LIFEBeat succumbed to outrage over plans to stage an AIDS benefit concert featuring openly homophobic dance hall performers Beenie Man and group TOK.  Concerns flew around the blogosphere this week as a large coalition of AIDS advocacy groups, LGBT organizations, members of the African-American community and countless others united in opposition to this incredibly stupid decision.

The concert was cancelled, but LIFEBeat had to take a few swipes at the protestors on the way out the door.  Cancelling the concert itself was like throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but LIFEBeat claims they feared violence at the concert. 

Uh huh. And there's no possibility that violence could be ignited by a performer singing ...

Hang the gay woman/lesbian with a long piece of rope

I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays.

Take a Bazooka and kill gay-fucker

All faggots must be killed (no translation needed here)

We burn the gay man and then we burn the sodomtie

And everybody cry out, say, that?s right!

(Click here for Jasmyne Cannick's wonderful post on anti-gay dancehall lyrics)

Why, it is obvious the violence would be fueled by protestors objecting to hanging lesbians with rope.  What are we thinking? 

Why couldn't LIFEBeat invite performers who weren't advocating the murder of well, anyone?  Is that really so much to ask?  Surely there must be Caribbean performers who aren't down at the level.