asian
* France
* South Africa
* United States
* Assyrian
* Azerbaijani
* Black people
* African Americans
* China
* South Africa
* Bengali
* Bulgarian
* Catalan
* Chechen
* Chinese
* Colombian
* Croat
* Filipino
* Fulani
* Finnish
* Georgian
* Greek
* Haitian
* Hazara
* Hispanic
* Hungarian
* Igbo
* Indian
* Indigenous people
* Australia
* Canada
* United States
* Iranian
* Irish
* Israeli
* Italian
* Japanese
* Jewish
* Korean
* Kurdish
* Lithuanian
* Malay
* Māori
* Mexican
* Middle Eastern
* Mongolian
* Nigerian
* Pakistani
* Palestinians
* Pashtun
* Polish
* Quebec
* Romani
* Romanian
* Serb
* Slavic
* Somali
* Tatar
* Thai
* Turkish
* Ukrainian
* Uyghur
* Venezuelan
* Vietnamese

Manifestations

* Anti-LGBT rhetoric
* Blood libel
* Bullying
* Cancel culture
* Capital punishment for homosexuality
* Compulsory sterilization
* Corrective rape
* Counter-jihad
* Cultural genocide
* Defamation
* Democide
* Disability hate crime
* Dog whistle
* Economic
* Education
* Employment
* Eliminationism
* Enemy of the people
* Ethnic cleansing
* Ethnic conflict
* Ethnic hatred
* Ethnic joke
* Ethnocide
* Forced conversion
* Freak show
* Gay bashing
* Gendercide
* Genital modification and mutilation
* Genocide
* examples
* Glass ceiling
* Hate crime
* LGBT
* Hate group
* Hate speech
* Homeless dumping
* Housing
* Indian rolling
* Intersectionality
* Lavender scare
* LGBT grooming conspiracy theory
* List of people killed for being transgender
* Lynching
* Mortgage
* Murder music
* Native American mascots
* Braves
* Blackhawks
* Chiefs
* Occupational segregation
* Persecution
* Pogrom
* Political repression
* Purge
* Racialization
* Religious persecution
* Religious terrorism
* Religious violence
* Religious war
* Scapegoating
* Segregation academy
* Sexual harassment
* Sex-selective abortion
* Slut-shaming
* Trans bashing
* Victimisation
* Violence against women
* White flight
* White genocide conspiracy theory
* Wife selling
* Witch-hunt

Policies

* Age of candidacy
* Blood purity
* Blood quantum
* Crime of apartheid
* Disabilities
* Catholic
* Jewish
* Gender pay gap
* Gender roles
* Gerontocracy
* Gerrymandering
* Ghetto benches
* Internment
* Jewish quota
* Law for Protection of the Nation
* MSM blood donation restrictions
* Nonpersons
* Numerus clausus (as religious or racial quota)
* One-drop rule
* Racial quota
* Racial segregation
* Jim Crow laws
* Nuremberg Laws
* Racial steering
* Redlining
* Same-sex marriage (laws and issues prohibiting)
* Segregation
* age
* racial
* religious
* sexual
* Social exclusion
* Sodomy law
* State atheism
* State religion
* Ugly law
* Voter suppression

Countermeasures

* Affirmative action
* Anti-discrimination law
* Anti-racism
* Constitutional colorblindness
* Cultural assimilation
* Cultural pluralism
* Diversity training
* Empowerment
* Fat acceptance movement
* Feminism
* Fighting Discrimination
* Hate speech laws by country
* Human rights
* Intersex human rights
* LGBT rights
* Masculism
* Multiculturalism
* Nonviolence
* Racial integration
* Reappropriation
* Self-determination
* Social integration
* Toleration

Related topics

* Allophilia
* Amatonormativity
* Bias
* Christian privilege
* Cisnormativity
* Civil liberties
* Dehumanization
* Diversity
* Ethnic penalty
* Figleaf
* Gender-blind
* Heteronormativity
* Historical eugenics
* Internalized oppression
* Intersectionality
* Male privilege
* Masculism
* Medical model of disability
* autism
* Multiculturalism
* Net bias
* Neurodiversity
* Oikophobia
* Oppression
* Police brutality
* Political correctness
* Polyculturalism
* Power distance
* Prejudice
* Prisoner abuse
* Racial bias in criminal news in the United States
* Racism by country
* Racial color blindness
* Religious intolerance
* Second-generation gender bias
* Snobbery
* Social exclusion
* Social identity threat
* Social model of disability
* Social stigma
* Speciesism
* Stereotype
* threat
* The talk
* White privilege

* v
* t
* e

Stop Murder Music is a campaign to oppose Caribbean artists who produce music with lyrics alleged to glorify murder of homosexual men.[1][2][3] The campaign was mainly against Jamaican musicians, primarily dancehall and reggae artists such as Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, and the Bobo Ashanti Rastafarians Sizzla and Capleton.[4]

The campaign accuses these artists of promoting violence against LGBT people through the lyrics in their music and attempts to stop this. Stop Murder Music is jointly run by OutRage!, the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group, and J-Flag.[5] The term was coined by British gay rights activist Peter Tatchell in 1992.

## Reggae Compassionate Act[edit]

The Jamaican dancehall group T.O.K. were among several artists who refused to sign the Reggae Compassionate Act.

