Great Blog From Keith Boykin On LIFEbeat Concert

Below is a great article from Keith Boykin on a concert that LIFEbeat was going to hold. The concert has been canceled. Good work!

"LIFEbeat is an organization that calls itself "the music industry's charitable organization dedicated to reaching America’s youth with the message of HIV/AIDS prevention." But this same organization is sponsoring a benefit concert on July 18 in New York featuring not one, but two homophobic artists, Beenie Man and TOK. These performances must be stopped.

When I first heard about the concert, I decided to give LIFEbeat the benefit of the doubt. I figured they just didn't realize what a mistake they made. So I sent a letter (shown below) and placed a phone call to LIFEbeat's executive director John Canelli. Mr. Canelli returned my call today and the response was shocking, insulting and extremely disappointing.

LIFEbeat Refuses To Use Its Influence
Canelli admitted that his organization knew that Beenie Man and TOK were homophobic artists but decided to do the concert anyway. "We didn't make the decision blindly," he told me. "We knew there would be controversy." So why did they do it, I asked. Canelli told me his organization wanted to reach out to that segment of the community by using artists who could connect with them. Perhaps that makes sense, but why not use LIFEbeat's leverage to encourage the artists to repudiate their homophobia. "It's not my job to do that," Canelli said flatly. I strongly disagree.

When asked why he couldn't use his influence to get the musicians to renounce their homophobia, Canelli said that all the performers at the concert are performing for free, and because of the nature of the event, "I'm not in a position to make a demand like that." He tried to assure me that there would be no "offensive lyrics in that venue."

I'm sorry, Mr. Canelli, that's not enough. Beenie Man and TOK are two of the worst homophobes in the music industry. For LIFEbeat to give a platform to them is unacceptable and intolerable. Their mere presence is offensive enough unless and until they renounce their homophobia.

"It's a tough decision," Canelli told me. "Look at the numbers of people getting infected," he said. "My job is to save lives." I doubt it. If your job were really to save lives, you would never give a platform to two artists who encourage their fans to take the lives of innocent gays and lesbians.

When the phone call ended, I promised Mr. Canelli one thing. This would not be the end of it. As a black gay man, I've had enough of the excuses and the hypocrisy and the fear. I will not sit back quietly while a so-called AIDS organization gives a microphone and a stage to two musical groups that want to kill me. I encourage everyone to contact John Canelli personally and express your dissatisfaction with his homophobic decision. And I encourage you to put any and all pressure you can on LIFEbeat to disinvite Beenie Man and TOK or get them to renounce their homophobia. (continued...)"

Thank you Keith.