BBC Website Asks Whether Gays Should Be Executed, British Homophobic Murderer Sentenced To Life, Sexual Assaults Within The LGBT Community

The BBC website Wednesday, according to the Guardian, asked users “should homosexuals face execution?” Posted on the BBC News premoderated talkboard, the thread was intended to stimulate discussion ahead of the latest Africa Have Your Say program, and the post explained “yes, we accept it is a stark and disturbing question, but this is the reality behind an anti-homosexuality bill being debated Friday by the Ugandan parliament, which would see some homosexual offences punishable by death.” The problem, naturally, was the preponderance of comments were from British citizens and they were mostly, if not all, horrifically homophobic, including one from Aaron in Freetown, who wrote “Bravo to the Ugandans for this wise decision, bright step in eliminating this menace from your society. We hope other African nations will also follow your bold step.” The Africa Have Your Say program aired at 4:00 PM, and 5:30 PM the headline of the discussion thread had been changed to “should Uganda debate gay execution.”

David Kilcullen, the 46 year old convicted of murder and attempted murder, after an attack this past March on an elderly gay couple, was sentenced today to life in prison, receiving a sentence of at least 32 years. The infirmed 59 year old Gerald Edwards was the target of the attack, Kilcullen intent on robbing the man and then killing him, but Edwards’ partner Chris Bevan, 56 years old was also at home, and Kilcullen attempted to kill him too. In sentencing, Judge Brian Baker, according to the report from the United Kingdom Press Association, said that “there was at least an undercurrent of homophobic attitude” to the attacks, telling Kilcullen “you showed no mercy to your victims and your behaviour that night defies belief. They were vulnerable and you knew it. You saw an opportunity to extort money and thought you had found an easy target.”

Police in Lancashire, England continue their work with a campaign meant to raise awareness that sexual assaults in the gay, lesbian, and transgendered community are often not reported, with only two being reporting in more than a year period. The BBC quotes Detective Inspector Sue Cawley, of the Lancashire Police as saying “confidence in reporting sexual offences in the LGBT community seems to be low and we want to make sure that all members of the community feel comfortable reporting this type of horrific crime. We have a team of specially trained officers to support victims of rape and we want to make sure that members of the LGBT community have the information that they need to report such crime.”