NEW YORK (AP) – Organizers and opponents of a reggae concert canceled because it was to feature performers with a history of anti-gay lyrics found common ground July 13, with both sides agreeing they wanted to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean-American community.

At a Manhattan news conference, opponents of the Reggae Gold Live concert said canceling the July 18 show at Webster Hall was not enough. And the show’s apologetic organizer, LIFEbeat – The Music Industry Fights AIDS, said in a statement that it was committed to the cause of fighting AIDS, particularly in the Caribbean-American community.

“Over the next few weeks, we will be reaching out to key members of the Caribbean-American community and to AIDS organizations to join together in creating an appropriate forum,” said John Cannelli, executive director of LIFEbeat.

Colin Robinson, of the gay rights group Caribbean Rainbow Coalition, said those angered by the concert featuring dancehall artist Beenie Man and the group T.O.K. were willing to meet with LIFEbeat and find another way to address the AIDS problem.

“LIFEbeat needs partners who know the Caribbean-American community, the HIV epidemic and the way stigma and silence work,” Robinson said. “They need our help in understanding how to bring attention to this unspoken and often stigmatized illness. We are here and willing.”

The show was canceled July 12 amid protests from gay activists and bloggers upset by the inclusion of the two performers. Cannelli said his group was inundated with calls, including some threatening violence, if the show went on with Beenie Man and T.O.K.

He said the threats came from random callers, rather than anyone involved in the protest against the show.

The issue of anti-gay lyrics in reggae and other Jamaican music surfaced years ago when Buju Banton released “Batty Rider” and “Boom Bye Bye,” which glorify the shooting of gay men.

Earlier this month, British concerts featuring Banton and Beenie Man were canceled after activists said the artists refused to stop using anti-gay lyrics.

The Beenie Man song “Han Up Deh” calls for a lesbian to be hanged, while T.O.K’s song “Chi Chi Man” suggests the burning of gay men.

The Caribbean-American activists suggested another New York concert be staged, with the money raised going to the Jamaican Forum for Lesbians, AllSexuals and Gays.