Reggae artist Queen Ifrica is the latest Jamaican artist to suffer backlash from gay rights activists.
The singer was pulled from the lineup of the Rastafest concert in Canada, the cancellation is a result of comments Ifrica made during her performance on August 6 at the Grand Gala in Kingston to celebrate Jamaica’s 51st anniversary of independence from Great Britain. This also came on the heels of the murder of Dwayne Jones, a Jamaican teenage cross-dresser, and as such, her statements endorsing heterosexual marriage were deemed extremely homophobic.
Immediately following Ifrica’s performance the Canadian lobby group, Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad (JAGLA) launched a campaign to prevent the “Lioness On The Rise” and “Far Away” artist from performing at the then upcoming Rastafest. As a part of the campaign, the group also took to their Facebook page requesting the cancellation of Ifrica’s work permit.
Also as a result of JAGLA’s campaign, Queen Ifrica released a new single, “Freedom Of Speech“, singing, “Suh low mi mek mi talk fi what mi want and believe in/You have a right, mi have a right to/ Suh yuh cyaan force mi fi stand up behind yuh/ Two roads before yuh dem seh pick yuh choice/Suh mi choose fi pick da one ya wah straight an nice…It’s a breach of democracy to stop mi from speak/Agree to disagree that’s the way it ought to be” in reference to her freedom of speech.
In a gutsy move, she then sings, “Mek mi tell yu straight mi nuh inna nuh closet/Yuh cyaan force me fi promote yuh habit/See another song yah campaign fi ban it/Cause artiste right unnu love trample pon it/Medical marijuana is the future and we have the best here in Jamaica.”
Following news of Queen Ifrica’s prohibition from the concert, JAGLA released a statement, also found on the group’s Facebook page, saying, “The Jamaica Association of Gays and Lesbians Abroad (JAGLA) welcomes the move by the promoters of Rastafest to withdraw Jamaican anti-gay singer, Queen Ifrica, whose given name is Ventrice Morgan, as a performer from the upcoming Rastafest concert in Toronto, Ontario.”
The statement continued, “This is a welcomed move by the promoters. We have to send a clear message that persons who make comments that jeopardize the well-being of members of the LGBT community in Jamaica, will not be welcomed in Canada. We hope that other homophobic persons will use this instance as a reminder that acts that incite hate will have negative consequences. We hope as well, that the government of Jamaica will move swiftly to put in place measures to protect members of the LGBT community.”
{IMAGE VIA - afromontreal.com} The group then pointed out that Queen Ifrica‘s freedom of speech needed to be balanced with responsibility…
“JAGLA maintains that everyone, including Queen Ifrica, is entitled to free speech. JAGLA does not seek to curtail Queen Ifrica‘s right. We however believe that this right must be balanced with responsibility…Free Speech is not absolute. It is free to the extent that it does not hinder citizens from living in peace, liberty, dignity. Note, the Jamaican Constitution itself states that the enjoyment of rights and freedom is subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest”, the group said.
“Utterances such as those made by Queen Ifrica threatens the safety of LGBT people in an extremely homophobic society…JAGLA will continue on its mission to ensure that Jamaica is a place for everyone to live in peace and dignity. We want Jamaica to be at a place where the rights for all is respected; where the LGBT community is not seen as banes of society, but as citizens working to fulfill Jamaica’s mission; where Jamaica can live up to its anthem of justice and respect for all, not some, and where the focus is shifted to fixing, not creating the problems,” it concluded. (DATA COURTESY – Reggae E-Guide)