Sexual Alternatives in Patricia Powell’s Me Dying Trial

Abstract

Buju Banton’s infamous 1988 dancehall hit “Boom Bye Bye” conveys the prevailing view, persistent for more than a quarter century, of Jamaican public opinion about same-sex relationships: extreme intolerance. Dancers across the country still sing along to Banton’s refrain: “Boom bye bye/Inna batty bwoy head/Rude bwoy no promote the nasty man/Dem haffi dead” (Boom bye bye/In a fag’s head/Dancehall singers don’t promote no fags/They have to die).¹ Even in the popular and academic debate sparked as Banton continues to receive international recognition, while many argue that Banton’s view is offensive, few suggest that it is uncommon.²