ttgapers.com

The organizers of Big Day Out 2010 concert in New Zealand, are under heavy pressure from gay rights activists groups to axe reggae dancehall king Beenie Man from the lineup of artists slated to perform. Since then gay rights groups in New Zealand have been heavily protesting the inclusion of Beenie Man in the lineup going as far as creating a Facebook group and threatening a mass boycott of Big Day Out 2010.

The press release from Big Day Out 210 organizers which was released on Thursday reads as follows:

The Big Day Out Festival booked Jamaican Dancehall artist Beenie Man for the 2010 tour in the knowledge that the artist has a controversial past.

In response to the concerns that Beenie Man may perform homophobic material from his youth, the Big Day Out promoters say that as far as they could ascertain, that since signing the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007, Beenie Man has stayed true to his word in not performing the offending songs.

The Big Day Out has today contacted Beenie Man to seek confirmation that Beenie Man stands by the Reggae Compassionate Act.

“The Big Day Out’s core values include those of tolerance and understanding,” says Auckland Big Day Out promoter Campbell Smith.

“We are responding to concerns that Beenie Man’s presence at the event may compromise those values and are directly investigating fears that he will perform material conflicting with our philosophy and his own undertakings pursuant to the RCA.

“It may take us up to a week to resolve this matter.”

Big Day Out promoters say since signing the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007, Beenie Man has stayed true to his word and refrained from performing the offending songs. The Reggae Compassionate Act was a petition signed by four musicians - Beenie Man, Capleton, Sizzla & Buju Banton - in which they agreed not to make statements or perform songs that incited hatred or violence against anyone.

In 2006, an HIV-awareness concert where Beenie Man was due to play at in New York was cancelled after protests.  Beenie Man was also banned from performing at the 2004 MTV UK Mobo awards in London.

A Facebook group, Standing up against Beenie Man at Big Day Out 2010, was set up yesterday to protest his participation and already boasts more than 1200 members. One of the group's founders, Jess Cann, said she felt insulted that organisers would invite a homophobic musician to play. The group also planned to stage a protest at Big Day Out, she said.

However, while Beenie Man is shown on the festival’s website as being confirmed for the event, when we spoke to Beenie Man’s brother and manager ‘Blue’ yesterday, he said that Beenie Man has not been officially contracted to perform. Blue said they were aware of the protests since Wednesday and were puzzled by it.

He said, “I don't even know how dis issue reach so far, cause we haven't closed the contract as yet. We have been in discussion with the organizers for the last three weeks to a month. They sent the contract and we weren't comfortable with some things in it so we're not even sure if we're going to go as yet or not.” According to Blue, if the contractual matters are sorted out to their benefit, despite the protests, Beenie Man is willing to perform at the Festival.