In his song "Boom, Bye Bye," for example, Banton urges people to shoot gay men in the head, pour acid over them, and burn them alive.

Gay activists point out that no mainstream club would book acts which call for the death of other groups of people, but that current House of Blues management has repeatedly booked "artists" who call for killing gays. Despite repeated protests, this is the fourth time in the last two years that the Chicago club has slated a performer from the "kill gays" genre.



Activists with the Gay Liberation Network (GLN) and Black LGBT and Allies For Equality have called for a protest to begin at 7 PM, Wednesday, September 13 (doors to the club open at 7:30 PM with Banton's performance set for 9 PM).

"We are told by Peter Tatchell of the UK's Outrage organization that last year Banton performed 'Boom, Bye Bye' in Jamaica," said GLN's Bob Schwartz.

"This past April on BBC Radio 1Xtra!, Banton defended 'Boom Bye Bye' and his homophobic hatred, claiming that he was entitled to his murderous opinions," said Tatchell. "Banton has never apologized for the song. His record company did apologize many, many years ago (in the early 1990s) but Banton then repudiated the apology and reiterated his homophobic incitements to murder."

Since then, Banton has regularly performed the song and re-released it on compilation albums. "These are the actions of a person determined to exploit LGBT people and profit from urging their murder," said William Lockett of Black LGBT and Allies for Equality.

The Gay Liberation Network recently learned that the House of Blues chain of clubs was getting new ownership this fall, a firm called Live Nation, and on August 18 sent a letter via certified mail to Live Nation's President, Bruce Eskowitz, asking him to meet with GLN to discuss no longer booking acts which advocate violence against gays.

GLN has yet to receive a reply from Live Nation, and is thus discussing the possible launch of a wholesale boycott against all performances at the club.