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The Grammy's Blind Eye Toward Buju Banton's Homophobic Music
by Michael A. Jones

Published December 09, 2009 @ 10:25AM PT

When the Grammy Awards chose to honor the music of Buju Banton last week with a 2010 Grammy Nomination, it sent a harrowing shudder throughout many reaches of the LGBT population. Why would the Grammy Awards choose to honor a man who in the past has called for LGBT people to be shot in the face, have acid thrown on their bodies, and be burned alive like rubber tires?

Folks are seriously starting to question the Grammys and the Recording Academy for saying that Buju Banton ranks up there with the music industry's elite. The only elite thing about Buju Banton is the lengths he goes to continue to bash gay people.

Take, for instance, Banton's comments in October of this year, where AFTER meeting with a group of LGBT activists, the singer said, "This is a fight, and as I said in one of my songs 'there is no end to the war between me and faggot' and it's clear." Sound like the type of rhetoric that deserves awards?

Hardly. And it's time to let the Recording Academy know that the Grammy nomination they gave Buju Banton was misguided at best, and reinforcement for Banton's homophobic lyrics at worst. The Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation has started a petition here at change.org, urging folks to contact the Recording Academy.

Banton has previously said that supporting LGBT people in his home country of Jamaica would be akin to "selling out," despite the fact that LGBT people in Jamaica face a pretty homophobic culture. One town suggested earlier this year that they would eradicate LGBT people, and the Prime Minister of the country has gone on record saying that under his watch, "[Jamaica is] not going to yield to the pressure, whether that pressure comes from individual organizations, individuals, whether that pressure comes from foreign governments or groups of countries, to liberalize the laws as it relates to buggery."

Buggery is a colonialist term that basically means sodomy. Not too many folks use it here in the U.S. -- save for homophobic editors at the Washington Times who like to call Department of Education officials names.

Digression aside, it's important to let the Recording Academy know that they messed up in nominating Buju Banton for a Grammy Award. Sure, maybe Banton makes good reggae music. But shouldn't these awards -- which recognize the best and brightest in the music industry -- also take into consideration whether a musician fosters violence and extreme homophobia with his lyrics?

If you think so, take action now. Send the Recording Academy a message that music and musicians that celebrates the death and murder of LGBT people isn't award worthy.