UK lifts travel ban on Ugandan opposition leader over anti-gay song lyrics
The U.K. has lifted a travel ban on Robert Kyagulanyi, a renowned Ugandan rapper known as Bobi Wine who has become the leader of the country’s opposition, over a 2014 song with homophobic lyrics.
Wine on Sunday confirmed the British government’s decision after about 10 years of being banned from his controversial anti-gay lyrics perceived to incite homophobic attacks against individuals he referred to as “battymen.” “I am very glad to inform you that the ban against me from entering the U.K.
has finally been overturned, and I will soon be visiting the U.K. after more than 10 years,” he said. The homophobic lyrics the LGBTQ rights groups cited in petitioning the British government to ban him from traveling to the U.K.
were: “Fire will burn the batty man. Burn all the batty man. All Ugandans get behind me and fight the batty man.” LGBTQ rights activists in a petition they launched in July 2014 on Change.org demanded the British Home Office “immediately” deny Wine’s entry into the country and cancel his concerts in London and Birmingham.
