Krista Henry, Staff Reporter

"Nobody wanna see us together

But it don't matter no

'Cause I got you babe

'Cause we gonna fight

Oh yes we gonna fight

Believe we gonna fight

We gonna fight

Fight for our right to love yeah"

Akon, Don't Matter.

Has international superstar Akon penned the hottest gay anthem? A number of gay persons worldwide are now claiming that the singer's latest hit song, Don't Matter, is just that.

The song recounts the struggles a relationship is going through, where outside forces are trying to break things up. However, several persons in the gay community have adopted the song as they say the lyrics advocate for the fight they presently face to be accepted in society.

Homo overtones

For one local gay man from the western side of the island who refers to himself as 'Muma Goodas', the song has definite homosexual overtones. "Yes, I think it's a gay anthem, it's the ringtone on my phone. People identify with the song. I love the song because in our gay community, what we call our mate, people might say things about you and your love. The song speaks to that," he said.

He went on to classify the song as being a bi-sexual one, meaning that it can appeal to both sexes but he says it holds more meaning to the gay community.

The attachment that several gay persons feel towards this song spreads much further than the shores of Jamaica. Just a simple search on the Internet reveals several websites where gay persons are singing their praises to Akon.

Gay reggae anthem

One young man on yahoomusic.com declares, "In what seems to be something of a liberal and open-minded u-turn from his trademark hip hop/chipmunk fare, Akon appears to have written a gay reggae anthem - a universal shout-out to the sexually oppressed."

The music video which can be seen on youtube.com has got a number of responses worldwide. One youtube member wrote on a comment below the video saying, "he is talking about gay people and gay marriage ... kind of a secret message. But c'mon, who would care that Akon is going out with a fine girl - it's talking about no one wants to see us together like a gay couple, no one wants to see them ... and fight for your rights is gay marriage."

Youtube and yahoomusic.com are not the only sites where people are speaking out on the issue. On www.hisstroy1.blogspot.com, one man predicted that the song will be the new theme song for the gay-marriage movement.

Black and white issue

According to one blogger on the same site, the song has reached gay communities in the Caribbean. "I was in the Bahamas a few weeks ago and I heard the song for the first time at a gay club there. I was just standing there, listening to the lyrics and looking at the same-sex couples on the dancefloor."

However, despite the song's association with gays, several other fans are defending the artiste. One young female commented that she identified with the song because she is white and her boyfriend is black and they had to fight all the obstacles and opinions of persons on inter-racial relationships.

Efforts to contact Akon or his management team via telephone or email proved futile up to press time.

Don't Matter is the third release from Akon's double platinum-selling second CD Konvicted. The song was released as a single in January and skyrocketed to the number one position on the Billboard's Hot 100 chart as well as the number one position on the Billboard's Pop 100 charts.