This is the third of three articles: The first article presents the Edmonton Reggae Festival’s response to protests against anti-LGBTQ singers that it has invited to perform. The second is a commentary by Jamaican/Canadian activist Maurice Tomlinson titled “Reggae festival does little for LGBTI Jamaicans” This third article is from the FundRazr crowd-funding site that … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Queen Ifrica
Comment: Reggae festival does little for LGBTI Jamaicans
This is the second of three articles: The first article presents the Edmonton Reggae Festival’s response to protests against anti-LGBTQ singers that it has invited to perform. This is a commentary by Jamaican/Canadian activist Maurice Tomlinson on the festival’s response. The third of the three articles, “Empower the Black Queer Community of Edmonton!” is from … Continue reading
Reggae festival vows to block singers’ homophobia
This is the first of three articles related to the Edmonton Reggae Festival’s response to protests against anti-LGBTQ singers that it has invited to perform. The second article is a commentary by Maurice Tomlinson titled “Reggae festival does little for LGBTI Jamaicans” The third, “Empower the Black Queer Community of Edmonton,” is from the FundRazr … Continue reading
Demand diversity training for anti-gay reggae singers
Sponsors of the Edmonton Reggae Festival in Edmonton, Canada, are under pressure to drop three headliners from their Sept. 5 schedule because of anti-LGBT statements and songs. The Calgary International Reggae Festival has already barred Queen Ifrica, Capleton and I-Wayne from performing because of their anti-LGBTQ comments, CBC News reported. In 2013, Toronto’s Rastafest removed … Continue reading
Another anti-gay mob attacks in Jamaica. Why??
LATEST HOMOPHOBIC ATTACK Why such a series of anti-gay attacks in Jamaica? Is it a populist homophobic response to human rights activists’ challenges to the country’s anti-sodomy law, to TV stations’ prohibition on ads urging tolerance for LGBT people, and the controversies over anti-gay singer Queen Ifrica? How much blame should be assigned to the … Continue reading
Jamaica: I failed Oshane Gordon. I will not fail Dwayne Jones.
This commentary appeared previously in Dadland Shut Up. In the early morning on August 18, 2011, armed thugs barged into the small home that 16 year-old Oshane Gordon shared with his mother in the resort town of Montego Bay, Jamaica. As Oshane tried to flee through a window, the men chopped on his foot. When … Continue reading
Canada was right to nix tax-funded Jamaican hate
Jamaican anti-gay lawyer, Shirley Richards, wrote a letter to the editor condemning the cancellation of a performance by homophobic reggae artiste, Queen Ifrica. Ifrica was scheduled to perform at Rastafest in Toronto on August 24. This event was partially funded by the Toronto Public Library and Service Canada, both of which are taxpayer-supported entities. … Continue reading
Jamaican culture minister: Block anti-gay comments
This is a follow-up to Maurice Tomlinson’s article of Aug. 9, “Jamaica: No tax money for reggae singers’ homophobia.” The Jamaica Gleaner reports: Culture minister regrets Queen Ifrica’s Gala gay comments The Culture Ministry has released a statement expressing regret that the Grand Gala stage was used by reggae artiste Queen Ifrica as a platform to … Continue reading
Jamaica: No tax money for reggae singers’ homophobia
On August 6, during the Grand Gala held at the National Stadium to mark the culmination of Jamaica’s 51st independence celebrations, popular reggae singer Queen Ifrica used her performance to denounce gays and same-gender unions. Imitating similar anti-gay rhetoric used by her partner, Tony Rebel, at the same event last year, Ifrica declared: “Weh the … Continue reading
