Boy George rejected by Hare Krishnas for being gay

By Ramsey Dehani • July 27, 2009 - 17:14

Pop star Boy George has been blocked from becoming a fully-fledged member of the Hare Krishna movement because of his sexuality.

George was publicly a Hare Krishna follower during the eighties, when he was the lead singer of Culture Club, but was told by friends that he had to marry a woman in order to become a fully fledged member of the movement.

The troubled star, who has battled drug and alcohol problems and recently spent time in prison for falsely imprisoning a rent boy, was said to be "pretty upset".

Hare Krishna member Marianne Elliot-Said, better known as Poly Styrene of punk band X-Ray Spex, told ANI: "George never became a practising Hare Krishna. He was interested but they told him he couldn’t also be a practising homosexual."

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness says it accepts gay people, but they have to be celibate or get married to a woman and have Krishna-following children.

This is in line with the beliefs of the Hare Krishna movement which states that sex and desire are not conducive to a spiritual existence and one should only have sex in order to reproduce.

However, some leaders of the movement, such as Hridayananda dasa Goswami, openly accept and support homosexuality and same-sex relationships.

Goswami gave his blessings in 2008 in a ceremony for a gay couple in Los Angeles. According to Chakra, the Hare Krishna publication, he said: "Our love for each other is a reflection of God's love for us. Thus, the perfection of every relationship is to see God in each other."

PINK PAPER July 27, 2009  http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-13446.html

Celeb pals helped me survive prison

Scan taken from http://boygeorgeuk.com/ 

Boy George has told how he survived in prison with help from his superstar pals.He said: "Elton John offered me love and support from both himself and David [Furnish]. He also sent me a lovely music player.

"Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Antony Hegarty and Holly Johnson wrote to me too. "The only time I got too emotional in prison was when I got letters from friends. People that beforehand I wouldn't have thought I could rely on. It was humbling."

The singer - real name George O'Dowd - was jailed for 15 months after a row with male escort Auden Carlsen.George, 48, who has since been released, but is still on licence, said: "I'm a prisoner in my own home. When the tag comes off, I've got another six to 12 months in which I can't leave the country."

He went on: "Prison is as bad as you want it to be. In a way, it was quite nice to have a routine."

http://www.mirror.co.uk/celebs/news/2009/07/27/boy-george-celeb-pals-helped-me-survive-prison-115875-21550599/

BOY GEORGE REUNITED WITH PAL ELTON AFTER PRISON GIFT

BOY GEORGE has patcheD up his turbulent friendship with SIR ELTON JOHN after the ROCKET MAN star sent him a music player while he was locked up in jail.
The former Culture Club frontman was sentenced to 15 months for assault and false imprisonment over his attack on a male escort in 2007.
He was released on parole in May (09), and insists he used his stint behind bars productively - by making up with old pals.
And he was especially touched when superstar John wrote to him and sent him a gift, as he had fallen out with the singer after he called him a "humourless grand old dame" to the press.
He tells Britain's Sunday Express, “Elton offered me love and support from both himself and David (Furnish). He also sent me a lovely 
“Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Antony Hegarty and Holly Johnson wrote to me too. The only time I got emotional in prison was when I got letters from friends. People that beforehand I wouldn’t have thought I could rely on. It was really humbling.
“I did have a falling out with Elton a few years ago because I was being a b**ch but we made up and we’re really good friends again.”

26 July 2009 14:20 http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/boy-george-reunited-with-pal-elton-after-prison-gift_1110855

Boy George is ready to perform for the inmates

Sunday July 26,2009
Sunday Express - By Charlotte Heathchote

IN his first interview since leaving prison, Boy George says he can’t wait to get back inside… to perform for inmates. Planning to tour as soon as his electronic tag is removed, he told his management: “If you get a gig in a prison, I’ll turn up.”

The singer also tells how a letter from Elton John helped him cope with his four-month stint behind bars after he was convicted of falsely imprisoning a male escort.

“Elton offered me love and support from both himself and David [Furnish]. He also sent me a lovely music player.

“Stephen Fry, Matt Lucas, Antony Hegarty and Holly Johnson wrote to me too. The only time I got emotional in prison was when I got letters from friends. People that beforehand I wouldn’t have thought I could rely on. It was really humbling.

“I did have a falling out with Elton a few years ago because I was being a bitch [George called him “a humourless grand old dame”] but we made up and we’re really good friends again.”

Boy George, real name George O’Dowd, now wears an electronic tag and his curfew means he can’t even go out into his garden after 7pm.

“I’m a prisoner in my home. When the tag comes off, I’ve got another six to 12 months when I can’t leave the country. It’s just another form of prison.” Still, he insists it doesn’t get him down.

“I feel really fabulous. I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. In the past year I’ve become aware of how lucky I am. I have a great life. It doesn’t have to be chaotic and miserable. I can be happy!” George was reluctant to be interviewed and only agreed to talk to us to promote the creative networking website Talenthouse as a favour to an old friend, Amos Pizzey, who set it up.

The former Culture Club singer and recovering drug addict was released from Edmunds Hill Prison, in Suffolk, in May. He was initially in Pentonville but asked to be moved because he was being offered “everything” drug-wise.

George compares prison to school. “It was exactly like that. Yes, I did hate school but I’m probably better equipped to deal with it second time around.

“Prison is as bad as you want it to be but you just get on with it. In a way, it was quite nice to have a routine! The reason I looked healthy when I came out was because I was getting up early and going to bed early. It certainly wasn’t the food.” He largely has himself to blame for that as he worked as a chef during his time inside. “I’m a pretty good cook and made all the vegetarian food.” One story claimed that George broke down in tears because he’d been terrified of prison. “I wasn’t crying,” he says. “Whatever I was feeling, I was determined not to show any emotion.” So was he afraid? “No. I mean, yes. Of course, I didn’t know what to expect. The experience hasn’t changed me. It just confirmed a lot of things I already thought.”

Inevitably, life inside was a far cry from George’s usual lifestyle. For example, when he was in a holding cell, no one would let him out to use a toilet so “in the end I peed in the cell”.

He denies that he received special treatment from guards and inmates. “What, like more potatoes? People like me and that’s the same whether I’m in prison or on the street. I was just unlucky with the jury…”

The jury at Snaresbrook Crown Court in east London found George guilty of falsely imprisoning male escort Audun Carlsen, 29, by chaining him to a wall of his flat. They heard that the “drug-crazed” star had lashed Carlsen with a chain before the Norwegian managed to free himself and flee.

Having left prison with sacks of letters from well-wishers, it’s clear that despite his troubles (the star also served a five-day community service sentence in New York in 2006 for wasting police time) George retains a loyal fanbase and has his sights on the future.

He plans to work with little known Coby Koehl, “the male Amy Winehouse” while an album of dance songs is due before Christmas. The Talenthouse site is also proving a useful source of collaborators for George, since it’s a one-stop shop for anyone seeking film, fashion, music, art or photography talent.

The star is also collaborating with Culture Club producer Steve Levine and their CD will be released next April. As if that wasn’t enough, George will reward patient fans with a tour at the same time, including, perhaps, that prison gig.

Talenthouse is a place where creativity means business and where artists can showcase their work to a global audience creating an extra source of revenue and income. For more information go to www.talenthouse.com

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/116487/Why-Boy-George-can-t-wait-to-go-back-to-prison-

Scan taken from http://www.allaboutboygeorge.com

George has posted a new new song "LIGHTS"about Paul Starr on his MySpace ...  http://www.myspace.com/httpwwwmyspacecomboygeorgeboygeorge

                                 "Loosing you is like living without music

Loosing you is bigger then my crimes"

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