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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Uganda jails British producer of play about homosexuality | Uganda jails British producer of play about homosexuality |
| (7 months later) | |
| The British producer of a play about being gay in Uganda is in jail pending trial on charges that he had the work performed without official authorisation. | The British producer of a play about being gay in Uganda is in jail pending trial on charges that he had the work performed without official authorisation. |
| David Cecil appeared in court on Thursday charged with "disobeying lawful orders" from the Uganda Media Council, which says he staged The River and the Mountain in Uganda's capital last month despite being ordered not to. | David Cecil appeared in court on Thursday charged with "disobeying lawful orders" from the Uganda Media Council, which says he staged The River and the Mountain in Uganda's capital last month despite being ordered not to. |
| Cecil's lawyer, Francis Onyango, said his client was not released on bail because his passport, wanted by the magistrate, had been confiscated by the police. | Cecil's lawyer, Francis Onyango, said his client was not released on bail because his passport, wanted by the magistrate, had been confiscated by the police. |
| Cecil told the Associated Press that the play, whose main character is a gay businessman who gets killed by his own employees, was performed eight times at little-known theatres in Kampala last month. The play was praised by gay rights activists who said it was "revolutionary" in the way it provoked an examination of common thinking about gay people. But the play failed to make it to Uganda's national theatre, where producers rejected the script. | Cecil told the Associated Press that the play, whose main character is a gay businessman who gets killed by his own employees, was performed eight times at little-known theatres in Kampala last month. The play was praised by gay rights activists who said it was "revolutionary" in the way it provoked an examination of common thinking about gay people. But the play failed to make it to Uganda's national theatre, where producers rejected the script. |
| Homosexuals are highly stigmatised in Uganda. In 2010 a ruling party politician introduced a bill proposing the death penalty for what he called "aggravated homosexuality". The bill, which is now in committee, has been condemned by some world leaders. The bill's author says he still believes it will be passed one day. | Homosexuals are highly stigmatised in Uganda. In 2010 a ruling party politician introduced a bill proposing the death penalty for what he called "aggravated homosexuality". The bill, which is now in committee, has been condemned by some world leaders. The bill's author says he still believes it will be passed one day. |
| Cecil, who faces two years in jail if convicted, said he was singled out for legal action because he had become the play's public face – the man who printed posters and sent out invitations. The play was written by a British poetry student named Beau Hopkins, who has not been targeted by the police. | Cecil, who faces two years in jail if convicted, said he was singled out for legal action because he had become the play's public face – the man who printed posters and sent out invitations. The play was written by a British poetry student named Beau Hopkins, who has not been targeted by the police. |
| The play took a tragicomic view of gay life in Uganda; its playwright and producers said that was the best way to look at things. The play's main character is a young businessman who loses friends and then gets murdered, the victim of machete-wielding colleagues stunned that "a good man" could be gay. The gay character's mother stages an epic but losing battle to "cure" him of his homosexuality, taking him to everyone from a Christian pastor to a stripper. | The play took a tragicomic view of gay life in Uganda; its playwright and producers said that was the best way to look at things. The play's main character is a young businessman who loses friends and then gets murdered, the victim of machete-wielding colleagues stunned that "a good man" could be gay. The gay character's mother stages an epic but losing battle to "cure" him of his homosexuality, taking him to everyone from a Christian pastor to a stripper. |
| Cecil said at the play's premiere in Kampala that he did not believe the drama was "a magic pill" against raging homophobia in the east African country. | Cecil said at the play's premiere in Kampala that he did not believe the drama was "a magic pill" against raging homophobia in the east African country. |
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