When I wrote about Britain’s LGBT/black feminist protests against tolerance of homophobic homicide and violence against women in Jamaican “murder music,” I gave passing notice to similar Canadian initiatives.

As luck would have it, Canada’s Xtra LGBT newspaper chain is also discussing its local version of that controversy.

Stop Murder Music Canada wants concerned Canadians to refuse to purchase Canadian goods and services if the Jamaican government doesn’t crack down on homophobic musical lyrics. To complicate matters, though, JFLAG (the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians, Allsexers and Gays) opposes the boycott.  They’re worried about increased likelihood of poverty and deprivation within Jamaica, which might worsen homophobic violence in that country.

 However, former JFLAG leader Gareth Henry, now a Canadian resident, supports SMMC’s campaign, which has already resulting in i-Tunes deleting songs from Buju Banton, Elephant Man and TOK which advocate killing gay men. Archambault Inc, another large Canadian music distribution company, has followed suit.

As for Canadian lesbians and gay men of Jamaican descent, LGBT Jamaican emigrants, LGBT reggae fans and overseas LGBT Jamaican university students, opinion is divided. Some favour boycotts, on the basis that JFLAG has been trying to draw the Jamaican government into dialogue for the last decade, and nothing has changed- lesbians and gay men are still murdered. Others fear that any effective boycott will only increase reprisals against Jamaican LGBTs. 

It’s a vexed issue. Personally, when I do fair trade shopping, I make sure that if something is sourced from Zimbabwe, it directly assists HIV+/PLWAs there before I purchase it. Otherwise, I don’t. Nor do I purchase goods sourced from Iran or any other country with a homophobic, racist, sectarian or otherwise inhumane human rights record.

As you can see from Gaynz.Com’s forum page, the issue roused some local controversy even here. What do you readers think? Should there be a Stop Murder Music New Zealand campaign? Or should we desist from boycotting an already wretchedly poor country?

Krishna Rau: “Murder Music and Boycotts” Xtra West: 07.05.08: http://www.xtra.ca