Reggae singer, Queen Ifrica has been axed from a show she was scheduled to perform Saturday night at the Amazura Concert Hall in Queens, NY following protests by a gay rights group objecting her appearance at the show, Invasion of the Queens.
On Friday, a protest including over 100 people was held outside the club calling for organizers of Invasion of the Queens to cancel the show, citing Queen Ifrica’s past lyrics condemning homosexuality, including her 2009 hit, Keep It To Yourself and the lyrics’ contribution to violence against the LGBT community. The rally was led by openly gay NY councilor, Daniel Dromm, who out rightly denounced her presence at the show.
“We don’t need homophobic people like her coming to Queens to spread their message of hate,” Dromm told the New York Daily News.
A Jamaican-born human rights activist, Michael Forbes also spoke out against Ifrica during the protest, saying, “The majority of her music has been very, very homophobic and it rings in the ears of men, women and kids. She uses the stage to burn gays.”
Invasion of the Queens features an all-female lineup that also includes Reggae singer, Etana, Dancehall star, Spice as well as renowned veteran acts, Sister Carol and Sister Nancy.
Amazura’s manager, John Rios confirmed Saturday morning that the show will go on without Ifrica following the protest, insisting that his establishment does not discriminate against gays and are welcome to the club.
Queen Ifrica has had numerous instances of speaking out against homosexuals, including last year’s Grand Gala at theNational Stadium in Kingston on Independence Day (August 6), where she repeatedly denounced homosexual lifestyles during her performance until her microphone was abruptly cut off while she spoke.
Last August, she was pulled from a show in Canada following gay rights protests.
