The Native Americans had a good point: White Man does, apparently, speak with a forked tongue! This may particularly be true of gay white men.

For instance they’re very active policing homophobia in Jamaican music while conveniently ignoring the homophobia in their own backyard.

In recent years they’ve vigorously pursued Jamaican reggae artists the likes of Buju Banton and Beenie Man but they’ve not expended the same level of energy pursuing artists like Eminem.

They did boycot the rapper’s 2000 sophomore release, “The Marshall Mathers LP,” whose title song, “Marshall Mathers,” included lines tlike: “My words are a dagger with a jagged edge/That’ll stab you in the head whether you’re a fag or lez.” But they saved their biggest ire for Buju Banton whose teenage single “Boom Bye Bye” is still used today, 20 years later, as a reason to hate him. By comparison Eminem has been vilified and was even voted by Vibe magazine as the Best Rapper Alive. Please do not adjust your sets!

Despite this, the hypocrisy surrounding gay people’s partiality is hard to ignore. Eminem is responsible for resurrecting and re-popularising the word “faggot” whereas any Jamaican using the yard-styled patois term “batty bwoy/man” is immediately labelled a homophobe.

To counter this gays explain how Eminem has apologised for his remarks and that’s the reason for his rehabilitation and acceptance back in the music fold but Buju Banton has similarly apologised, allegedly, yet his contrition was not accepted by these same people.

Even as Buju languishes in a Florida jail amid speculation that he was framed by gay groups, the issue is still simmering and the antagonism between gay groups and Jamaicans remain at boiling point. The issue can only be resolved if both parties come together on the issue. Somehow it seems easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye.

And, there never seem to be a camel the size of a pin prick when you need one!

Photo: Copyright Eminem.com

I have a major issue with the double standard and dishonesty of gay people who are hell bent on sustaining the lie that reggae music promotes violence or that DJ Buju Banton promotes the murder of lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transexual people. There is no evidence that any of these claims are true.

What is actually true is that Buju did record a song called “Boom Bye Bye” which did express strong condemnation of homosexual individuals and practices. But that was 20 years ago! He has since apologised for this and no longer performs this song in his set. This has clearly not satisfied gay groups like the Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center and others which are campaigning against his current album “Rasta Got Soul” from winning the 2010 Reggae Grammy.

The album is an excellent collection of songs that celebrates the joys of a Rastafarian lifestyle as well as highlighting social deprivation, love themes, spiritual upliftment and socio-political observations. There is nothing on this album lashing out at homosexuality. Buju’s 1995 conversion to Rastafarianism is the chief focus not only in this collection but also in his life generally.

This has not stopped the LA GLC from being “rather upset” at “the appalling Grammy nomination for Buju Banton, a performer whose music promotes the violent murder of LGBT people.” Apart from being a barefaced lie this statement is maliciously evil and is designed to demonise not only Buju but reggae music and Jamaica in the process. This is unforgiveable.

Gay groups would like Buju to speak out for gay rights in Jamaica but since homosexuality is not something a bonafide Rastaman like Buju can support, this has not been forthcoming. And why should he make such public service announcements? That would be like asking a strict vegetarian to eat meat to curry favour with meat eaters or a fundamental Jew to embrace Islam to make Muslims feel good.

I believe the gays continued action against Buju is vindictive, malicious and unfair. It speaks volume that while they are comfortable with the freedom and right to promote their lifestyle choice without hinderance they are happy to prevent a Rastaman from enjoying the same privilege to promote his soulfully uplifting music.

If that’s not grand hypocrisy then please tell me, my dear friend, what is.

1. Jamaican music (this include roots rock reggae, dancehall reggae, ska, rock steady, mento).
2. Gangsta (or bad boy) Style (Jamaica introduced the style conscious to wearing their shirts outside their pants.
3. The foundation for rap (Jamaica invented the concept for rap back in the late 1960s/early 1970s and called it “toasting”. On Bob Marley’s “Put It On” he sings: ‘I’m not boasting…feel like toasting’…).
4. Dub (instrumental version of a track’s A side, usually spiced up with echo and other effects).
5. The Remix (we call it the version where you basically have the one rhythm and slight variation of content on it. For instance you could have a singer, a rapper, an instrumentalist, etc. all doing their own special performance on the one basic rhythm track).
6. The DiscoMix (long-playing 12″ vinyl records, now largely obsolete.).
7. Bob Marley & the Wailers (Marley’s ability to unite opposing politicians and sensitise the world to the dynamics of Jamaica’s indigenous music, the beauty of our local woman in the form of a Jamaican Miss World and politics is still a landmark).
8. Personalities (Marcus Mosiah Garvey, Mary Seacole).
9. Rastafarianism.
10. Dreadlocks.
11. Bauxite (Jamaica is currently the world’s second largest exporter of Bauxite, falling short only to the much larger Australia. In an earlier decade it was the world’s biggest exporter of bauxite, the raw material for aluminium).
12. World, record breaking athletes (among them, of course, Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, Donald Quarrie, Merlene Ottey, Herbert McKenley, just to name a few).
13. Inspiring Holiday Destination (home of author Ian Fleming, creator of the James Bond novels; through Sandals Jamaica invented the all-inclusive holiday resort concept.)
14. Jamaican patois (Ali G’s displacement of Jamaican language and style is what gave the character his quirky resonance).
15. Gold (at one point Jamaica was the gold capital of the world, attracting many pirates from all parts of the globe.).
16. Sugar.
17. Rum.
18. Liquor (Tia Maria and others).
19. Ganja (Jamaica’s term for marijuana; also called The Weed, among others.).
20. Blue Mountain Coffee.

Can you think of other ways Jamaica has impacted on the world?