Sign petition against hate crime

Last week while I was away in Devon the Green party used the 40th anniversary of the Decriminalisation of Homosexuality to call again for tighter and tougher legislation against homophobic hate crime, and bring the current laws into line with racially and religiously motivated hate crime.

Photo: Rainbow flag flies on Sub Rooms last weekend for Gloucestershire Rainbow Day (see 'Label' below to see previous posts)

Green Parliamentary candidate for Oxford East and Human Rights campaigner Peter Tatchell commented on the campaign: "Inciting racism is a crime, but inciting homophobia and transphobia is not a crime. Why the double standards? All incitements of hatred should be treated with the same zero tolerance. The encouragement of prejudice is the gateway to discrimination, harassment and violence. It lays the psychological foundation for serious, harmful criminal acts. The current laws are clearly inadequate. The police and Crown Prosecution Service have repeatedly failed to prosecute homophobic singers and clerics, even when they advocate, encourage and glorify queer-bashing violence and murder. They would never take such a hands- off approach to hate-mongers who incite violence against black people. The police are seriously failing the LGBT community."

It was the horrific murders of Jody Dubrowski (who went to school in Stroud) in Clapham and David Morley on London’s South Bank in 2005 that woke many of us up to the need for more serious action to tackle - the Green Party established a campaign for specific homophobic hate crime legislation as one of the strongest legal routes to establish more fairness. Indeed in the trial of Dubrowski's murderers they had to be sentenced on the grounds of ‘hostility based on sexual orientation’ as an aggravating factor, as the judge was unable to throw the book at their homophobia as the /actual/ reason for the attack.

Sign petition now

The Home Secretary, Jacqui Smith, replied positively to a back bencher question on this subject in July - with more pressure we could have the positive legislation that we need and deserve. Sign the petition now:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/LGBT-Hate-Crime/

It was also back in 2005 that Greens and others sought the removal of music from stores and more that incites the murder of lesbians, gay, bisexual and transgender people (LGBT) and other groups including women. This so-called "murder music" singers, include Bounty Killer, Elephant Man, TOK, Capleton, Beenie Man, Sizzla Kalonji, Buju Banton and Vybz Kartel, who have been seen as glorifying the killing of lesbian and gay people. Download the homophobic "murder music" lyrics here.

Songs like Boom Bye Bye (In a Batty Boy's Head) are offensive not just to gay people but to anyone who values the basic human right to pursue a chosen lifestyle without fear. If these songs had advocated violence against black people they would quite rightly be illegal. It's important that we make it clear that the persecution of any minority is completely unacceptable. Gay, lesbian and bisexual people - and other groups who are targeted such as women - deserve the same rights to protection as racial groups do.

Freedom of speech doesn't extend to inciting murder

The campaign is continuing. Watch here. Peter Tatchell writes:

Eight leading Jamaican reggae /dancehall stars, including Buju Banton and Beenie Man, have sung songs openly advocating, encouraging and glorifying the murder of queers. Are these artists merely reflecting homophobia or helping create it? Many gay and straight Jamaicans argue that lyrics urging the killing of queers may not create homophobia but they certainly help legitimate and encourage it. When homophobic violence is extolled by big-name reggae super stars it fuels and reinforces anti-gay hatred. It encourages some young men to believe that it is cool and acceptable to bash lesbian and gay people. These murder music lyrics stir up homophobic hatred and violence, in the same way that the BNP's racist incitements stir up racial hatred and violence.

Can it ever be acceptable or legitimate to subject other people to violent threats and intimidation? Are homophobic incitements any less worthy of condemnation than racist ones? Critics of the Stop Murder Music campaign claim it is an attack on freedom of expression. They protest: what about free speech? But since when has free speech included the right to incite the murder of other human beings? Do the defenders of homophobic murder music also defend the right of white racists to incite the murder of black people? No, of course, they don't. They rightly condemn even the slightest prejudice against the black community.

So why the double standards when it comes to homophobic bigotry? The murder music singers are not the only culprits. The Jamaican government and police are notorious for their inaction against homophobic violence. According to Jamaican law, inciting violence and murder is a criminal offence. Why aren't these artists being prosecuted? Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch report that homophobic violence is a major problem in Jamaica. This is corroborated by Jamaican human rights groups such as Jamaicans for Justice, Families Against State Terrorism, Jamaica AIDS Support, and the Independent Jamaica Council for Human Rights. All these respected bodies accuse the Jamaican government and police of colluding with queer-bashing attacks, and of failing to protect the gay victims of mob violence.

Ending murder music will not, of itself, end anti-gay violence. But it can contribute to deescalating the culture of homophobia that is terrorising lesbian and gay Jamaicans and wrecking their lives.

Apparently followers of Jamaican reggae were said to have taken out a contract on Peter Tatchells' life after he called for the banning of 'murder music'. He had police protection for a while but recent renewed death threats have left Tatchell critical of police lack of action.