Talk:Boy George/Archive 1

Archive 1

Archive 2

Do You really Want To Hurt Me single

The single is not listed on the singlelist? --130.225.125.194 (talk) 14:54, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

We are only listing his solo singles here; DYRWTHM is listed under Culture Club discography.Rodhullandemu 14:57, 15 May 2009 (UTC)

National identity

Oh dear not again! I take no interest in pop music or Boy George - though his hit records were quite enjoyable but this problem with identity...it crops up in Wiki time and time again whenever anyone who is British is involved..What with Olivia Newton John and U2 ....perhaps there should be a committeee at the UN who could decide these things... You state he is an English singer song writer- Correct but then in the article he is described as 'Irish'-although born and brought up in England -while the Jamaican member of the group (born?) brought up in Britain is credited with being British! Is there an Irish/Scottish nationality promotion board that seeks out and produces this nonsense? I suppose its the 'Oirish' name O'Dowd that does it.......Winston1911 (talk) 21:12, 7 December 2008 (UTC)

Cleanup

This page needs some cleaning up. The part on the Kirk Brandon situation is extremely non-objective.

This page needs ALOT of cleaning up. I made some changes, but the Legal issues section has several problems with it. For one, a few of the entries are ended with the names of books (I suppose? I'm not sure what they are in reference to actually) in parentheses as if they are the source for the entries. By no means is that the correct way to cite sources. Also, in the same section, one incident of him allegedly assaulting and imprisoning a Norwegian man is listed as two separate events with different dates and different sources, yet they both refer to the exact same man and incident. Also I don't like the use of the term "falsely imprisoned" in the aforementioned section mentioning the Norwegian man. It doesn't really make sense. It should be replaced with "held against his will." I know the examples I gave are petty things, but it counts to create a quality article. I'll try to fix up this and other things I found when I have more time, but my contributions have a habit of being reverted to the original. 68.198.130.84 (talk) 06:25, 19 January 2008 (UTC) Adam

The reason the escort incident is mentioned twice is because the first date is when Boy George was arrested and the second date is when after a preliminary investigation by the police, he was formally charged with a crime and summoned to appear in court. False imprisonment is the legal name of the crime that Boy George is being charged with by the London courts, so I see no problem with this at all. Glinda138.88.67.178 (talk) 20:16, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Orientation

Boy George is bisexual not gay. 9 Jul 2004, Heegoop (UTC)

This is indeed what the article says. Why the introduction claiming otherwise? I'll change the introduction to match up with the rest of the article, as well as his own words, quoted at the bottom of the article.--69.158.51.130 23:04, 10 Mar 2005 (UTC)

Category has now been fixed to correspond. -- Bovineone

Boy George is gay, not bisexual like he said when he was first starting out and closeted. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.175.74.185 (talk) 08:34, 3 November 2008 (UTC)

Hare Krishna

"a band named Jesus Loves You, a tribute to the Christianity that helped him overcome his drug problem. Much of Jesus Loves You's material was life-celebrating stuff, including the hit "Bow Down Mister", which was attributed to George's belief in the Hare Krishna movement."

this makes no sense as Hare Krishna is a Hindu movement not a Christian one. Rmhermen 00:33, Sep 10, 2004 (UTC)

Jesus Loves You redirects here

I'm against it.--Greasysteve13 05:42, 2 June 2006 (UTC)

The reason is explained by the article: "He also recorded under the name Jesus Loves You, (writing under the pseudonym Angela Dust)" -- Bovineone 04:51, 14 June 2006 (UTC)

Changes to article

Hey, I made some substantial changes, so I figured I needed to outline them here.

(a) I regrouped information under subject - ie, time in CC, solo work, etc. I tried to put all of the subjects re: his music career first, then subjects regarding his personal life after that. (b) I substantially pared down the information about CC in here. Culture Club has its own article, which is where that level of detail should be. It should be mentioned here, but on a "high level overview". (c) I removed the quotes - there is a specific wiki, Wikiquotes, for quotations, and I moved it to that wiki.

I did pick out a little POV language as well. I like him too, but this is an encyclopedia, not a fan page, so we need to be neutral when we write about people.

Thanks! NickBurns 16:11, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

Oh, and one other thing....

