City Calls For Boycott Of Anti-Gay Music 
by Peter Moore 365Gay.com  London Bureau

Posted: November 23, 2004 8:11 pm ET

(London)  The city of Brighton is calling on record stores to stop selling albums with homophobic lyrics.

The city council specifically named three major music store chains as promoters of anti-gay musicians.  Councilors called on HMV, Virgin, and MVC to stop selling the music by Jamaican reggae singers.

The city says it does not have the legal authority to ban the sale of the music but would if it could.

One performer, Sizzla, was barred by the British government from entering the UK following complaints about his music. (story)

Sizzla's hit tune Pump Up has the line “Shot battybwoy, my big gun boom (Shoot queers, my big gun goes boom)”. 

Earlier this month police announced they were beginning a criminal investigation into the music of Sizzla, and another anti-gay reggae singer, Elephant Man, to see if they violate Britain's anti-hate laws. (story)

The Brighton call for a boycott was made by the Green Party. The plan targets "lyrics that incite the murder of lesbians and gay men and other groups including women".

It urges retailers to stop stocking albums by artists including reggae stars Buju Banton, Beenie Man, Elephant Man, TOK, Vybz Kartel and Bounty Killer.

But, one retailed scoffed at the idea.

"We do not condone such lyrics, but customers should be able to make their own choices," an HMV spokesman told the BBC.

Brighton and Hove is regarded as the gay capital of England. Councilor Simon Williams said that the fact that albums containing such lyrics are readily available "contributes to a climate where homophobia and other forms of prejudice are seen as acceptable."

"By targeting large, specialist music stores, we hope to put pressure on the music industry to clean up its act."