Organizers Highlight the Importance of Creating Dialogue Around the Use of Anti-Gay Lyrics in Reggae Music

January 23, 2008 – ZYNC TV is set to welcome its panelists and audience members for the forum on anti-gay lyrics in reggae music to be held at the Grand Army Plaza branch of the Brooklyn Public Library on Thursday, February 7, 2008 starting at 5:30pm. In a recent radio interview on Brooklyn Mix internet radio, they shed light on the importance of addressing this sensitive topic.

“We know that there are a lot of people in the Jamaican community, and the reggae community per se, who feel that this conversation doesn’t need to take place or it’s something that’s been talked about already,” said Djenny Passé-Rodriguez, co-organizer of the forum. “One of the things that we’ll be talking about is the race issue surrounding censorship. A couple of years ago Eminem made a comment about gay people and it was swept under the rug. Even though he got a lot of flack for it, it seems that a lot of the scapegoating are reggae artists. We want to find out from our panelists if they feel that that aspect of the race issue is a valid assumption.”

In addition to race, the upcoming panel discussion will address the effects of anti-gay lyrics in reggae music such as the blatant discrimination against the LGBT community, the banning of certain reggae artists throughout the world, lack of response from the artists and record labels that reap the benefits of album sales, and the financial ramifications of canceled concerts.

When asked about artists apologizing to the LGBT community, Eion Saunders, co-organizer of the forum responded: “I don’t want to get on any artists case, personally. I do know that Shabba had apologized a few years ago. The thing is these artists are running from the apology issue, which is a non-issue. They feel that if they apologize that they are ‘bowing’ to gay people. We are dealing with the business of music on a global scale these days. If your box office receipts are going to be affected by boycotts and cancelled concerts then do something about it. It’s about sensitivity and tolerance. Let’s start the dialogue.”

Panelists include : poet and activist Staceyann Chin, Sirius Satellite radio personality and programmer Pat McKay , professor of Caribbean literature Dr. Kelly Baker Josephs, IRIE JAM 93.5 FM radio personality Roy Walters, Program Director of Anti-Stigma Interventions at Gay Men of African Descent Donald Powell , Contributing Editor to Everybody’s Magazine Stan Evan Smith , and Reggae Carifest promoter and record producer D’Niscio Brooks.

The forum will be hosted and moderated by Carlyle McKetty, of Kuji Magazine and TSO Productions, and Djenny Passe-Rodriguez and Eion Saunders of ZYNC TV .

It will be videotaped by ZYNC TV and Caribbean Lifestyle Media (CLM TV) and broadcast over several weeks as a special series.

Local media are strongly encouraged to arrange pre-interviews with the organizers of the forum. During the reception, there will be a press area for television media to interview the panelists and organizers. As producers of the forum, ZYNC TV reserves the right to deny any form of videotaping by media during the forum.