Denouncing immorality
published: Sunday | November 21, 2004

THE EDITOR, Sir,

WHILE I am against deejays who use their musical lyrics to incite violence against homosexuals, or against any individual or group in society for that matter, I think the homosexual community needs to clarify something for the public. I have often wondered if the homosexual community's denouncement of anti-gay lyrics falls solely within the narrow scope of violent anti-gay lyrics, or any anti-gay lyrics.

In other words, are homosexuals also opposed to artistes whose anti-gay lyrics are, in both form and substance, non-violent and civilised? I think it is important to gain clarification on this point because it seems to me that musical artistes, as long as they use polite and peace-promoting lyrics to bring their message across, have every right to denounce behaviour which they deem to be immoral.

While I think boundaries should be set where the lyrical content of a song is concerned, I think it would set a dangerous precedent if any individual or group in society sought to to take a broadbrush approach in silencing individuals whose moral views on a particular issue fall counter to theirs. After all, no matter what one's personal moral views on homosexuality happen to be, a clear line should still be drawn between what the majority of society deems moral and what it deems immoral.

I am etc.

PATRICK A. GALLIMORE

pagalley@hotmail.com

Kingston 5

Via Go-Jamaica