Stop the music

Peter Tatchell

Thursday, 20 November 2008

The Home Secretary has granted a visa and work permit to a Jamaican singer who incites the murder of gay people. Although inciting murder is a serious criminal offence, Jacqui Smith is giving Bounty Killer (Rodney Price) permission to perform at a concert in east London this Sunday (23rd).

Bounty Killer was banned from Guyana earlier this year, but the British government says he is welcome to sing in the UK. A white racist singer who advocated the killing of black people would be refused entry to Britain. Why the double standards? This singer encourages and glorifies gang violence. At a time when so many young people have been murdered in gang-related gun and knife crime, it is reckless and obscene for the Home Secretary to give Bounty Killer a visa and work permit.

Rewarding maladjusted thugs who incite violence sends the wrong signal. Mr Killer helps reinforce and legitimate gang violence by encouraging, glorifying and celebrating the killing of gay people. His negative impact goes way beyond the gay community. He psyches up a whole generation to see hatred and violence as cool and street cred.

For the sake of parents whose sons have been murdered in gang attacks, it is time we closed the door on Bounty Killer and similar murder music singers.Watch this video of a Bounty Killer concert, where he openly incites the crowd: "Faggot, I kill every one of them":
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wTIXAToY3f8

I have written to the Home Secretary, setting out six reasons why she should revoke Bounty Killer's visa and work permit. Murder music fuels the culture of violence that has claimed the lives of dozens of black teenagers. Instead of speaking out, black MPs sit on their hands and say nothing. They don't condemn singers like Bounty Killer who encourage straight black men to murder gay black men, and who incite a culture of violence that fuels gang warfare and has resulted in the killing of more than 20 black youths in London this year.

Request the Met Commissioner to halt Bounty Killer's concert on the grounds that it threatens public order and community cohesion by emailing

Please stress that the issue is not offensive homophobic language, but incitement to murder LGBT people, which is a criminal offence.