Boy George still fights for equality

Pop star Boy George met the BBC's Tim Sebastian

Pop star and gay rights campaigner, Boy George tells the BBC's Hardtalk programme that British attitudes to homosexuality have failed to move on in the last 20 years.

Boy George has said that he remains an outsider in society because of his sexuality.

"I'm an outsider because I'm a gay man and I'm proud of what I am," he told presenter Tim Sebastian.

"My sexuality goes before me everywhere I go," he added.

Just because you see a few more homosexuals on TV doesn't mean that people are more accepting.

Boy George

He went on to say that attitudes in certain parts of Britain have not changed since the 1960s:

"If you go to any school now, 13 year old kids are no more accepting or understanding of sexuality than they were in the 70s or the 60s."

He also believes that this problem is widespread throughout the world.

"We live in a world that is hugely homophobic and racist and is still as racist and homophobic as it ever was.

"Just because you see a few more homosexuals on TV doesn't mean that people are more accepting."

Flamboyant

Boy George burst onto the music scene in the 1980s. He had a string of number one hits with his group Culture Club, but became equally famous for his flamboyant choice of clothing and heavy make up.

Speaking about his new musical, Taboo, which is based on his own experience of finding fame in the 80s era of the New Romantics, Boy George admitted it had brought back some painful memories from the decade.

Boy George is also a successful DJ

"There's a couple of scenes that I don't particularly enjoy watching," he said.

The show is a blend of fact and fiction and revolves around several notable characters from the period.

These include music promoter Philip Sallon, Visage's Steve Strange, performing artist Leigh Bowery, and the androgynous pop star Marilyn.

Boy George said the musical is "very honest" and hoped it will provide gay people with a sense of history.

He also went on to talk about his addiction to drugs in the interview, which controlled him throughout his heyday.

He was arrested for possessing cannabis in July 1986, but claims now he would not go back to taking drugs "in this lifetime".

"At the time when you're drugged out of your mind you're not thinking like a logical human being. So in that respect it is like joy riding, like teetering on the edge of a cliff," he said.

Vulnerability

He launched a bitter attack on the current state of the music scene, condemning it as "the revenge of the stage school brat".

He said that young bands appearing on Top of the Pops have a certain arrogance, which he finds "unappealing" and believes the mark of a great artist is vulnerability.

"I admire vulnerability. I think the greatest artists in the world are people that are vulnerable and human, not robots."

You can hear the HARDtalk interview in full at the following times:

BBC News 24
25 January 0430GMT, repeated 2230 GMT

BBC World
25 January 0430GMT, repeated 1130GMT, 1630GMT, 1930GMT, 0030GMT.