Fridae

UK gay rights group, OutRage!, has called for a boycott of Janet Jackson over her new single, which features a duet between the star, who is widely seen as a gay icon, and a popular Jamaican reggae singer with a history of advocating the death penalty for gays.

The superstar's new single, Feel It Boy, due in stores next month, would also be the first single from Beenie man's forthcoming album, Tropical Storm.

Janet has a large following of gay fans, many of whom will be unaware of her new musical partner's back-catalogue of homophobic hate-speech, once even promoting the execution and murder of gay men and lesbians in Jamaica.

When asked about her sexuality, Jackson was quoted as saying: "I don't mind people thinking that I'm gay or calling me gay. People are going to believe whatever they want. I love people regardless of sexual preference."

In Damn, Beenie Man sings: "I'm dreaming of a new Jamaica, come to execute all the gays," while in Bad Man Chi Chi Man, he instructs his listeners -- if they see a gay DJ -- to chase them off stage and kill them.

Beenie Man has also attracted criticism from gay rights advocates for his hateful songs. Julius Powell from J-FLAG, a Jamaican civil rights group warns that while his music may be popular and successful commercially, the consequences for gays and lesbians in Jamaica are severe.

OutRage! is calling for a consumer boycott of Janet Jackson and an apology from the star "for the insult and injury caused by her endorsement of Beenie Man" as well as an apology from Britain's public broadcaster, the BBC, for promoting and distributing Beenie Man's music on its new digital radio channel 1Xtra.

BBC DJ Chris Goldfinger features a song on his personal top-10 chart by 'Capleton' which has a chorus telling people to set gay men on fire. Elsewhere on the BBC site, we were able to download a clip of an Elephant Man song which gives instruction on a new dance which is created when you set fire to a gay person and stamp on them while they're lying on the ground in flames.

Last year the band TOK occupied the Number 1 slot on Goldfinger's chart with an antigay song called "Chi Chi Man" which said "Light a fire, let's burn them... let's go kill them". (Blaze di fire mek we bun dem... Blaze di fire mek we dun dem!!)

"We are appalled that the BBC, a public-funded broadcaster, could be distributing music with this content. It is more than hate-speech, it is a clear incitement to violence and murder," said Brett Lock, a spokesperson for OutRage!