Buju Banton Loses Another Gig

Neal Broverman

Neal Broverman is the Editorial Director, Print of Pride Media, publishers of The Advocate, Out, Out Traveler, and Plus, spending more than 20 years in journalism. He indulges his interest in transportation and urban planning with regular contributions to Los Angeles magazine, and his work has also appeared in the Los Angeles Times and USA Today. He lives in the City of Angels with his husband, children, and their chiweenie.

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Neal Broverman

September 10 2009 2:35 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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The bad news continues for homophobic reggae artist Buju Banton, whose latest scheduled U.S. performance was recently canceled in Minneapolis.

The October 4 show at the First Avenue theater was still listed on an online calendar as of Tuesday, but after the Minnesota Independent called the venue about the controversial Jamaican singer's concert date, the listing was taken down and the show was reportedly canceled.

The termination of Banton's Minneapolis performance follows recent cancellations of shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Chicago, Las Vegas, Dallas, and Houston. The Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center led the charge against Banton's stateside shows with a Facebook campaign -- the pressure convinced concert promoters AEG and Live Nation to call off the shows they organized. Twenty other shows remain booked.

After hearing about the Minneapolis show, Lorri Jean, the CEO of the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center, told the Minnesota Independent, "I hope this victory sends a deafeningly loud message to other promoters and concert venues that singers who glorify violence against LGBT people, or any group of people, should never be welcomed. It shouldn't be necessary for us to pressure promoters to do the right thing; people like Banton should never have been booked in the first place."

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Banton's infamous song "Boom Boom Bye" calls for the murder of gay men, and in 2004, Banton was tried and aquitted in the beating of six gay men in Jamaica. In 2007, reports surfaced that Banton had signed the "reggae compassionate act," which called for an end to antigay songs and statements, but he later denied signing it.