A framework agreement to avoid the future release of songs that incite violence against lesbians and gay men has been reached with reggae industry chiefs.
The agreement applies worldwide, including Jamaica.
Following four months of constructive negotiations, which culminated in this agreement, the Stop Murder Music coalition (SMM) has suspended its campaign.
The campaign will remain suspended, unless the agreement is violated by lyrics or public statements that encourage violence against the gay community.
The negotiations involved leading SMM groups, such as the UK-based gay rights organisations OutRage! and the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group. They acted in liaison with the Jamaican gay rights movement, J-Flag.
The SMM groups concluded the deal with a consortium of U.K. and U.S. reggae concert promoters and record labels. The promoters include major players like Jammins and Apollo Entertainment. The labels are VP Records, Greensleeves and Jetstar Records. These labels account for nearly all reggae music released worldwide.
Dennis Carney, chair of the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group, and a spokesperson for the SMM campaign, praised the efforts of everyone who participated in the negotiations: "This is the first step in an important process," said Carney.
Peter Tatchell, also of the SMM campaign and one of the people who helped negotiate the agreement, said: “We hope this is the beginning of a new era in reggae music, where the artists rekindle the spirit of one love, peace, unity, brotherhood and social justice promoted by reggae pioneers like the legendary Bob Marley.”
Media and PR strategist, Glen Yearwood, who mediated the resolution on behalf of the reggae industry, is confident that all parties can now build on this framework to ensure a new and positive future for reggae music.
Both sides have agreed to create formal procedures for conflict resolution. This includes a series of on-going meetings to evaluate progress.
Responding to the framework agreement with the reggae promoters and labels, Brett Lock of OutRage!, which is a part of the Stop Murder Music campaign, said:
"We welcome this framework agreement and are suspending the Stop Murder Music campaign. The singers and the music industry now have an opportunity to draw a line under the promotion of lyrics that incite violence against lesbians and gay men.
“This is a win-win result for everyone involved. Singers are able to do their concerts. Fans get to see their music idols. Gay people are spared lyrics that advocate homophobic murder.
"Providing the artists do not in future encourage violent attacks on gay people, the campaign will remain suspended.
"We hope the performers will respect our show of good faith and will choose to make music with a positive message, rather than promoting prejudice," said Mr Lock.
The agreement applies worldwide, including Jamaica.
Following four months of constructive negotiations, which culminated in this agreement, the Stop Murder Music coalition (SMM) has suspended its campaign.
The campaign will remain suspended, unless the agreement is violated by lyrics or public statements that encourage violence against the gay community.
The negotiations involved leading SMM groups, such as the UK-based gay rights organisations OutRage! and the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group. They acted in liaison with the Jamaican gay rights movement, J-Flag.
The SMM groups concluded the deal with a consortium of U.K. and U.S. reggae concert promoters and record labels. The promoters include major players like Jammins and Apollo Entertainment. The labels are VP Records, Greensleeves and Jetstar Records. These labels account for nearly all reggae music released worldwide.
Dennis Carney, chair of the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group, and a spokesperson for the SMM campaign, praised the efforts of everyone who participated in the negotiations: "This is the first step in an important process," said Carney.
Peter Tatchell, also of the SMM campaign and one of the people who helped negotiate the agreement, said: “We hope this is the beginning of a new era in reggae music, where the artists rekindle the spirit of one love, peace, unity, brotherhood and social justice promoted by reggae pioneers like the legendary Bob Marley.”
Media and PR strategist, Glen Yearwood, who mediated the resolution on behalf of the reggae industry, is confident that all parties can now build on this framework to ensure a new and positive future for reggae music.
Both sides have agreed to create formal procedures for conflict resolution. This includes a series of on-going meetings to evaluate progress.
Responding to the framework agreement with the reggae promoters and labels, Brett Lock of OutRage!, which is a part of the Stop Murder Music campaign, said:
"We welcome this framework agreement and are suspending the Stop Murder Music campaign. The singers and the music industry now have an opportunity to draw a line under the promotion of lyrics that incite violence against lesbians and gay men.
“This is a win-win result for everyone involved. Singers are able to do their concerts. Fans get to see their music idols. Gay people are spared lyrics that advocate homophobic murder.
"Providing the artists do not in future encourage violent attacks on gay people, the campaign will remain suspended.
"We hope the performers will respect our show of good faith and will choose to make music with a positive message, rather than promoting prejudice," said Mr Lock.
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Hide the following 6 comments
a big result
08.02.2005 14:47
- -
pink nazis?
08.02.2005 17:27
playing into the hands of the powers that be the police-state, rich people and the
corporate media.
It has led to the exclusion from the UK of some of Jamaka'z more
conscious reggae artists like Sizzla, it has pitted one minority against another,
it has allowed the police and state to appear to be doing something about homophobia
when in reality they are true bastions of all forms of oppression (patriarchy, homophobia,
racism etc).
Sure Homophobia is whack but mobilizing the cops, the state and the corporate media to force people people to change their opinions is not the way forward. Wouldnt some sort of grassroots RealGae DanceHall mashup extravaganza would of been a better way to deal with it. Loads of people still insult each other using words like "you fuking battyman" and "you gay bastard" and yet loads of these people are qay (well the cool way is do just do same sex sex some times instead of making fake seperations and pigeonholing ourselves.)
The rigid behavioral norms advocted by the likes of outrage is like the inverse of heterosexuality and just as oppressive. Mainstream Gay culture is fuking bullshit consumerist crappy dance musik deseigner label bollix.
Outrage will wet themselves about the likes of the gay fascist pink nazi Commander Paddick and call up the Met bash some Ragga artists in the name of fighting homophobia.
yeah right
moreprofitz
Oh, so very "conscious"
08.02.2005 22:08
"Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom"
"Boom boom! Batty boy them fi dead"
"Sodomite and batty bwai mi seh a death fi dem"
Yes, so very um, "conscious" and in no way pitting one minority against another! How come Sizzla can sing about exterminating gays and that's "conscious", but when gays fight back then they're "nazis"?
Qwerty
Not true Qwerty!!! GET ur facts right!!
08.03.2005 15:58
neway i belive that following what the bible said about saddem and gomorow is true when he bujrned that place from them doing wrong. neway if god wanted gays then there would be adam and evan or eve and evette. its WRONG!!!!!
all i have to say is EWW!!! very disgusting. things come out of ur bum not in!!!
Latishia
If God Created Man In His Image Then God's A Bit Gay
07.08.2005 23:51
Sonya
e-mail:
not_just_for_xmas@hotmail.com
Racism is bad b ut homophobia is ok if its a cultural thing. NOT
11.08.2005 11:23
georgie