The Cringe Diary: Reggae Sponsors "Straight" Pride Parade

Look homosexuals even get discriminated against by their own FAMILIES. When I was a teen my parents took in two kids who were thrown out of their family homes for being gay. One kid was beaten so badly by his father when he came out he could not walk for 3 weeks.

I don't think it is fair to point fingers and say "hey my people suffered more so you don't get to complain". All of our lives are much better compared to our grandparents- grand parents and beyond. I have my own sob stories to tell growing up incredibly poor being a chick and white in some of the worst neighborhoods in the NYC- whatever. We all have our battle scars but it is important to try to take granular steps to try to get over all of our 'isms- because maybe one day a couple of generations down the road sexism, racism...will no longer be an issue because of the steps we have taken today. At least we can hope for that.

Again, let me be clear. I believe people should always stand up to the ism's but to imagine this musical problem is limited to gay people and reggae is a bit ridiculous. It is part of a larger issue of intolerance. People feel better when they have a gay friend, but more than not, them and their gay friend(s) are socially indistinguishable. It is a social act that bears no fruit outside of their clandestine arrangement. I am no more horrorified by anti-gay acts or words than any other group that is discriminated against...maybe even less because homosexuals, as a whole, have the ability to join their respective majority when it suits them. So as a black man it nauseates me when their plight is compared to that of other minorities. No other minority has this option. I know we may not be talking on this issue specifically and I am saying these things in hopes that we will not.
As an individual, I do not support music or businesses which do not support me and I try to tell everyone I know so that whoever feels the same, can do the same.
Homosexuals have a long way to go to understand discrimination. Sorry peeps but that is simply the truth. I look forward to reading your thoughts

Ricky84: Sure but it started somewhere right???

Gays didn't just pick Reggae out of the blue and say they have a problem with it did they? No.

It started with Reggae culture being anti gay rights and anti gay in general. Of course gays stood up for themselves after that, who wouldn't?

Common sense my friend.

Interesting that Reggae, or for that matter any music, would be singled out as "sexual orientation" intolerant. Maybe reggae has been more vocal than others but most forms of music: country, hip-hop, rock and roll, jazz etc. all have a serious explicit or implicit bias. There are not a lot of 'black' rock acts or 'white' hip-hop artists. Personally, I remember Charlie Pride, a somewhat well know Afro-Am. Country singer famous sometimes because he is black! Sure, I would like to jump on your modern band wagon of ‘be nice to homosexual people’ but that comes at the expense of all the 'truly' distinguishable minorities who came before them, have not achieved equality and are being silenced by this noveaux dogma of liberal divisiveness. Ethics and fairness can not be legislated. They must be taught and persistently reinforced. One has the choice to fight for a minority or to fight intolerance. It is easier to criticize a 'music' or disagree with someone (who has made themselves vulnerable by offering an opinion) than to examine one's own life and objectively critique how consistently internal thought leads to external action. If one fights for 'a' minority and not all oppressed people, that is functionally the same as supporting the majority, meaning only some people are equal and of those some more than others. In essence, we either acknowledge the larger problem or pretend it is limited to a group of people we choose. I try not to come down on people who actually have an opinion and share it. I want to know what you are thinking and earlier is better than later. Surprisingly, most people do not have an opinion and of those that do, most will not share it. Example: Who are you going to vote for and why? To be clear, I do not support the ‘ism’s’, sexism, racism, etc. but that is not to say I have not suffered at their hand and know well their tyranny of good intentions. Violence in speech or action is never productive and I will not support it. All we can do is postulate, defend, and educate others on what we think and why. An open dialogue. Right.
The parade could be cool if it focuses more on what it is than what it is not. We far more quickly pick the offense that affects us personally and more slowly react to what does not affect us but is clearly wrong. As always this is an all or nothing deal, so please don’t blow smoke my way telling me how evolved you are because I am watching closely. St. Patrick’s Day Parade anyone?? If all oppressed minorities were as well organized as the gay community... the U.S.A. would be a much better place.

It is going to take sometime for people to understand not to get envolved with other people right to choose their own sexuality. G-O-D; the great Spirit of the Universe did not made us equal. We all have our own differences and that it is what makes things interesting. Failure to come to a peaceful and loving caring ground will be some people troubles and mistakes.

Here is the thing about the Reggae and Rastafarian movement that way to many people take for granted. It’s not a single entity and does have a uniform belief structure. God comes in many shapes and so the principles differ greatly among the groups. All in all it’s a promotion of Afrocentrism.

So when I hear stories about Gay rights groups wagging war against Reggae as a whole that’s when I cringe. Its just disingenuous to condemn the entire cultural melting pot as intolerant to the gay and lesbian community. It’s true that their as those who condemn homosexuality for religious reasons, however in the end you’d be surprised how many gay people are part of that community.

A music that usually promotes peace, love and tolerance in equality being so fearful of Homosexuality, giving home to a far darker side in spirit with this event.
Heartbreaking and disturbing.

As a black man, I can say that the black community is pretty intolerant of homosexuals. It doesn't matter if the community is in the US, or the West Indies, or Africa, they all hate homosexuals. It's just a part of the black culture, even before missionaries appeared on the scene.

I was surprised when I went to jamaica how intolerant they are on gays. My good friend and I were always getting hit on by rastahs when we were on the beach (it was cool at first, but then it got to be annoying, rastah jigaloos looking for some tourist attraction, we peep'd game)...so then we devised a plan, and we told the first guy, were not interested cuz we had each other, lovers, lesbians, can't remember the exact statement, and the guy fliiiiiiiiiiiiiipppped out. We quickly said how we were playing but he lectured us on how being gay was NOT acceptable and dangerous to flaunt.... I was shocked.

Life could be so simple if we could just "live and let live" well and add to that

"Do unto others as you would have other do unto you."

simple, simple, simple.

Yeah, the Bob Marley song "One Love..." is sung by my friend as "Some Love..."

Lame. It's sad that a primarily black subculture is JUST as intolerant to gays as the people the suppress them and their culture.

Do they not see that hatred and lack of acceptance in general is the real problem?

This is so depressing. What kind of world do we live in?