<% IssueDate = "11/10/03" IssueCategory = "World" %>

World

British Police Agree that Reggae Hate Lyrics are Criminal Compiled by GayToday National Gay and Lesbian Task Force

Elephant Man is one of the reggae stars that OutRage! says is spewing hatred against gays in their lyrics London, U.K.--Three top Jamaican reggae artists whose songs advocate the murder of gay people are committing a crime, and people who promote and distribute their songs are aiding and abetting criminal offences. This is the conclusion of the police officer in charge of investigating the prosecution bid by the queer human rights group, OutRage! Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll of the Diversity Directorate at New Scotland Yard has told OutRage!: "The transcript of the CD, in my opinion, does show offences". The three singers under investigation are Elephant Man, Bounty Killer and Beenie Man. Their songs variously urge the shooting, burning and drowning of gay people. All three singers are Jamaican but their records are distributed in the U.K., U.S. and other countries. They have a large following among reggae fans world wide. Driscoll is now seeking the agreement of the Crown Prosecution Service to take action against not only the singers and their record companies, but also against high street record stores HMV and Virgin, BBC Radio 1Xtra, and the BBC and Amazon websites. He says they are distributing and promoting CDs inciting homophobic violence and murder. Driscoll is also considering the possibility of liaising with the Jamaican police and government over legal action in Jamaica against the singers and their Jamaican-based record companies. Driscoll agrees with OutRage! that charges could be bought in Britain under the Public Order Act 1986, the common law offences of incitement and conspiracy to murder, and under the solicitation to murder clause of the Offences Against The Person Act 1861. His conclusion follows a five-week police investigation, which involved purchasing sample copies of the violence-inciting songs from retailers, and downloading excerpts of the songs from websites. Sample CDs were purchased from HMV in Tottenham Court Road and from the Virgin store in Bromley. On police instruction, the CD lyrics have been translated from Jamaican patois to standard English by an independent linguistic expert. The translations confirm the lyrics advocate extreme homophobic violence and murder - including the shooting, burning and drowning of gay people. "We hope the Crown Prosecution Service will back the police and authorize prosecutions," said Peter Tatchell of OutRage! "It is disturbing that the CPS recently postponed a meeting with senior police officers to discuss the case. There is no excuse for delay. The gay community has every right to expect swift and effective justice".

For More ... Related Stories 3 Reggae Stars Accused of Inciting the Murders of Gay Citizens Jamaican Gay Group Says Reggae Hate Lyrics Causing Murders Jamaican Churches Decry Village Peoples' Arrival Related Sites OutRage! Reggae stars accused of inciting the murder of gay people

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