GLAAD protests antigay reggae singers


A gay rights group has complained that three singers whose lyrics suggest that gays be hanged, drowned, burned, or shot will be among those performing at a reggae festival Sunday in Newark, N.J. The performers--Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, and Capleton--headline the fourth annual New Jersey Reggae Fest at the Terrace. "When an artist like Capleton sings 'Burn out a queer, blood out a queer,' that's an extremely violent statement that needs to be challenged," Glennda Testone, spokeswoman for the national Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, told The Record of Hackensack. "These dance-hall artists can't hide behind the word culture to mask the violent homophobia in their music." Dance-hall music is reggae with a rock bass beat. Some of the songs use derogatory terms for gays such as "chi-chi man" and "batty man."


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Gay Protests To Target WNBA
by Doug Windsor
365Gay.com Newscenter
New York Bureau


(New York City) GLTB civil rights group Lambda Legal announced Tuesday that it will stage protests against Foot Locker stores outside WNBA games in several cities -- including a game in New York on Thursday night -- because the company allegedly discriminated against a gay employee.

The WNBA was chosen because the women's basketball league has recently begun strengthening its ties with Foot Locker.

Lambda said it would be joined by other lesbian and gay New Yorkers, to distribute leaflets about Foot Locker's alleged discrimination and talk to passers-by and people attending a WNBA game at 6:45 p.m. outside Radio City Music Hall on September 16. The Liberty, New York's WNBA team, is playing at Radio City Music Hall because Madison Square Garden has not been available.

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Lawyer Becomes First Gay Member Of Columbus City Council
by 365Gay.com Newscenter Staff


(Columbus, Ohio) A 49 year old lawyer active in LGBT civil rights organizations has become the first lesbian to sit on the city council in Columbus Ohio.

Mary Jo Hudson was sworn in Monday night amid cheers and applause. She was appointed to finish the term of Rick Sensebrenner who announced earlier this year he would leave council early for personal reasons.