Threats of murder and rape are being directed toward an Australian feminist after rapper Tyler the Creator wrongly claimed she had him banned from Australia.
The controversial Los Angeles rapper, Tyler Okonma, tweeted about the ban last week, tagging activist Coralie Alison, director of operations for organisation Collective Shout.
The comment, implying he would be unable to play his scheduled tour in September, caused fans to send an inundation of abuse to Alison via Twitter, much of which is violent and misogynistic.
Alison says while activists are accustomed to receiving abuse, Okonma’s fans are “particularly aggressive”.
“It does raise concerns when those that listen to [Okonma’s] music feel it is acceptable to send rape and death threats to women. I draw a correlation. I’m sure it hasn’t helped [his] visa application,” she said.
A spokesperson from the Department of Immigration and Border Protection confirmed Okonma’s pending visa application and said no decision has yet been made.
All non-citizens who wish to enter Australia must satisfy the requirements of the Migration Act 1958 and Migration Regulations, including any conditions attached to their visa and character requirements.
Feminist organization Collective Shout has been petitioning to ban Okonma from Australia since 2013 due to the violence and descriptions of rape that frequent his lyrics. They believe the confronting abuse sent to Alison last week is an example of the behaviour Okonma’s music can incite.
“Words influence attitudes and behaviours, which affects real women. It is the cumulative effect of media, advertising, movies and music that shape and influence how we view women,” Alison said.
In an open letter to Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, Collective Shout said, based on his song lyrics, they believe Okonma meets the department’s definitions of a ‘controversial visa applicant’.
Seeking to enter the country to profit from these lyrics, the organisations says, “While his activities are therefore commercial, the content … propagates discriminatory ideas and represent a danger to a segment of the Australian community on the potential basis of incitement to acts of hatred.”
Mistreatment of another activist at the rapper’s 2013 Sydney concert is also noted in the letter, which led to New Zealand Immigration denying Okonma access to their country in January 2014.
With a national plan to address violence against women, Alison said it would be “hypocritical … to roll out the red carpet for [Okonma] to come to Australia and spread his harmful message to thousands of people”.
A statement last week from Frontier Touring, promoter of the Tyler the Creator tour, has confirmed that nothing has yet been cancelled.
“The department for immigration has raised issues with the visa application but it has not been refused and Frontier will update ticket holders as soon as more information comes to hand,” according to the statement.
Okonma has since said being denied entry to a place he “fell in love with” is disappointing, but he is “not responsible for what others say, no way, ever”.
