Rohee announced the ban Monday. He says Bounty Killer's lyrics promote violence and celebrate criminal behaviour. He also banned the Jamaican singer Movado.

Bounty Killer concerts earlier were scrapped in Britain and Germany because of protests over lyrics that include references to killing homosexuals.

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The decision comes as a result of calls from Egale Canada and SMM requesting the removal of lyrical content which openly calls for the violence and murder of gays and lesbians. “Archambault Inc. is now the second prominent retailer in Canada to pull this murder music,” said Helen Kennedy, Executivye Director of Egale Canada, “earlier this month Apple’s iTunes removed the controversial songs from its North American markets.”

“This is another historic victory for the LGBT community here in Canada and in the Caribbean,” says Akim Larcher founder of SMM (Canada), “Archambault Inc., and iTunes are leading the way and exercising corporate responsibility by pulling this murder music.”

In a letter to Egale Canada, Archambault Inc., Senior Vice President of Retail stated that starting on May 5th, the albums will no longer be available in their stores or from the Website.

Egale Canada advances equality and justice for lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified people and their families across Canada.

Stop Murder Music (Canada) advocates against anti-gay lyrics targeting the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans-identified communities.

Outraged by the contiuning in-action by Jamaica to seriously address its human rights violations towards its LGBT citizens; gay Canadian organizations have issued an ultimatum to the Jamaican government:  Act now or we will take action against you!

In March, a letter was deliverd to the Consulate General of Jamaica in Toronto demanding that Jamaica take specific steps to redress its serious violations of human rights. The letter also demands a response by May 12th. 

Egale Canada, and the Metropolitan Chuch of Canada are calling on the international gay community to boycott Jamaica if that government fails to respond positively to their letter by the deadline date. (see letter in Full Story)

In a conversation between Helen Kennedy, executive director of Egale Canada and GBMNews; Helen stated that support for strenuous protest action against Jamaica has been forthcoming from both gay people within Jamaica as well as without... "We have to do for gay Jamaicans what they can not do for themselves". "Jamaican gays are risking their very lives every time they speak out or even walk the streets, surely we should do what ever we can to support them." "Now is the time to act".

Helen appeals to gay organizations in America and Great Britain to follow Canada's lead. GBMNews has called for a boycott and has allied with the Canadian gay organizations in this effort.

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Anti-gay Jamaican "murder music" singer, Bounty Killer, is facing financial meltdown as his European tour is besieged by protests and concert cancellations.

Despite the shameful collusion of the Metropolitan police with this notorious singer, Bounty Killer's UK tour dates outside London - in Bradford and Birmingham - were axed, losing him thousands of pounds in performance fees. In Germany, Bounty Killer's concerts in Dortmund, Essen and Berlin were also cancelled, together with his gig in Antwerp, Belgium.

In contrast to the appeasement of the Home Office and the Met, the German government has announced that Bounty Killer and other singers who advocate violence and murder will, in future, be refused visas.

These successes have been won by an alliance of European gay rights and human rights groups, which have coordinated a continent-wide campaign to halt Bounty Killer's Deadly Alliance tour.

They are objecting to his explicit incitements to murder gays and lesbians. Incitement to murder is a criminal offence.

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Jamaica Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett

The gay rights groups claim that Jamaica is a homophobic society where gays and lesbians are at risk of being violently abused by their fellow citizens.

They claim the Jamaican government has not done enough to stop violence against homosexuals.

The Jamaica Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays (J-FLAG) has sought to bring the issues to the attention to the government in a letter sent to Prime Minister Bruce Golding, Mr. Bartlett and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade, Dr. Ken Baugh.

J-FLAG said to date it has received no response from Mr. Golding.

It said this has led it to conclude that Mr. Golding does not see the urgency of the situation or does not deem its letter worthy of an acknowledgement of receipt.

Mr. Bartlett told the RJR News Centre that the letter sent by the group is now before the Prime Minister who will deal with the issue in due course.

He however dismissed the calls by the gay rights groups that the Jamaican tourism product should be boycotted.

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The songs — by Jamaican dancehall artists Buju Banton, Elephant Man and TOK — contain lyrics that advocate the killing of gays.

Akim Larcher, founder of Stop Murder Music Canada, says that he hopes iTune's decision to remove anti-gay songs will encourage other retailers to do the same.  Photo: Jenna Wakani

"iTunes is exercising its corporate responsibility by pulling this murder music and raising the bar for other retailers and distributors to do the same," says Akim Larcher, founder of SMM. He calls iTune's decision a victory for the gay community in Canada and in the Caribbean.

Egale and SMM wrote to iTunes in January, asking for homophobic tracks to be removed from the online store. They noted three songs that promoted violence against gays, and those tracks have now been removed.

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Canadian newspapers have been focusing on the prejudice and violence gay people face in Jamaica since a leading activist sought asylum there, and some have called for Canadians to refuse to holiday in the popular destination.

In a statement released yesterday, J-Flag, Jamaica's Forum for Lesbians, All-Sexuals and Gays, said it shared the frustration at the "slow progress towards transforming the social climate that makes it difficult for gays and lesbians in Jamaica to lead lives free from homophobic violence.

"Yet, because of the possible repercussions of increased homophobic violence against our already besieged community, we feel that a tourist boycott is not the most appropriate response at this time.

"In our battle to win hearts and minds, we do not wish to be perceived as taking food off the plate of those who are already impoverished.

"In fact, members of our own community could be disproportionately affected by a worsened economic situation brought about by a tourist ban.

"The concern and support of the international community has been critical in focusing attention to our situation.

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About 200 people attended the two-hour discussion, The Sound of Hate: Where Sexual Orientation, Race, Dancehall Music and Human Rights Collide.

The debate focused on a popular segment of reggae that gay rights activists have dubbed "murder music," because it contains threatening sentiments toward homosexuals and pejorative patois terms for them.

They also allege that the songs have motivated brutal attacks on Jamaican gays by mobs who often recite the hateful lyrics of songs such as "Boom Bye Bye" (Buju Banton) and "Log On" (Elephant Man).

"The sound of hate is also the rhythm of pain, because people are being kicked and chopped by people singing these songs; there is no way for me as a Jamaican to appreciate reggae right now," said panelist Gareth Henry.

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