I did want to mention that it's normal protocol to refer to a person in their article by their last name. I debated whether the references to him should have been "O'Dowd" as it is his last name, but as he has never gone by that name, and most of the references were "George", I kept that and changed any that weren't. NickBurns 16:19, 8 September 2006 (UTC)

I actually started to edit that, then realized it's too embedded for me to do at 3 am. However, we wouldn't do an entry on Ronald Reagan referring to him as 'Ronnie' throughout, so this should be fixed. I just really can't get into a big copy editing binge from bed (literally. yay, laptops!). I'll put it on my to-do, or if someone else does it, tell us (and thanks).Thespian 08:02, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

His stage name and the name he is known by (and the name of the article itself) is "Boy George" so it is correct to refer to him here as "George". 75.39.152.138 05:24, 17 March 2007 (UTC)

Actually, Boy George started to refer to himself as just "George", in the mid to late 90s. When a guest on talk shows, or during as interview, he asked his hosts or the interviewer to refer to him as "George". In fact, when addressing him directly, I have NEVER read or heard anyone call him "Boy", it has ALWAYS been George. So, referring to him as O'Dowd or as George, is absolutely, correct, in my opinion. --irshgrl500 (talk) 06:51, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Vodafone LMA quote

I have moved this entry here because it is uncited and I cannot find any documentation online.

Boy George was involved in an incident on 11th October [Year???!!!], when he was attending the Vodafone Live Music Awards at The Roundhouse, in Camden, north London, was being interviewed by journalists when the youngsters began shouting homophobic jibes. George screamed: "I know I'm a queer. Shut your mouth 'til I knock you out."

He then flung his drink at the wall and headed towards some glass doors where the kids stood outside. Begged by his PR to come away, George swore at the ringleader. He then returned to the press pack and claimed he was "calm", adding: "Otherwise they'd be dead." (unsigned comment)

He did apparently have a confrontation with fans per this BBC News Online article: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/6043794.stm NickBurns 19:12, 2 November 2006 (UTC)

Image

Someone seems to think that the 1983 image is interchangeable with a current image of Boy George. Please pop by Image talk:BoyGeorge.jpg. Postdlf 09:43, 1 December 2006 (UTC)

Songwriter

I would fix this sentence myself but I am not sure the correct way to word it.

"That George had become the main songwriter of the band became evident when Culture Club contributed to the movie soundtrack Electric Dreams" --Sexecutioner 09:38, 2 May 2007 (UTC)

Clearly an incorrect biased statement. In George's book, Take it LIke A Man, he says the song was written by him and guitarist/keyboard player Roy Hay, so George did not write it soley by himself. Glinda138.88.67.178 (talk) 20:20, 18 July 2008 (UTC)

Data removed

Dear Wikipedia,

I have tried to add some new data and also a couple of links that I consider them important to people who want to find out about Boy George's life and career and they have been automatically removed and categoraised as "vandalism". The reason I was given was "Wikipedia is not a collection of links; nor should it be used for advertising or promotion″. What I really do not understand is given the reason is that I have noticed you do allow many other Wikipedia pages to show as many links as they wish, many of them are fan sites and not even official just like the ones I added.

My intention when I added the links was not to promote the websites in any way (which by the way none of them are made for profit) but to add extra information about Boy George which is what Wikipedia is about if I'm not mistaken.

Will you please consider adding the data and the links back? Thank you for your time.

The links that were removed are http://www.allaboutboygeorge.com & http://www.boy.george.net

The data I added was "Human Beings" by Guarangi feat. Boy George (1994).

91.104.14.226 (talk) 17:29, 6 April 2008 (UTC)A Boy George friend & Fan for many years.

Ps: I have just noticed the data I added was in fact already there... in my opinion in the wrong place but nevermind. I apologise for this mistake. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 91.104.14.226 (talk) 17:49, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

Please do not add the links again. OhNoitsJamie ^Talk 18:07, 6 April 2008 (UTC)

I decided just to put one MySpace link. The one I put is the official one.Sposato (talk) 22:40, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

Again, removed. If we have a link to the official web site, we don't need the Myspace link. Readers can get to that from the official site. Remeber, we're not here to act as a link directory. --Ckatz^chat_spy 23:09, 10 July 2008 (UTC)

POV edit needed

Quite a bit of work needed here, but the thing that sticks out for me is the excessive amount of POV material. I'll try and do a good faith edit to remove that stuff shortly, as it's tricky to make any other improvements (e.g. references) when the text is so variable. Gusworld (talk) 07:55, 8 April 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Ridiculous that a bio of this size can only manage 7 cites and a great deal of the article is POV. I may give it some attention as well. --Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 15:03, 21 April 2008 (UTC)

Religious beliefs

Is Boy George a Hindu? Anyhow he wrote the lyrics for the song "Bow Down Mister" under the pseudonym "Angela Dust" in the early 90s. This song advertises the Hare Krishna movement. Was Boy George adherent to Hare Krishna? Is he still adherent?--Kevin L. from Germany (talk) 17:23, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

