By Tris Reid-Smith Pink Paper.com October 2004

Veteran activist Peter Tatchell has pledged to continue his campaign against “murder music” despite threats that Yardie gangs are planning to shoot him. The threats are a further sign that his campaign against reggae artists whose lyrics promote the killing of lesbians and gays is having an impact. The Metropolitan Police have stepped up their protection of Tatchell and his London council flat is under surveillance. He said: “I’ve been tipped off by people close to the Jamaican reggae industry that there may be an attempt to kill me. They’ve advised me that some of the people in the industry have close contacts to armed gangs that are implicated in a series of murders. One said ‘you are as good as dead’.

“The police are keeping an eye on me more or less 24 hours a day. When I go out in vulnerable public situations, undercover armed officers are present.” But he has pledged to continue, despite the dangers. “What I’ve been experiencing is nothing by comparison to Jamaican lesbians and gays. People’s first thoughts should be with them.”

Outrage, Tatchell’s direct action group, had a further success after Manchester police cancelled a concert by one of the artists, Buju Banton, in the city last Thursday. Although the pressure is piling up on the industry, top promoters didn’t show up to “peace talks” organised at short notice last week by the Voice, Britain’s leading newspaper for the Jamaican community.

Three undercover armed officers patrolled the Voice’s offices during the meeting for fear of an attack on Tatchell, Peter Fleming of black gay health group Big Up and Charlie Anglin of the Black Gay Men’s Advisory Group. Outrage had hoped to speak directly to industry chiefs Chris Platinum of Apollo Entertainments and Bagga John of BJ Productions. Instead in a highly charged and confrontational round-table discussion, one more junior promoter accused Tatchell of working with the British National Party.

Blacka Dread said: “At no point have you got any evidence that these lyrics have cause anyone to get murdered. “We are now coming to attack what you are doing because we are saying what you are doing is racist. Being gay is not a human right, you weren’t born gay, you chose to be gay.” Refusing to back a document which condemned violence against gays he added: “We will not ever bow.”

Meanwhile Dr X, who described himself as a “social commentator”, said Outrage’s proposals, which would see the artists apologise directly for their previous lyrics, were “facist demands”. The reggae experts said hatred of gays was rooted in Jamaica’s Bible-based culture but claimed the lyrics were metaphors and were not intended to incite murder. Anglin told them it was “passively racist” to believe that homophobia was part of black culture saying: “Black children are not brought up to hate.” He added: “We should all voluntarily say we are not going to play or promote music that incites violence.”

And Ghizela Rowe, representing the Music of Black Origin Awards, told them it was about human rights. “Times have changed,” she said.