Danes protest against gay hate music on Freewebs.com
Online music stores are selling so-called Murder Music despite protests from gay rights activists.
Martin Adelskov, founder of leading LGBT radio station Pride Radio Denmark, has complained to Freewebs.com and Indietitan.com after coming across the hate-filled content by unsigned artist Jomo Minott.
“It’s insane that online music stores and free internet hosting services wont block users whose sole purpose, with their musical career, is spreading hatred though music,” Mr Adelskov told PinkNews.co.uk.
“I immediately emailed the support on Indietitan.com, and several hours later, I received an email letting me know they would start an investigation at the very same moment.”
Mr. Adelskov also reported the artist’s website hosting service Freewebs.com.
“Freewebs.com actually has an abuse-policy, and ‘spreading hatred’ is on that list, so I thought they would be easy to dance with.
“But Freewebs.com are either full of it or they simply just don’t get it, because the site is still there.
“It really scares me that internet companies like Freewebs.com and Indietitan.com are making sure that the ugly face of hatred has a platform from where they can speak.”
The Stop Murder Music campaign, headed by legendary activist Peter Tatchell, has added Jomo Minott to its list of hate artists.
In July 2007 artists Beenie Man, Sizzla and Capleton, who had previously released anti-gay hate songs, including incitements to murder lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, signed up to the Reggae Compassion Act, in a deal brokered with top reggae promoters and Stop Murder Music activists.
The Act reads:
“It must be clear there’s no space in the music community for hatred and prejudice, including no place for racism, violence, sexism or homophobia.
“We do not encourage nor minister to HATE but rather uphold a philosophy of LOVE, RESPECT and UNDERSTANDING towards all human beings as the cornerstone of reggae.
“We agree to not make statements or perform songs that incite hatred or violence against anyone from any community.”
The fight against other homophobic performers continues.
“The other four murder music artists – Elephant Man, TOK, Bounty Killa and Vybz Kartel – have not signed the Reggae Compassion Act,” said Mr Tatchell.
“These singers have incited the murder of lesbians and gays. They should not be rewarded with concerts or sponsorship deals.
“The Stop Murder Music campaign urges organisations worldwide to intensify the campaign to cancel these singers’ concerts and their record, sponsorship and advertising deals.”A new offence of incitement to hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation received Parliamentary approval last week.
Stonewall, the gay equality organisation, gave evidence to MPs about the sort of incitement to homophobic murder and hatred that goes unchallenged.
Chief executive Ben Summerskill quoted extensively from the homophobic lyrics of dancehall star Beenie Man and others to demonstrate the nature of their comments about gay men and lesbians.
MPs were confronted with the words “motherfucker,” “pussy-sucker” and “batty-fucker” during his testimony.
Mr Summerskill rejected concerns that a law banning incitement to religious hatred would be used to silence the voices of religious people who regard homosexuality as a sin.
“We are crystal clear that people are perfectly entitled to express their religious views. We are also crystal clear that the temperate expression of religious views should not be covered by the legislation.
“One might also want to look at the context in which any expression is made that people should be killed or put to death because they are homosexual.”
