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Capleton concert canceled over hate lyrics

February 14, 2010

Capleton

By KAREN VELIE

Capleton’s concert at Downtown Brewing Company on Feb. 17 has been canceled. The club’s management and the show’s promoter, Numbskull Productions, said in an e-mail on Feb. 14 to the Gay and Lesbian Alliance of the Central Coast (GALA) that they were canceling because of information provided by concerned citizens.

Capleton is watching his United States tour crumble as groups against hate have put pressure on venues that planned to host the Reggae singer who advocates for the murder of gay people. A concert planned for earlier this month in Humboldt was also canceled.

Last week, GALA members began organizing a peaceful protest to coincide with Capleton’s scheduled San Luis Obispo performance. GALA is now asking members of the community to meet at Downtown Brewing Company on Feb. 17 to show community support for the club’s decision.

“We are grateful for their willingness to listen to the concerns of the community regarding this performer’s inflammatory lyrics, and appreciate the careful thought that went into the decision to cancel the show,” GALA said in a press release that also thanked the community for its support. “The support from the community has helped us rise above hate and stand together as one.”


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You can find out about Capleton and his homophobic songs in the “Dancehall Dossier” http://tinyurl.com/2xax3b


Capleton signed the Reggae Compassionate Act form in 2007. He agreed, by signing this form, not to promote hatred and violence. You can see Capleton’s signed RCA form at http://www.petertatchell.net/popmusic/reggaecompassionateact-capleton.htm


Before the end of 2007 he violated his Reggae Compassionate Act agreement. As a consequence he had performances canceled in Basel, Switzerland and in France in 2008.


This PDF file has information about Capleton’s violation of his RCA agreement and points to a YouTube video where you can actually hear him break his RCA agreement http://tinyurl.com/y873vtm


You have to listen very carefully for lines like: “Battyman fi dead di yuth em right bout that” (“Faggots must die. The youth are right about that.”)


Capleton is a performer who has promoted hatred, violence and murder.


In February 2010, Capleton had his performances canceled in California in Arcata, San Luis Obispo, San Diego, Oakland and Long Beach. A performance in Crystal Bay, Nevada was also canceled.


Mainly because of religion (“[Jamaica] is a Bible society”), Jamaica is an extremely homophobic country, as are some other former British colonies. Sex between consenting male adults is illegal in Jamaica, with an up to 10 year prison term for conviction. This article will open your eyes: http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200909u/jamaica-aids “How AIDS Became a Caribbean Crisis”


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Whine whine moan moan. If you don’t like it, don’t listen to it. There are people that honestly believe that us gay people are going to burn in hell, and they are afraid for their children. So how is it that they have to tolerate us and what we do and say in trying to protect our own rights, when in their mind when they say horrible things they are trying to protect their children. If someone came out with a video game in which you could go around and shoot at bible thumpers, and bible thumpers wanted stores to take it off the shelves, I bet you’d complain about their attempts at censorship.


It’s THE SAME THING folks. What is so hard about understanding this concept? The music is just like a video game in this sense. It is ACTIONS that matter in life. If capleton goes and kills a gay person, then feel free to string him up! Until then please get over yourselves, I know how unsettling that can be. But I’ll tell you this, the sooner we stop whining about things like this, the sooner we take the wind out of the sails of people who claim we don’t want equal rights but special rights.


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As a gay person, I find this whole issue to demonstrate remarkable ignorance on behalf of the gay “community”. His lyrics are a reflection of his culture. Why do we want to white wash everything and prevent people from actually learning about someone else’s culture, whether it is right or wrong is not relevant, as that is subjective. What’s the point of learning about other people if you censor the things you don’t like about them?


If you want freedom, you must let other people have their freedom. This same mentality can turn on your real quick… for example I bet you would all whine and complain if someone in Jamaica was censored / subjected to protest because they sang PRO-gay lyrics.. See how that works? Live and let live, and then maybe we’ll get the respect we desire.


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reality mkaney great point.. open your minds.


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I think you’re missing the point. The problem is that he calls for the murder of people, that just so happen to be gays and lesbians in this case. But what if it were blacks, or Mexicans… should we still respect his “freedom” here in the U.S. because this his culture in Jamaica? I wouldn’t support anyone who calls for the murder of anyone, and I don’t think that type of “entertainment” is a welcomed addition to downtown SLO. Freedoms are not unlimited, and I don’t think we need to protect the right of people to call for the murder of others.


Making the leap that having the freedom to sing pro-gay lyrics somehow equates to the freedom of condoning the murder of gays is a bit of a stretch. I would welcome anyone to town who is pro-gay, pro-straight, pro-black, pro-hispanic, pro-Jew… but not when they call for the murder or hurt of anyone else in the process. You can be in favor of something without causing harm onto others.


