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Counseling Student Must Follow Ethics Code
May 17, 2012
In December 2011, a three-judge panel of the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s decision and rejected the claim of Jennifer Keeton. She believed that her First Amendment rights were violated when Augusta State University required her to treat LGBT people in a respectful and nondiscriminatory way. ...
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While Banton Moves to Hat Factory, Facebook Group Removed for Violating TOS
WRIC had an update on Buju Banton’s move to the Hat Factory during tonight’s news. Same date, same showtime.
This afternoon, the “Cancel Buju Banton…” Facebook group had been removed due to violations in terms of service. According to Jay Squires, President of the Gay Community Center of Richmond, community leaders have a conference call on Thursday to plan the next step.
In more Banton coverage, tomorrow’s Style Weekly has a piece on the controversy. Arts Editor Don Harrison interviews the concert promoter, Lion Heart Promotions.
“We are trying to move it away from the gay guys,” says Lion Heart’s manager, Kid Walker, who points out that homophobic sentiments among reggae artists is nothing new.
The article also follows up on this e-mail GayRVA received from a reader. City officials are remaining hands off.
City Council Vice President Ellen Robertson says she won’t be meeting with the mayor and police chief about stopping the show. Her liaison, John Westbrook, told Style Weekly in a written statement that “Robertson has been advised by the City Attorney that the City has no jurisdiction over the National Theatre.”
Read Style Weekly’s complete article here.
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Maybe VP Ellen Robertson thought twice after this email:
Monday, September 14th, 2009
Good Day Councilwoman Robertson,
My name is Lady Cham, the editor of the West Indian Times news magazine.
I received the piece below in an email over the weekend and was astounded by the initial email to you and also your response, if it was indeed your response.
My question today is, if this was your response did you do any research to find out if this email writer was telling the truth? Buju Banton never has concerts which are violent in content or nature. He is a Rastafarian whose message is one of peace. Yes, when he was 15 years old he wrote a tune that is offensive to some people but that was many years ago and he no longer performs that song, nor is it played on the radio. He has sold out Madison Square Gardens in New York on more than one occasion, that is the calibre of artist that Richmond is trying to stop.
The person who wrote the email talked about a protest that could turn violent, however, Buju’s fans are not violent which leads me to believe that the author was saying the gay activists against Buju would turn violent. The author also threatened to withdraw support from the venue which is a strong arm tactic that is thugish in nature. The entire email to you was one of a lynch mob mentality which is spirling out of control.
Buju is coming to Virginia to promote an album called ‘Rasta Got Soul’, it is a beautiful album with not one negative lyric. Have you heard the album? Have you contacted Buju Banton or his company Gargamel Music Inc.? The promoter, Lionheart Promotions, has shows in Richmond which brings in revenue for the city, did anyone speak to them or give them an ear?
As a councilwoman for the entire city, I feel that your constituents would be served best by you reviewing all of the facts and not just making decisions based on one groups arguments. The concert has been cancelled at the National due to the pressure placed on the venue, not because the venue owners believe Buju is a bad person. This is not good for Richmond.
I await your prompt response,
Sincerely,
Lady Cham
West Indian Times
Alas, Lady Cham is, to say the least, disingenuous. If Buju Banton is a Rastafarian whose message is one of peace, he could so easily disavow his songs and comments that call for death to ‘batty boys.’ This he does not do. As a pastor and man of faith, I am all for conversion; let him convert to non-homophobia, or at least disavowing any words about killing. As to the email, it may have been passionate, but the gay community is not about violence. We do not resort to violence. But unfortunately, we are often the victim of it, here and especially in Jamaica (where Banton’s open opposition to homophobic violence would carry a lot of weight, and help create change).
Evening Buju Banton Update: Confirmation from the Hat Factory box office that the 9/26 show booked Monday is CANCELED. This follows this morning’s note from the landlord’s attorney saying the same.
Still no news concerning the promoter…9;s plans.
It’s been a long two weeks. Thanks to all of you who joined the effort to have this performance canceled. Please watch http://www.GayRichmond.com for news about the Pride Festival next Saturday, September 26, 7-9 at GCCR.
PFLAGRichmond is pleased about the cancellation of the Buju Banton Concert at The Hat Factory. We will continue to support efforts to stop violent language and violent actions against the GLBTQ community, who are our family and friends. We do not ask for ‘gay’ rights – we ask for equal rights for all people.
Does roots still exist?