The Reggae Compassionate Act was an agreement[further explanation needed] signed in 2007 by artists including Beenie Man, Capleton, and Sizzla.[6][7] It has now been somewhat discredited as some artists have felt it was badly worded,[8] while others have denied signing it.[9] Others (including Elephant Man, T.O.K., Bounty Killa, and Vybz Kartel) have simply refused to sign it.[10]

## Local campaigns[edit]

### Canada[edit]

Stop Murder Music (Canada) is an independent branch of the organization in Canada, founded by Akim Adé Larcher, after learning at a local West Indian store about a Canadian Tour by Elephant Man. Larcher, a Canadian/Saint Lucian, brought together over 20 organizations from the African and Caribbean communities in Canada to form the group.[11]

Despite not causing any artists to be denied entry visas, the campaign was able to get concert venues cancelled,[12] and also get iTunes to remove some tracks by Buju Banton, Elephant Man and TOK that they deemed contrary to their standards.[13]

### United Kingdom[edit]

The Green Party of England and Wales and OutRage! campaigned on behalf of the stop murder music campaign, including petitioning the United Kingdom Home Secretary in 2004.[14]

## Arguments for and against[edit]

Tatchell has called for laws against homophobic music and the Campaign participated in protests outside concerts. The Campaign has especially objected to lyrics which they allege to support violence, including allegedly murder, towards gay men. Dennis Carney, chair of the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group, argued in 2004 that the MOBO Awards had a responsibility to exclude anti-gay artists because, "homophobic lyrics in music normalise hatred towards black gay men."[15]

The UK International Development Minister Gareth Thomas argued in a speech that, "A number of artists [such as Sizzla and Buju Banton] are effectively contributing to the spread of HIV by producing reggae and rap songs actually encouraging discrimination against those who have AIDS and encouraging violence against minority groups such as men who have sex with men...Yes, we believe in free speech, but nobody in a democracy should be able to incite violence against minorities."[16][17] He cited John King and the Mighty Gabby as examples of musicians who are positive role models against violence and discrimination.[18]

### Criticism[edit]

Tatchell and the Stop Murder Music campaign have been criticised by The Black Music Council, a British organisation formed in 2004 in response to the campaign by the president of Blacker Dread Records, Blacker Dread, in order "to protect the rights of the eight artists placed on the OutRage! hit list".[19]

## See also[edit]

* LGBT rights in Jamaica
* No homo

## References[edit]

1. ^ Silencing Jamaican musicians fuels censorship debate Archived 2012-12-01 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ "Homophobia in Jamaica's dancehall music industry". The Guardian. 2004-12-10. Archived from the original on 2023-06-27.
3. ^ Archive copy of "Can music incite murder?", The Black Music Council Site at the Internet Archive. Report Date:15 Dec 2004.
4. ^ Alexis Petridis (Friday 10 December 2004). "Pride and prejudice", Guardian.co.uk.
5. ^ Burrell, Ian (2005)."'Murder music' silenced by a tough operator", Independent, The (London), Mar 7, 2005.
6. ^ Colin (2007). "Reggae Stars Sign On To Cut Out Homophobic Lyrics", LOGOonline.com: NewNowNext, at the Internet Archive. June 13, 2007.
7. ^ Andy (2007). "Reggae Stars Renounce Homophobia, Condemn Anti-gay Violence", Towelroad.com. 13 June 2007.
8. ^ "Reggae Compassionate Act needs revision" Archived 2008-08-30 at the Wayback Machine, ttgapers.com.
9. ^ Keril Wright (July 22, 2007). Archive copy of "Beenie Man Denies Signing Deal with Gay Group", Jamaican Observer at the Internet Archive.
10. ^ "Reggae tips". The Guardian. 2007-08-02. Archived from the original on 2022-06-05.
11. ^ "Stop Murder Music (Canada) (SMMC) | Egale Canada's". Mygsa.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-04-25. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
12. ^ Krishna Rau / Toronto / Thursday, October 11, 2007 (2007-10-11). "Koolhaus cancels concerts amid queer outrage". Xtra.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-09-22. Retrieved 2012-07-04.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
13. ^ (Jenna Wakani photo) (2008-04-07). "iTunes Canada pulls anti-gay dancehall songs". Xtra.ca. Archived from the original on 2012-05-20. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
14. ^ Reggae star barred from Britain. "Sizzla Denied Visa". Peter Tatchell. Archived from the original on 2011-01-04. Retrieved 2012-07-04.
15. ^ Graver, Mark (2004). "Why homophobic lyrics in reggae music are a health issue for black gay men" Archived 2010-12-22 at the Wayback Machine, MedicalNewsToday.com. Article Date: 10 Sep 2004 - 9:00 PDT.
16. ^ (22 November 2004). "HIV warning over reggae lyrics", BBC News.
17. ^ Boseley, Sarah (22 November 2004). "Reggae stars 'fuel spread of HIV'", Guardian.co.uk.
18. ^ Gareth Thomas. "Speech" Archived 2013-10-29 at the Wayback Machine, UK/CARICOM Champions For Change Conference.
19. ^ Alicia Roache, Staff Reporter. "Black Music Council Defends DJ’s" Archived 2011-07-28 at the Wayback Machine, The Sunday Gleaner (sosjamaica.org). 13 December 2004. glapn.org.

## External links[edit]

* "iTunes Canada pulls anti-gay dancehall songs" Archived 2012-05-20 at the Wayback Machine, Xtra.ca
* Murder Inna Dancehall Archived 2008-10-06 at the Wayback Machine

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