Taking the Homophobia Out of Hip-Hop: A Progress Report

Having been around now for a full generation, hip-hop in 2006 has permeated American culture in every way imaginable. Hip-hop is now the new slang of suburban and corporate America, advertising, worldwide media, sports, and entertainment. In a way it has become the ubiquitous background noise to everyone's technology-drenched modern world.

And some of that noise is homophobic. Whether it's in response to rappers belittling “faggots”, or reggae dancehall singers urging listeners to kill “batty men”, gays remain on guard in 2006 to monitor and protest homophobia in hip-hop.

AfterElton.com recently examined the status of hip-hop's relationship with homosexuality, and although progress has been made in combating hip-hop's entrenched homophobia, problematic issues remain. The struggle continues against those in hip-hop culture who would encourage or glorify homophobic hatred or violence against homosexuals.

What has been called “the campaign against murder music” reached its height a few years back with successful worldwide protests against homophobic reggae/dancehall/hip-hop artists.

Since the 1990's, Jamaican artists like Beenie Man, Tok and Buju Banton have released hit tunes with lyrics that, in addition to being blatantly anti-gay, also advise, and even instruct, listeners to kill gays. Another popular Jamaican artist, Elephant Man, declares in song, "When you hear a lesbian getting raped/ It's not our fault ... Two women in bed/ That's two Sodomites who should be dead." Another artist, Bounty Killer, beseeches listeners to burn "Mister Fagoty" and make him "wince in agony."

The British rights group Outrage, the Black Gay Men's Advisory Group, the Jamaican gay rights movement J-Flag, as well as numerous U.S. gay rights groups, effectively campaigned to draw attention to the homophobic lyrics in reggae/hip-hop.

In the wake of all the publicity generated by protests, the tours of several anti-gay hip-hop/dancehall stars lost corporate sponsorship. Sportswear manufacturer Puma warned reggae artists it would cancel any Puma sponsored concerts that contained homophobic material. RJ Reynolds dumped Beenie Man from numerous concerts on its 2004 Salem "Stir Your Senses" U.S. tour.

"R.J. Reynolds Tobacco does not tolerate this or any form of discrimination based on sexual orientation," the company said in a statement released in August of 2004.

As a promoter of “incitement to murder,” (a criminal offense), Beenie Man was even forced to submit to questioning by British police.

Sizzla, another Jamaican singer who advocates killing gays, had a concert at the House of Blues in West Hollywood cancelled in 2005 after LGBT civil rights groups complained.