Odd Future has been catching a lot of flack for their controversial lyrics, but until now it hadn't affected their concert appearances.
The rap collective has been kicked off the bill for New Zealand's Big Day Out Festival due to complaints about their homophobic lyrics from local resident and activist, Calum Bennachie.
Bennachie penned a letter to the festival's organizers detailing why he objected to Odd Future's appearance.
"If it is acceptable to say something similar to 'gays are a cancer on society that deserves to be eliminated', then what group would be next? Bennachie wrote according to the New Zealand Herald. "By allowing Odd Future to play at BDO, you are proving that you have little concern for the lives and welfare of LGBT people, that you are willing to endanger their lives, and seek to encourage stigmatisation against them. I find this disappointing in an organisation that could do so much to enhance the self esteem of youth, reduce stigma, and discourage violence."
The Auckland City Council owns Mt Smart Stadium where the festival is being held. After the complaints reached their office they had Odd Future pulled from the bill.
Tyler, The Creator has denied being homophobic despite the fact that his album, Goblin, uses the word 'f*ggot' and its variants a total of 213 times according to NME.
"If you call me a n*gga, I really don't care, but that's just me, personally. Some people might take it the other way, I personally don't give a sh*t," Tyler told NME back in June. "I’m not homophobic. I just think 'f*ggot' hits and hurts people. It hits. And 'gay' just means you’re stupid. I don't know, we don’t think about it, we're just kids. We don’t think about that sh*t. But I don't hate gay people. I don't want anyone to think I’m homophobic."
