The Observer’s Barbara Ellen offered a different point of view on the BBC’s ‘Should homosexuals face execution?’ / Uganda talkboard controversy over the weekend, arguing “not only was the BBC absolutely right to highlight this debate, it would have been ethically wrong for it not to”. An extract:
(…) Just as wearying were the well-meaning, liberal hand-twisters, squealing about how the BBC debate was “sick”, “unnecessary” and how upset they were. Liliane Landor, acting head of the Africa region for the World Service, responded that a stark approach was required to reflect the stark reality of the bill and she was right.
However jarring these debates are, they need to happen, in the case of gay Africans, as loudly as possible, for they have no voice.
People seem worried that even airing ugly ideas lends them legitimacy but, happily, the BNP’s Nick Griffin proved otherwise on Question Time. So yes, an unpleasant question, but perhaps we should be on our guard that squeamishness does not become a western luxury that others, less fortunate, end up paying for.
The Uganda bill is a private members bill not a government bill. In any democracy, a private member can bring up a bill. People who advocate for “no debate” are the ones trumping upon democracy and driving people to extra-judicial methods. Like genocide
“People seem worried that even airing ugly ideas lends them legitimacy but, happily, the BNP’s Nick Griffin proved otherwise on Question Time. So yes, an unpleasant question, but perhaps we should be on our guard that squeamishness does not become a western luxury that others, less fortunate, end up paying for.”
People need to wake up to reality……Unfortunately Nick Griffin’s appearance on Question Time was a victory for his party, he made the other politicians look like amateurs and on a opinion poll clocked up 22% of the electorate.
Barbara Ellen has missed the point entirely. The debate can be had, and no one at the BBC Africa service or with half a brain anywhere else seemed to dispute that. The problem was the headline question: Should homosexuals be executed. Ms Ellen obviously banged out her blog/Cif post without thinking or doing her research properly. And perhaps she should have reflected on the reality, for example, for gays and lesbians in countries like South Africa, where they are regularly brutally tortured and killed. It has been shown that when racists or homophobics are given too much publicity, that attacks on those groups of people increase.
The idea that she is defending Joes is, frankly, ridiculous at best, and dangerous at worst.