We understand that Dr. Marcus Day, Director of the St. Lucia-based Caribbean Drug Abuse Research Institute , has written a letter to Police Commissioner Ausbert Regis, calling for Jamaican dancehall artiste Sizzla to be prevented from performing in that country because of what he claimed as the artistes violent, anti-gay lyrics.

"This guy should not be allowed to enter St. Lucia as far as I am concerned. These guys who sing this kind of crap should learn that if they want to do that in Jamaica and the Jamaica Government does not want to do anything about it, that's fine; but when they come out in the real world where people are supposed to be civilised then that stuff doesn't cut," he told a news conference Friday

He also lashed out at Jamaica for what he claimed was its culture of violence which is being imported into St. Lucia. Dr. Day requested the commissioner to pay particular attention to this "delicate legal matter" and called on the police to warn the promoters and producers of the show that they might be guilty of aiding and abetting criminal offences by giving a platform to Sizzla.

Sizzla is one of those artistes who have been targeted by the powerful UK activist group, Outrage! for the violent homophobic content of his lyrics. Since 2003, the gay rights groups mainly in Europe and the United States have launched a sustained campaign against dancehall artistes who include gay-bashing lyrics in their songs or who, while on stage, are prone to decry the rights of gays. Other artistes targeted are T.O.K, Bounty Killer, Vybz Kartel, Beenie Man, Elephant Man and Buju Banton.