'Shout down homophobia', urges Elton

Sir Elton John has urged the public to stand up and speak out against homophobia, on the eve of his 60th birthday.

In an article published in the New Statesman to mark his commitment to human rights, Sir Elton, called on people to "shout down" the abuse faced by many across the world.

He said: "In December 2005 I was legally bound to the man I love. It's my legal right and my human right. And I wanted everyone to know, I wanted to shout about it.

"In some countries, my voice would have been drowned out. Maybe even stamped out.

"In some European countries the bigots have a loud voice. Pride marches are banned in some east European cities.

"Men and women are persecuted and attacked every day all over the world, just because of who they love and who they make love to."

Sir Elton, who reaches his landmark birthday this weekend, drew particular attention to the case of William Hernandez, a gay rights activist from El Salvador.

Hernandez was threatened at gunpoint and had his offices raided last year after his organisation, Entre Amigos, campaigned against moves to amend the constitution to formally prevent gay marriage.

Sir Elton said: "I want to shine a spotlight on William Hernandez and the many, many individuals who stand up for human rights around the world, at great risk to their personal safety.

"People like William are a lot braver than me. When the bigots shout abuse, they shout back.

"My voice has served me pretty well over the years; I hope maybe it can do him some good too. But we need more voices.

"Whether the bigot is in our local pub or a thousand miles away, we should all stand up and speak out for these basic human rights."

The singer called for people to join Amnesty International's campaign to ensure the safety of Hernandez, and others like him.

He was writing for the New Statesman's monthly column, in association with Amnesty International, called It Could Have Been Me, in which high-profile UK figures highlight Amnesty cases.

:: To join the campaign visit www.amnesty.org.uk/william.