Straight pride parade to hit New York City

[E.J.]

Straight pride parade to hit New York City

by Nick Langewis

LINK

A group of reggae artists, backed by their record label, will openly embrace their heterosexuality this upcoming Labor Day weekend.

"Although reggae is known for its militancy and its resistance to injustice," TCOOO Productions proclaimed, "the reggae community has remained calm throughout the attack on the music by Peter Tatchell and other Gay activists (sic) groups."

Frequent reports of kidnappings, harassment and mob beatings of gays, particularly in Jamaica, provide the backdrop for the lyrics of reggae and dancehall artists such as Beenie Man and Buju Banton, assailed by Outrage! founder Peter Tatchell as part of his Stop Murder Music campaign, which spans two decades. One example of a song that has gained notoriety in its mentions of violence against gays is Buju Banton's "Boom Bye Bye," released in the early 1990s and cited as the catalyst to the campaign's birth.

"The Straight Pride Parade is a chance for Heterosexuals to gather together and proudly embrace their sexuality," said reggae artist Jango Fresh. "The Parade will also allow reggae and dancehall fans who are in New York City for the Labor Day celebrations to get together and celebrate reggae, dancehall and family in love and unity."

"Hit Them Hard," a song by TCOOO artist Stapler, is one recent example of a song the label laments as a chart-climbing "pro-family" hit taken down by Tatchell's campaigning.

The chorus is:

Jah Jah gonna hit them hard

All the men who visit men backyard

Leaving all the women to starve

One thunder ball and all of them pause

"I sat quietly and watched as they cancelled artists like Buju Banton, Sizzla Kalonji and Capleton," said the president of TCOOO, "but when the gay community went after TCOOO artists like Vineyard the Rebel Priest, Stapler and Jango Fresh we decided that we must make a show of strength."

On the heels of frequent cancellations and interruption of radio play, Buju Banton, Sizzla Kalonji, Beenie Man and Capleton have signed the Reggae Compassionate Act, acknowledging their music's historical use as an agent of influence, activism and positive change and pledging to temper hatred and prejudice in their music.

The event is planned for August 31, 2008 in Brooklyn, on the same route as the Caribbean Labor Day parade.

Copyright ? 2007 Page One News Media, Inc.

[JamesSavik]

Straight pride? Straights are like 90%+ of the population. How/why/what is there to have pride about? Conformity? The security of Plain vanilla?

Nobody beats their ass for being straight, harasses them so badly that 30%+ quit school, turn them out of their home [unless they've got a bun in the oven I suppose] or otherwise treats them like a leaper. Many of us gay people have pride because we survived the worst that those bastards could dish out.

So what are Breeders proud about or are just easily amused? Will they demonstrate their proclivity or are we just supposed to take their word for it that they aren't sicko closet queens running for congress?

Pricks, hicks and dicks the lot of 'em.

[The Pecman]

I knew there was a reason I hated reggae music.

[Tanuki Racoon]

But, I love Bob Marley and the Wailers, Jimmy Cliff, Desmond Dekker. Fine, fine music. Most of what's coming out now is Raggaeton which is shite on a good day. Old style reggae is awesome.

[The Pecman]

Desmond Dekker's 1969 #9 hit "Israelites" is one of the few reggae songs I can stand. I also have a fondness for Millie Small's 1964 #2 hit "My Boy Lollipop," which is a somewhat different kind of reggae, but also recorded in Jamaica, mon. Can't stand most everything else.

No guesses as to what the lyrics of "My Boy Lollipop" are really about.

[Tanuki Racoon]

If you want to hear real reggae (not the crap)

Bob Marley's Legend

Soundtrack to The Harder They Come

Most people rate the former as one of the best raggae albums ever, but I am extremely partial to the latter.

[The Pecman]

Soundtrack to The Harder They Come...

Wasn't that a Falcon title?

Whoops, don't mind me...

[Drewbie]

Breeder Pride..What? they have it everyday when they stroll around their offspring, kiss in public etc. yea if half of us do that in certain places we can be arrested or frowned upon.

[Bruin Fisher]

Desmond Dekker's 1969 #9 hit "Israelites" is one of the few reggae songs I can stand. I also have a fondness for Millie Small's 1964 #2 hit "My Boy Lollipop," which is a somewhat different kind of reggae, but also recorded in Jamaica, mon. Can't stand most everything else.

No guesses as to what the lyrics of "My Boy Lollipop" are really about.

That's it, Pecman, shatter my illusions! I love both those songs even if Desmond Decker's dialect is indecipherable. Hand on heart, though, it never occurred to me that Millie's song was not about a boyfriend.... You're not having us on, are you?

Bruin

[The Pecman]

I love both those songs even if Desmond Decker's dialect is indecipherable. Hand on heart...

Get up in the morning, slaving for bread, sir,

so that every mouth can be fed.

Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.

My wife and my kids, they are packed up and leave me.

Darling, she said, I was yours to be seen.

Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.

Shirt them a-tear up, trousers are gone.

I don't want to end up like Bonnie and Clyde.

Poor me, the Israelite. Aah.

There's more, but you get the idea.