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There is a huge difference between words in favor of killing someone and committing an act of murder. There is a great deal of significant literature and music that describes horrific acts, but we would not place it in this category people have placed Capleton. would much rather know what a person or a culture really thinks than to silence them, protecting my fragile ears from hearing anything offensive, and preventing others from fully understanding all aspects of that culture. In fact, think about the awareness that has been raised about the plight of homosexuals in Jamaica because of the fact that he promotes it in his music.


Millions of Americans call for the death of “terrorists” EVERY DAY on national television and no one flips their lid. Now, from our perspective that seems ok, because after all, they’re terrorists. But some believe that many of these people are fighting for their freedom, and for the right of self-determination. If the latter are in the majority, then should they move to ban the hateful speech of the former?


The thing about principles, like freedom of speech, is that they are not flexible. The whole point of having principles is that you will adhere to it even when it isn’t in your favor, because the enlightened person understands that eventually the net effect is positive. This is where notions like “Better 10 guilty men go free than one innocent man be wrongly convicted” derive from. Principles are not easy to stand by, that’s the reason so few people actually have any.


Sad as it may be, the idea of homosexuality may be as offensive to some people as, well, murder. But wouldn’t you still like the opportunity to communicate your own message of tolerance for homosexuality in such a situation, in order to combat ignorance? You have to understand that someone who condones the murder of gays may believe in their heart that they are saving others from the fiery pits of hell (yes I know, stupid to many of us, but to them it may be a truth as strong as the need for tolerance is for you.)


The actual act of murder, on the other hand, is a violation against another person’s rights, and it is the same violation regardless of the reason it was committed. Capleton singing about killing gay people does not violate your rights. Suggesting that it furthers a message that could RESULT in your rights being violated is not relevant. If an obnoxious musical artist sang about killing their parents (do I need to give examples, there are plenty), should they be banned or boycotted by parents everywhere?


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Let’s see those examples.


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I agree. Words are a precursor to action. Gandhi said harsh words lead to violence, that they are in fact violence themselves. This ‘person’ who sings these lyrics is inciting violence against a particular part of the population, those who simply have different emotional preferences than what some call the norm. This is not much different than who we now define ‘hate speech’, which I believe is classified as a hate ‘crime’.

People get pumped up, they find license to go with the mob. Herd mentality. We have all seen it with the anti choice movement, encouraging killing abortion doctors. Anti government weirdos encouraging attacks on government people (G Gordon Liddy-“shoot for the head to avoid the body armor”). KKK rousing up the white trash to attack blacks. All the same junk.


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Next you’re going to say video games are responsible for school shootings


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Shirley Q. Liquor, go to YouTube and search this name. This guy doesn’t have anything on Liquor.


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Censorship is good if it promotes the Gay Way.


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Good job GALA and friends, SLO Brew and Numbskull for keeping this sociopath out of our town.


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Just read that the Oakland venue canceled his show as well.


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And San Diego pulled out last minute yesterday for yesterday’s concert. I heard the venue is now getting sued by Capleton, but the woman feels like it’s worth it.


Good for DTB! Everyone should pop in for a drink or meal to show their support for the owners doing what is good!


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How about a campaign to boycott Jamaica, where they have a “law” that authorizes the imprisonment

of gays and lesbians. Seems as though it’s open season on these folks down there’


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they invited him in the first place….


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Well, I guess a few things work in our society. I’m pleased Downtown Brew canceled on this jerk and hope this will increase awareness that our community has much diversity and all sectors need protection from hate and persecution. I hope no one feels this is just a ‘gay’ issue; it goes way beyond that and a large number of ‘straight’ people have become alarmed by this planned performance-and will now rejoice it has been canned.


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Hot dog like it reads,”“The support from the community has helped us rise above hate and stand together as one.” Also next week this hate monger is so strong willed he will be singing row, row ,row your boat all the way home. Once he walks across the states including Texas, ( he’ll have a lot of fun there!), after he gets a tour of america on the wrong side of the tracks he can row his phony ass and/or swim the rest of the way back to his third world Island and hopefully change their views away from mayham, after being rehabilitated by the experience of travel.


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No sense of humor? Not one chuckle? Back to the closet for me! P.S. this brigade my have changed the way America thinks about freedom of preference! Butt don’t try stick-en any foreign or domestic matter up my ______! Maybe you fellow scholars or fellow dropouts have been enlightened butt, that’s where I reserve the right, to my beautiful wife by night and wholly economic disaster by day, the rest of you there’s a greased pig outside now go and try to catch it.


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Haha.. with regard to your economic disaster, I think you’ve already been subjected to undesired copulation. “Hope you got a kiss, cuz you just got f***ed” :)


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You’re right, it’s not just a ‘gay’ issue. Thanks to GALA all residents of this community will be protected from freedom of expression, and prevented from even being exposed to this problem in Jamaica. However had he been allowed to perform, it would have been an opportunity to inspire public discussion on the issue of intolerance in Jamaica. I wish GALA and organizations like it would be a bit more specific about who they represent, because they certainly don’t represent my interests as a gay male.


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