06/23/2008
State Dept. Denies Boy George a Visa
Boy George, who was planning a summer concert tour and a free show for the New York Department of Sanitation, with whom he swept the streets as his punishment for cocaine possession back in 2006, has been denied a visa from the State Dept.
"I'm pretty devastated because I am so excited about this forthcoming tour and having my visa application denied seems unfair after I swept the streets of New York spotless. There are a number of public figures who are openly using drugs and they have no problem with immigration and I have seriously turned my life around and I feel great right now and this is just another reminder of how bad things were. I committed a crime and I happily paid the consequences and I should be allowed to move on and get on with what I do best and that is performing and making people people dance and cry!"
The IHT reports: "His managers said in a statement Monday that the visa denial was not because of his past brush with the law in the U.S. but was because he is awaiting trial in London."
George has also penned a song for Barack Obama, which you can listen to at Paper as well called "Yes, We Can".
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 3:40 PM EST by Andy in Barack Obama, Boy George, Music, New York, News | Permalink
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I'm hoping that this can all be worked out by the time he's scheduled to come over for the Today Show.
Love his new song too, wish the whol version would show up instead of a snippet.
Posted by: Nick | Jun 23, 2008 3:48:21 PM
And Naomi Campbell can come into the country?
Posted by: Br!on | Jun 23, 2008 3:57:21 PM
What were the reasons given as to why he was denied a Visa. It sounds like someone in the department doesn't like him. This is very scary that someone like that has so much power. Not as scary as George Bush, but close to it.
Posted by: Dan | Jun 23, 2008 4:03:00 PM
And Naomi Campbell can come into the country? Ha! Keith Richards just came in.
Hope Alison Moyet can come in for the Yaz shows as she was denied when she was solo.
Posted by: Br!on | Jun 23, 2008 4:03:32 PM
NICK, I hope so too. I love George's music, past and present. His songs make me want to dance!
He's also one of the few artists who was never covert about his sexual orientation and spoke for gay rights on numerous occasions, during an era when it was okay to be flamboyant but even the most flamboyant fags were pretending to be straight.
I think his visa denial and the sentences given for his crimes, while other celebrities get off, is proof that there's still a lot of prejudice against people who are "too" gay.
Posted by: sparks | Jun 23, 2008 4:04:49 PM
a case of "turn about is fair play" since Great Britain refused to give Martha Stewart a visa to enter the UK last week?
i'm sure England is afraid Martha would never leave.
truthfully, i'd rather listen to Boy George than MS...
Posted by: mike/ | Jun 23, 2008 4:09:33 PM
Customs? Maybe he tried to smuggle illegal drugs or something. It's Immigration who issues Visas.
Posted by: INS | Jun 23, 2008 4:14:19 PM
i think martha stewart and boy george should do an album together and donate the proceeds to some immigration rights group...
Posted by: the queen | Jun 23, 2008 4:43:48 PM
Didn't he also hire a prostitute and then tie him up in his apartment and torture him. Was he convicted of that? Sounds to me that this was paid for McCain for President .
Posted by: Anon | Jun 23, 2008 5:01:57 PM
They don't have to tell you why you've been denied. It seems pretty clear though that he would be denied a visa because of his criminal record in the US. Politicians won't be doing any favors (i.e., writing the laws to be favorable) for foreigners who have been convicted of a crime.
Posted by: Jeff | Jun 23, 2008 5:33:05 PM
Kate Moss was able to come back without any issues. It should be fair for everyone! U.S Customs will deny anyone who is HIV positive to enter the country...what happened to our country?????
Posted by: Steven | Jun 24, 2008 1:08:16 AM
Immigration Services and the Department of State, not Customs
Posted by: Mike | Jun 24, 2008 2:40:25 AM
If Boy George was straight, do you think he would have been allowed in the U.S.? Expect a lot more of this if John McCain gets elected.
Posted by: Norm | Jun 28, 2008 7:47:39 PM
Boy George never denied being gay? Huh? I remember him saying that he prefers a cup of tea to having sex, talking about his girlfriends and saying that he is bisexual. He also spoke out against drug use.
I hope that he finds happiness and realizes that a relationship does not have to be based on victimization. You don't have to do acrobatics, accept violence, or hide your life like a chameleon. Some may say that you can't control whom you love, but I disagree. I think that it is homophobic to be in relationships with "straight men" whom "come and go" but don't show you love and respect. I hope he has learned to move away from such relationships, but I don't think it is right for him to really try and hurt a prostitute.
Posted by: ChuckfromPA | Jun 29, 2008 11:12:51 AM
I don't see George as a victim. He had a relationship with another gay man but that didn't work out either. Maybe the problem is him, not the other guy. I think George is a very selfish person who doesn't show his partners love and respect.
Posted by: Tommy | Jul 1, 2008 1:13:04 PM
George said he would prefer the men to come and go. He doesn't want to get married to a guy because then if they broke up the other guy would get half of his money. That just shows how selfish he is.
Posted by: Tommy | Jul 17, 2008 2:31:16 PM