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Man to Man, Gal to Gal…dat Wrong: an Analysis of How Sexual Prejudice Is Reflected in Jamaican Popular Music

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Abstract

This research analyses sexual prejudice in sixteen dancehall and reggae songs—two musical genres indigenous to Jamaica. The analysis provides us with insights on the lenses through which some Jamaicans view same-sex relationships and how sexual prejudice is normalised and justified. In this sample of songs, homosexuality is presented as (1) a violation of gendered norms, (2) sinful, (3) unnatural, (4) a threat to society and (5) a foreign lifestyle. The presentation of homosexuality as a foreign lifestyle suggests that antigay prejudice could be related to fears of neo-imperialism and could be a means of rejecting ideological intrusions from the West.

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Notes

  1. According to the latest census (which took place in 2011), Jamaica has a population of less than 3 million.

  2. As is the case for many countries, in Jamaica, transgenderism is often conflated with same-sex sexuality. As suggested by one reviewer, we opt to use the term LGBTQ persons throughout the text.

  3. Buggery refers to anal sex.

  4. Boom Bye Bye was originally penned by Buju Banton back in 1988 when he was 15 years old. The song was re-released in the 1990s after he achieved international fame.

  5. Obeah is a spiritual practice developed among West African slaves. In the Caribbean, the practice is often described as spell-casting or black magic.

  6. I previously noted that “Boom Bye Bye” is the poster child for songs with violent anti-gay content.

  7. Lyrics were placed in Microsoft Excel and all coding was done there.

  8. While many interpret the story of Sodom and Gommorrah to be about punishment for same-sex sexual behaviours, several scholars have challenged this interpretation (see for instance Gnuse (2015) and Olanisebe and Akelakun (2013)).

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Jackman, M. Man to Man, Gal to Gal…dat Wrong: an Analysis of How Sexual Prejudice Is Reflected in Jamaican Popular Music. Hum Rights Rev 23, 221–239 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12142-021-00643-z

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