Information on Jesus Loves You

Has anybody got information on the band Jesus Loves You? Who were the band members (beside Boy George)? What about the band history? Why did Jesus Loves You disband?--Kevin L. from Germany (talk) 17:23, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

LGBT Hare Krishna category inclusion

Why remove Boy George from the Category:LGBT Hare Krishnas? Who are you to say who is a Hare Krishna and who is not a Hare Krishna? For example, some Christians claim that gay people can't be Christians because they are gay, but as you can see there are people who claim to be both Christians and homosexuals (see Category:Christian LGBT people.) Just because someone is not in ISKCON does not mean they are not (or don't consider themselves to be) a Hare Krishna! Are you the judger of souls? No, only the infinite and supreme Godhead of the Universe is the judger of souls! In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna does not specifically condemn homosexuality anymore than any other type of sexuality. The Bhagavad Gita also suggests that one must act according to true nature. Homosexuality exists as part of some people's true nature. And even though it also says that one should strive for spiritual things above sexual things, Krishna himself is depicted as an erotic character who had thousands of Gopi lovers and lots of wives. Sexuality and Homosexuality exist in nature and it is natural for some. Gay people are gay because that is the way the Godhead made them. It does not mean they don't praise Krishna and advocate the mantra. According to many leaders in ISKCON, anyone who engages in ANY sex that is not for procreation is committing an act of "illicit sex". So does that mean anyone who engages in sex for pleasure is no longer in your group if they engage in any type of so-called "illicit sex", whether heterosexual or homosexual? If so, no wonder there aren't many of your type left anymore. You must expect everyone to be a monk! That is unrealistic and goes against the nature of the people whom the Godhead created, the same Godhead who created the universe and all the people in it. Anyhow, ISKCON does not speak for all Hare Krishnas, and neither do they speak for all people who claim to be Hare Krishnas either. Or, do they? I doubt it. Does the Roman Catholic Church speak for all Christians? No. And neither does any other specific church. Boy George sang, "Bow down mister, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna!" Boy George is gay because that is according to his nature. He still praises Krishna no matter what you might say. Fartbucket (talk) 04:49, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

It is BLP article, any inclusion of contentious statements or statements that are likely to be disputes are to be supported by third party reliable sources. Yes he befriended Hare Krishna devotees in England as early as 1982. But there is nothing in the article to suggest that he is Hare Krishna. Millions of people sing Hare Krishna, hindus or sikhs or yoga practitioners, but that does not make them Hare Krishnas. Unless a clear realizable source is added to the article the category should stay removed. Wikidās ॐ 05:16, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Boy George's song, "Bow Down Mister"[1] (see video) openly advocates the Hare Krishna mantra as well as Krishna as the Supreme Reality. If that is not an endorsement and an advocation of faith, then what is? I could say that you are not a Hare Krishna because it is not supported by third party reliable sources. All of your sources may just be opinions and man-made, who else knows what is in your heart, but the Godhead knows. Who really polices such statements of faith besides the Supreme Godhead, who judges the soul besides the Godhead? NONE! I say again, if "Bow Down Mister, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna" is not an endorsement and an advocation of faith and belief in Krishna, then what is? Fartbucket (talk) 05:35, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Also, what about this interview with Boy George which says, "He does stick to his principles - he is still, after his brush with India and Hare Krishna, a vegetarian, and doesn't like alcohol. "I would never use fur in my designs," he says. "Fake fur, definitely. Don't get me wrong, though, I think Pete Burns [whose fur coat was confiscated during Celebrity Big Brother] looks great."[2] A bit equivocal, perhaps, but the spirituality still affects him in real ways. This article says, "In the next few years George became interested in religion and became a Hare Krishna. He released a dance album called The Martyr Mantras under the name of Jesus Loves You but despite the happy-go-lucky tunes it was ignored on the whole the world over."[3] This is just what I can find so far, but this is an indication that he is truly influenced spiritually by the movement. As you even said, he did have an affiliation with the Hare Krishna movement in the early 1980s, and it affected him deeply enough to admit (see comments from interviews mentioned above.) The Hare Krishna movement affected him to not just make the song "Bow Down Mister", but he also says he became a vegetarian because of it as well.[4][5] I would say that this is an indication that he is truly spiritually influenced by Krishna. Is someone who changes their life to follow Jesus not a Christian? Is someone who changes their life to follow Krishna not a follower of Krishna? Some people change their lives in different ways, but I think there is evidence which shows that Boy George was spiritually influenced by Krishna and the Krishna movement. Fartbucket (talk) 06:55, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

