Gay Groups Protest Grammy Nominee Banton

GLAAD, others want Recording Academy to denounce all music that advocates violence against a group of people on Sunday’s awards telecast

GLAAD and the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center, along with a coalition of more than 20 organizations, are protesting the Recording Academy’s decision to nominate Buju Banton for a Grammy Award, calling him someone "who has promoted the murder of gay people throughout his career."

The groups are asking the Academy to include a statement condemning violence against a group of people in Sunday’s Grammys telecast.

Banton has repeatedly come under fire for anti-gay lyrics in his songs, including "Boom, Bye Bye" and "Mr. Mention." Both call for or glorify the shooting of gay men.

The groups took full-page ads in Friday’s trades reproducing their letter to Neil Portnow, president of the Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences.

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, the nation’s lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy and anti-defamation organization, launched an online petition when the Grammy nominations were announced in December protesting Banton’s nomination. The petition garnered more than 5,000 signatures.

 

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