The Ugandan musician and pop star
was recently denied a visa from the UK. Gay rights campaigners in the UK have petitioned to bar Wine from entering the country because of his homophobic song lyrics that incite violence. Wine’s songs encourage violence against homosexuals. Because of his very public homophobic stance, Wine will not be allowed to visit or perform in the UK.
Cultures at Odds
In Wine’s homeland of Uganda, homosexuals recently faced life imprisonment for their sexual orientation. The law for life imprisonment has been overturned; however, homosexuality is still viewed as a crime in Uganda. Wine’s lyrics do not mince words. His lyrics encourage Ugandans to fight and even kill homosexuals. In the UK, of course, anti-gay feeling is not to be tolerated. A 2008 UK government act forbids violence against anyone on the grounds of their sexual orientation. The UK Home Office, however, will not comment about Wine’s specific case. The case, however, calls attention to the cultural differences between the two nations.
Canceled Gigs
Wine was scheduled to play in London as well as Birmingham. He has been forced to cancel those gigs. Wine has spoken publically about his anti-gay feeling. He is unapologetic for his stance and cites that he is not in the minority concerning his feelings in his homeland. In Uganda, there have been calls to hang gay people. While Wine has not incited violence against homosexuals when speaking publically, his lyrics tell another story. Ultimately, it was those lyrics that will prevent him from seeing Big Ben in person.
A Matter of Opinion
Although Wine has been criticized by human rights groups for his anti-gay stance, he has asked them to allow him his right to his own opinions. Wine is well known for his stance, which has prompted some to question his regard for his own gay fans. Wine has not addressed that question and, of course, it remains improbable that he has any considering his views. Fans of Wine don’t think that his opinions will impede his career even though he can’t appear in the UK. In fact, when the stars songs were previously banned in his home country for their explicit lyrics about life in the ghetto, his popularity only increased.
Ghetto President
Wine has referred to himself as a “ghetto president,” which is a blatant reference to his youth spent growing up the ghettos of Uganda. He understands poverty to the core, which is one reason why fans flock to him. He understands the plight of the people. Many of his lyrics can be uplifting; however, he certainly doesn’t shy away from controversial stances. In fact, he has stated that at least he is free in his homeland to express himself as he chooses.
UK fans of Wine will not be able to see the artist perform live – at least not in the UK. The denial of Wine’s visa lends strength to the 2008 act. It is likely that other artists that take a stand against gays publically will not be invited into the UK either. — See more at: http://www.gnd.com/homophobic-pop-star-denied-uk-visa.php?ref=ob&ad_id=29992534#sthash.USkQhgoA.dpuf