Google refuses to remove 'gay music' video
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The reading
Google Kenya has said it would not remove a music video from its YouTube site. The Kenyan government asked Google to take the video offline because it showed gay couples, gay pride marchers, and images of openly gay Kenyan public figures. The video also shows different scenes of what it is like to be gay in Kenya. It was made by a band called Art Attack. It is a remake of the song 'Same Love' by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. Kenya's government said the video was bad for society. It said it would punish anyone it caught who distributed the video. Kenya's government says homosexuality is an "unnatural offence". Kenyan homosexuals can be put in prison for up to 14 years.
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Kenya's attempts at trying to ban the video have made it very popular around the world. It has now been viewed over 140,000 times. The video shows images of anti-gay protests in Nairobi last year, and two young women kissing on a bench in a forest. Kenyan regulators first tried to ban the video in late February. A government spokesman said: "We have written to Google to remove the video from their platforms. We expect they will do it within one week from now." Google replied: "We review government removal requests when notified through the correct legal processes and in keeping with our company philosophy on transparency and freedom of expression."
Sources:
- http://qz.com/638461/google-has-refused-government-demands-to-take-down-a-gay-music-video-in-kenya/
- https://www.gaytimes.co.uk/news/29796/google-ignores-kenyas-request-to-ban-a-gay-rights-rap-video/
- http://venturesafrica.com/gay-music-video-causes-controversy-in-kenya/
