Author Gay Liberation Network Date Created Date Edited Rating Current rating: 2 License This work is in the public domain.

In an anti-gay social climate that has led several young LGBTs to commit suicide in recent weeks, Kinetic Playground Nightclub has persisted in going forward with its booking of notorious "Kill Gays" performer Capleton this Saturday night.

A few weeks ago the Gay Liberation Network (GLN) politely contacted Kinetic Playground owner Jim Gouskos to inform him about Capleton's history and attempt to persuade him to cancel the concert. Gouskos claimed that he was locked into a contract which prevented him from canceling, to which we replied that many other venues, such as Chicago's House of Blues, have successfully canceled other "kill gays" performers.



In a follow-up conversation, GLN organizer Roger Fraser said that in the event that Kinetic Playground refused to cancel Capleton, there would be a protest. Gouskos replied, "Don't threaten me because I can get a bunch of goons outside to throw eggs at you guys."



Goons or not, the protest is now on —



10:30 PM, Saturday, Oct. 9

In front of Kinetic Playground

1113 W. Lawrence Avenue

Chicago



Please join and spread the word using the Facebook Event for the protest:

http://tinyurl.com/capletonkinetic



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Background —

WHO IS "CAPLETON"?



Capleton is a performer in the Jamaican "dancehall" tradition who promotes violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) communities in his lyrics. One of his songs is entitled "Bun out Di Chi Chi," which translates to "Burn the Queer," and an example of one of his lyrics is the noxious:



"Shoulda know seh Capleton bun battyman,

the same fire apply to di lesbian"

("[you] should know that Capleton burns queers,

[and] the same fire applies to lesbians").



In 2004, Capleton's scheduled concerts in three venues in California were canceled after LGBT pressure was applied because of his calls from the stage to kill gays.



Losing lots of U.S. dollars because of cancellations, Capleton and a few other anti-gay reggae singers finally in 2007 felt compelled to sign a document known as the Reggae Compassionate Act, which is a pledge no longer to sing or otherwise profit from songs that promote violence against LGBT people. However, Capleton quickly violated the terms of the agreement. As a result, his tours in Switzerland and France were canceled in 2008.



As recently as last Christmas in a Jamaican concert, Capleton again loudly proclaimed to his audience: "All who a bun battyman and sodomite, hand up!" ("All who have burned queers and sodomites, put your hands up!") This outrageous call to celebrate murder caused LGBT activists in Long Beach, California, to mobilize, and promoters cooperated by canceling Capleton's invitation to participate at the prestigious Reggae Muffins Festival last February.



Our current protest has already generated substantial coverage in the reggae music press, and one of Jamaica's most prominent newspapers, The Gleaner, has given the protest surprisingly favorable coverage:

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100929/ent/ent2.html



This Saturday night, please help stand up to the hate that promotes violence against young and old in our LGBT community.