Elton John Urges
Fight Against Homophobia
By REUTERS from the
NYTimes on the Web, March 22, 2007
LONDON, Mar. 21 -- Elton John
has paid tribute to gay rights campaigners and urged others around the world to
"stand up and speak out" against homophobia.
The British singer, who tied the knot with long-term partner David Furnish in a
civil ceremony, said people must stand up for the human rights of homosexuals.
"In December 2005, I was legally bound to the man I love," he wrote in the New
Statesman magazine. "It's my legal right and my human right. And I
wanted everyone to know, I wanted to shout about it.
"In some countries, my voice would have been drowned out. Maybe even
stamped out.
"Men and women are persecuted and attacked every day all over the world, just
because of who they love and who they make love to."
The singer, who celebrates his 60th birthday on Sunday, paid tribute to William
Hernandez, a gay rights campaigner in El Salvador.
Amnesty International says Hernandez and others in his organization Entre Amigos
(Between Friends) have received death threats for their work.
"People like William are a lot braver than me. When the bigots shout
abuse, they shout back," the singer wrote.
"My voice has served me pretty well over the years. I hope maybe it can do
him some good too. But we need more voices.
"Whether the bigot is in our local pub or a thousand miles away, we should all
stand up and speak out for these basic human rights."
The article was for a column in the magazine in which well-known public figures
highlight Amnesty cases.
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