Against The Law To Be Blonde?
Can you imagine a world where it was illegal to be blonde? Or if there was a law that would criminalize blue eyes? Or make being taller than 5’10” illegal?
It would surly be a horrendous world to contemplate, yet it is these questions that a wonderful gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender charity, The Kaleidoscope Trust are asking in a brand new video campaign called ‘Imagine if it were illegal for you to be you?’
The new campaign was only launched last Wednesday by actor, singer, dancer and all round showman, John Barrowman, but already the video on YouTube has amassed over 50,000 views. The video is relatively short, running for just one and a half minutes, yet despite its length, it really packs a hard punch. “blonde pig” and “blue eyed bitch” are just a couple of the abusive terms used on screen, along with the commonly heard “disgusting” and “it’s not normal”. How those words echo around my head, words that most gay people have experienced being directed at them. The hard hitting film comes to a conclusion with the foreboding sounds of physical violence as the police raid a man’s house.
“It should never be a crime to be gay.” we’re told at the end, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton used those exact words in a speech delivered last December. She is correct of course, it shouldn’t be a crime to be gay, but in 78 countries around the world being gay is illegal. In 5 of those countries, Iran, Sudan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, and Mauritania they still have a maximum sentence of death for being gay. Homosexual acts are also punishable by death in some parts of Somalia and Nigeria whilst other countries around the world continue to legislate against gay people.
“This video brings home very vividly how it must feel to be singled out and abused just for being who you are. And the statistics are chilling. Many people will be shocked to hear that 78 countries around the world still criminalise homosexuality and that in five cases the maximum penalty is death.” Jeremy Browne, the UK’s Foreign Office minister for human rights said. Many celebrates have also praised the video including Stephen Fry, Boy George and Elton John.
The Kaleidoscope Trust is a charity organisation founded last September to promote diversity and to challenge the discrimination and persecution of all LGBT people around the world.
Hanged for being gay in Iran.
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