Huge Protest of 'Faggots Have to Die' Singer Buju Banton at Cabana Club in Hollywood TONIGHT, Oct. 15

Huge Protest of 'Faggots Have to Die' Singer Buju Banton at Cabana Club in
Hollywood TONIGHT, Oct. 15

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
is organizing a huge protest tonight (Oct. 15) at the Cabana Club in Hollywood
(1439 Ivar Ave.) at 8:30 p.m. against Buju Banton, a reggae singer who is
notorious for a song that glorifies the brutal murder of gay and lesbian
people. The protest is also against the club and the owners of parent company
Sunset Entertainment Group, who canceled the concert a week ago after a huge
outcry from the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT), but
quietly re-booked Buju Banton for tonight. During this nationwide tour, Banton
has had concerts canceled in 16 cities.

Through his music, Banton promotes a culture of violence against lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender people, singing in his most notorious song "Boom, Bye
Bye" that "faggots get up and run" when he comes, that "they have to die," and
that he will shoot them in the head or "burn them up bad." Banton's music has
helped foster such an anti-gay culture in his home country of Jamaica--where
several prominent gay activists have been murdered--that Time magazine
recently asked: "Is Jamaica the most homophobic place on Earth?" "Banton is
unrepentant and completely unapologetic for continuing to perform a song that
glorifies the murder of LGBT people," says Center Chief Executive Officer
Lorri L. Jean, "and for fostering a culture of hate against LGBT people in his
home country of Jamaica. It's outrageous and unconscionable that clubs would
book and profit from someone like him."

Live Nation had recently booked Banton to perform at the Nokia Club on Oct.
14, but that Los Angeles concert, like many others around the country, was
canceled in response to an outcry from concerned citizens mobilized by
e-mails, websites and Facebook groups created by the Center, the Chicago-based
Gay Liberation Network, the London-based OUTRAGE, and other organizations.

Over the past several weeks, Banton, who was recently videotaped saying,
"There is no end to the war between me and faggots," has had concerts canceled
in Orlando, Tampa, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Columbus, Santa Clara, San
Francisco, Detroit and several other cities. His manager, Tracii McGregor,
responded to the cancellations with an "open letter" full of incomplete and
inaccurate information, decrying LGBT groups for their "war" against Banton
and for not having a "larger, more fruitful discussion that could perhaps
effect real change."

The Center responded to McGregor with a letter from Jean, sent on Sept. 15, in
which she invites Banton to the Center and to talk about the impact of hate
speech. In it, she writes: "If Banton is truly remorseful for performing
'Boom, Bye Bye' and contributing to the anti-gay climate in Jamaica, and
publicly vows to never perform the song again, the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
would be happy to support an end to the boycott of his concerts." She adds,
"We'd like nothing more than to have a fruitful discussion that will result in
the end of such music."

When Jean reached McGregor by phone today, McGregor said she and the singer
would not meet with any other LGBT organizations and that a recent meeting
with LGBT activists in San Francisco was simply "to humanize" the singer. When
Jean asked McGregor if Banton would agree to sign the Reggae Compassionate
Act, a vow to never again sing songs that promote violence against LGBT
people, McGregor hung up on her.

In addition to the Cabana Club in Hollywood, the Sunset Entertainment Group
operates these Los Angeles nightclubs/restaurants: Green Door, Ritual and Pig
'n Whistle. The partners in SEG are Alan Hajjar, Chris Breed, Eric Virgets and
George Nahas, and the promoter is Drew Greeley.

The Center has created a web page, http://www.lagaycenter.org/StopHateLyrics,
where the public can take action and sign a petition to stop Banton's Cabana
Club concert, as well as a Facebook group: "Cancel Buju Banton's Los Angles
Show!"

About the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center Since 1971 the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center
has been building the health, advocating for the rights and enriching the
lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. Our wide array of
services and programs includes: free HIV/AIDS care and medications for those
most in need; housing, food, clothing and support for homeless LGBT youth;
low-cost counseling and addiction-recovery services; essential services for
LGBT-parented families and seniors; legal services; health education and HIV
prevention programs; transgender services; cultural arts and much more. Visit
us on the Web at: http://www.lagaycenter.org.

SOURCE L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center

Thomas Soule of L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, +1-323-993-7622