I actually looked at a few reliable sources at google book search and could not find such reference. In any case if you find such reference that states that he IS Hare Krishna still let me know and surprise me by including it in the article, so far we know that he sang a song that was written by ... a dust. Good example of what is reliable sources (requirement of BLP) is usually a third party sources (academic reliable publications) or his own website if any see also: WP:RSN for examples. I would accept a transcript of an interview in his own words, so far he was described as a 'new age', hindu but not by a reliable source and it is not part of the article. Why is not in the article? Wikidās ॐ 07:54, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

What about this evidence with quotes from Boy George here[6]:

"4 England: Boy George "Saved" by Krishnas (Freed from alcohol and drugs)

Outrageous rocker Boy George has joined the Hare Krishnas, and thanks to them, he reported, he's finally beaten his lifelong addiction to drugs and booze. "I'm happy to be one of them," the 29-year-old singer told a close friend. "The beliefs of the Hare Krishnas have helped me get off drugs and alcohol - and I love their music."

According to a Los Angeles spokesman for the group, "Boy George chants happily, eats a strict vegetarian diet, stays drug-free, and worships regularly with other Hare Krishna devotees." His father, Jeremiah O'Dowd, told London's Sunday People newspaper: "The family is absolutely delighted. George has been through a long, dark tunnel and come out a better person." National Enquirer, 9/11/90, 22."

Also, here's a video of Boy George chanting at a Hare Krishna religious event in Russia.[7]

Speaking of that particular event in Russia, here is a quote from a Krishna-affiliated website: "Boy George leads a kirtan in Moscow with over 35,000 participants."[8]

Is this not evidence to indicate his spirtuality? I think it is! This is also evidence that he practices praise and devotion to Krishna. Fartbucket (talk) 20:48, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

There is obviously no reason not to include this in the article, or maybe just that some sources are not reliable are they? Wikidās ॐ 21:37, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Removed per WP:BLP - a twenty-year old "article" from the National Enquirer does *not* meet the reliable sources requirement. In the absence of a reliable, properly sourced quote from Boy George himself, please stop as this is becoming disruptive. --Ckatz^chat_spy 22:01, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Agreed. Before adding this as a category please add appropriately cited material into the article. Otherwise there is no way to verify its accuracy. While there is plenty to indicate he has dabbled with Krishna music and religion we need something that clearly indicates he currently considers himself a follower. --Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 22:04, 22 August 2008 (UTC)

Well, now I've got a copy of Boy George's book Take It Like A Man (Harper Collins, First U.S. Edition, 1995), and if this is not a "reliable source" for material on the life of Boy George, then I don't know what is.

Anyhow, on page 482, he says, "I enjoy the rituals of offering obeisances to Krishna and chanting, especially when there are hundreds of devotees jumping and banging drums. At that moment it seems like the human ego is truly transcended. I do find the sexual attitudes far too rigid, though I admit the cycle of desire is fraught with anxiety and disappointment. I don't choose to cut off from it, maybe I enjoy the pain."

On page 481 he says, "'Bow Down Mister' swept me up in a spiritual whirl and I became an unlikely queer envoy for Krishna Consciousness." Continued on page 482 he says, "None of the Krishnas ever made an issue of my sexuality even though they clearly saw it as a fallen quality. I was, after all, a useful fairy in terms of publicity. The devotees got to dance and chant the holy name on TV shows and onstage, bringing the message to millions. Promoting Krishna was above all else."

He continues, "Then a swami, who I was very fond of, told me it was harder for homosexuals to enter the gates of heaven. I replied, 'especially if you keep them shut.'" George also says, "Some devotees are obviously uncomfortable with my association with Krishna Consciousness. Others treat me with utmost respect and kindness." (page 482)

