Wie Einst, Lili Marleen: Songs The BBC Banned

I ran across a mention, a couple of days ago, of the fact that it was Jane Birkin's birthday. You know, her that is famous (or infamous, depending on your point of view) for the 1969 UK number-one hit, Je T'aime … Moi Non Plus, along with her lover (and writer of the piece) Serge Gainsbourg. It's not a song I'm particularly fond of (not because of the risqué content; I just find it boring), but it did give me an idea for a post. Which I then failed to produce in a timely fashion. Ho-hum.

So here, is a post, two days too late for the event I wished to tie it to, about songs which have been banned by the BBC.

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Petition: Stop Imminent Deportation Of Gay Asylum Seeker (Jimmy Kyesswa) To Uganda

From change.org:

The UK government are about to deport Jimmy Kyesswa, a gay Ugandan man, back to his death.

A flight was booked for 5.25pm on Monday, 5 December 2016. An attempt was made to take him to the airport. Whilst on the road the guards received a number of telephone calls. There was some confusion and he was returned to Harmondsworth Immigration Removal Centre.

Another attempt to deport him could happen at any moment.

Jimmy was detained on 5 September 2016 when he went to sign at Dallas Court Immigration Reporting Centre, Manchester; even though he has an appointment previously given to him by the Home Office to bring further submissions for his case to Liverpool on 9 September. He had no time to exercise his right. He was then immediately detained and taken to Morton Hall Immigration Removal Centre in Lincolnshire. His solicitor made further representations, which were rejected by the Home Office.

Despite Jimmy being in a subsisting same sex relationship with his boyfriend, Cyrille, the Home Office has refused to accept that he is a gay man. Jimmy came to the UK in January 2005 after suffering mistreatment in Uganda based on his sexuality.

Jimmy had hot water poured on him after being discovered with a man. The situation in Uganda is well known where gay people face persecution on a daily basis, such as mob violence, imprisonment and even death.

Jimmy is also involved with a number of LGBT organisations and has a high profile on the internet including Facebook. He has attended several LGBT events around the UK to campaign for LGBT rights and for the rights of gay people in Uganda.

If deported, Jimmy would lose his relationship with his boyfriend, his community in Manchester and would have to try to avoid persecution by living in hiding. We fear that he would be discovered and killed by homophobic mobs.

We are asking that supporters sign the petition to stop the deportation and release him from detention. Please spread the word to as many friends and family as urgent action is required.

Please consider signing this petition.
—Daz

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