BDO organisers investigate Beenie Man

The announcement that a rapper known for his anti-gay lyrics will perform at next year's Big Day Out has sparked a backlash among gay rights groups.

Big Day Out organisers are investigating whether Jamaican rapper Beenie Man, whose lyrics included "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays", would compromise the festival's values of "tolerance and understanding".

Beenie Man is the latest star act lined up for the January 15 festival in Auckland.

A Facebook group, Standing up against Beenie Man at Big Day Out 2010, was set up on Tuesday to protest his participation and already boasts more than 900 members.

One of the group's founders, Jess Cann, said she felt insulted that organisers would invite a homophobic musician to play.

The group also planned to stage a protest at Big Day Out, she said.

Gaynz.com content editor Jay Bennie said Beenie Man should be removed from the festival's line-up, to send a message that homophobia is not acceptable in New Zealand.

"I think it would be a disgrace if he played at the Big Day Out, regardless of whether he performed songs with homophobic lyrics.

"He has come to represent extreme homophobia and a call for violence and murder against gays and lesbians and so even his presence on the stage brings up that whole image of hatred and violence."

Big Day Out promoter Campbell Smith said the festival's producers were aware of Beenie Man's past.

But he understood Beenie Man had not performed anti-gay songs since signing the Reggae Compassionate Act in 2007 under which he was required to stop performing lyrics promoting violence against gay people.

But British queer rights group OutRage! said Beenie Man had denied signing the petition and denounced it.

Mr Smith said the Big Day Out had contacted Beenie Man today to confirm he stood by the Reggae Compassionate Act.

"The Big Day Out's core values include those of tolerance and understanding," Mr Smith said.

"We are responding to concerns that Beenie Man's presence at the event may compromise those values and are directly investigating fears that he will perform material conflicting with our philosophy and his own undertakings pursuant to the RCA."

It may take the Big Day Out up to a week to resolve the issue, he said.

The Facebook group's organisers had encouraged members to write to the Big Day Out's organisers, along with Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage Chris Finlayson, the first openly gay National Party MP.

Peter Tetchell, a campaigner for OutRage!, was one of the two people who had written to Mr Finlayson today, and said he hoped the Big Day Out would cancel Beenie Man's performance.

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- NZPA