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While other cities in Florida and across
the country have canceled Bantons concerts, the venues in
Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, and Miami have not yet responded.
We're calling upon the venue owners and elected officials to
take a stand against hate.
"Boom Bye Bye" has become an international gay
bashing anthem. In 2004, Brian Williamson, Jamaica's leading gay
activist, was violently chopped to death with a machete in his
apartment in Kingston. A reporter walked to his street shortly
after the murder and found a crowd of people gathered outside
Williamson’s apartment singing and celebrating his murder
and shouting the chorus of “Boom Bye Bye”.
Equality Florida staff have
received an unprecedented flood of hate mail and threats in
response to our public opposition to Banton's hateful lyrics.
One staff member received a letter stating: "YOU ARE
STARTING A WAR IN WHICH YOU WILL BE KILLED" And another
says "YOU'LL BE 6 FEET UNDER PERMANENTLY."
WE MUST STAND UP TO THESE
HATEFUL ATTACKS
So far, due to an outpouring of opposition from
Equality Florida members and community allies, management at the
venues in Tampa and Orlando have canceled Banton's performances;
the Tallahassee event in now listed as withdrawn on the
Eventful.com website; and Toyota has dropped it's sponsorship of
the Miami event. Jacksonville management has not responded.
Do your part to stand up to hate in
these communities.
Sign onto the letter that
we will send to the venue owners and elected officials in
Jacksonville, St. Petersburg, and Miami.
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