Boy George also states that he is a vegetarian on page 482, "I do believe that as long as we're slaughtering animals we will also be slaughtered. Like George Bernard Shaw said, 'Cruelty begets its offspring war.'" He talks about his quest for God and enlightenment on page 481, "I used to think of myself as an incurable atheist, but drugs have put things in perspective... I just believe there is something that matches us step for step." There's the appearance on The Word (TV series) from 1992 in which Boy George says, "I do believe in reincarnation, definitely." (at 5:36 in this clip[9].) In an interview with Barbara Walters from 1985, he says, "God is there for people, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual... God does not discriminate."[10] In an interview with Steve Blame from 1987, he discusses sex and sexuality and basically says that celibacy is unrealistic. On The Big Breakfast show in 1992, Boy George can be seen wearing a tilaka and being interviewed by Paula Yates, and he says, "Yeah, I'm good mates with the Krishnas."[11] On the TFI Friday show in 1998 he said, "I love the Krishnas... but because I'm gay, it was a bit difficult to get fully involved." On page 481 of his book, he says, "Religion is like a flower with sharp teeth. The tranquility is always matched with moral goose stepping. Once people have rigid beliefs they inevitably tend to look down on others and act like they've got God in their handbag." From other such comments it seems that Boy George's views on spirituality and religion can be described as a type of Universalism, with reasonable acceptance for all as well as some healthy skepticism and rational thought, and it seems that his Universalistic spirituality also includes respect and praise of Krishna as well. Fartbucket (talk) 15:39, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Again, do you have anything contemporary? Your references are from the 80's and 90's, and do not indicate his current affiliation. As such, it is acceptaable to describe his influences in the past - but *not* sufficient to verify it in the present. --Ckatz^chat_spy 20:37, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Hey, I provided you with a Reliable Source, so now don't you have to provide a reliable source to the contrary that is more contemporary than the one I provided? Or can you just remove the category inclusion without a reliable source to the contrary? That doesn't seem fair. Do you have a contemporary source to the contrary? If you wish to remove something from an article, don't you need a more contemporary reliable source to the contrary that states otherwise? Isn't that how it works around Wikipedia, or not? If not, I request mediation and other opinions from others on this matter. Fartbucket (talk) 21:20, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Another opinion would be great. However, given the provisions of the "biography of living persons" policy, the contentious material has to remain out until the matter is resolved. (Per that policy, "Unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material about living persons — whether the material is negative, positive, or just questionable — should be removed immediately and without waiting for discussion") --Ckatz^chat_spy 21:37, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

What is so "contentious" about these claims now that they are backed up by a Reliable Source? Contentious to whom? Boy George who put them in his autobiography? I doubt it. Contentious to the Hare Krishnas at ISKCON who dislike homosexuality, and all sexuality including heterosexuality that doesn't lead to child birthing? Yet ISKCON does NOT speak for all people who praise Krishna! They really have nothing to do with labeling anyone a true follower or praiser of Krishna, just as the Catholic Church can't make claims as to who is a "real Christian" or not. There are people who aren't Catholic yet still consider themselves Christians, just as there are people who aren't members of ISKCON who still praise Krishna. In that way, I've presented reliable evidence that shows that Boy George praises Krishna. Also, I disagree with your opinion that this constitutes "Unsourced or poorly sourced contentious material about living persons — whether the material is negative, positive, or just questionable — should be removed immediately and without waiting for discussion". Again, show me with proper citations how these claims apply in this case! The material is not poorly sourced, there's the inclusion of material from a reliable source, no better reliable or more contemporary evidence has been presented to the contrary, and also, who is this questionable to? You? ISKCON? Those are opinions, and on what evidence are you basing such assumptions with no reliably sourced material of your own that is more contemporary than the evidence already presented? I think we should have a lot more opinions than just yours, mine, and die-hard fanatic members of ISKCON presented here! Fartbucket (talk) 22:09, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

Get an outside opinion; keep in mind that I'm not interested in Boy George, the Krishnas, or anything like that. If consensus results in a decision to include the category, I'll monitor that it isn't removed just as vigorously. However, as an admin, I'm saying the tag *cannot* go in until this is resolved. That is per the biography policy, and I would caution you against restoring it. We are in disagreement, so the next step is to get outside help. However, again, it *cannot* stay in while this is under dispute. --Ckatz^chat_spy 22:20, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

OK, then I will try and request outside help from the moderators or mediators or whoever it is on this matter (or however we go about doing this on Wikipedia.) Sorry to argue with you so much here, but I just have to speak my mind. No offense or anything. Anyhow, you said that you are not interested in Boy George, Krishna or anything like that. Well, how did you end up here anyway? Come on, don't you at least like the songs, "Do You Really Want to Hurt Me" and/or "Karma Chameleon"? And even if you don't worship Lord Krishna, would you not admit that the song "Bow Down Mister" is still pretty cool anyway? "Bow down mister, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna!" Fartbucket (talk) 22:35, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I think FB missed the point. ISKCON positon can be found here: "Maharaja Clarifies His Position on Gay Marriages". www.dandavats.com. Wikidās ॐ 22:39, 25 August 2008 (UTC)

I don't think I missed any point at all. The link you posted goes to a quote from Hridayananda dasa Goswami which says, "I do not favor gay marriages. Rather, I accept the principle, as stated in my paper, that religious marriage is between a man and a woman. Heterosexual relations within marriage for the procreation of children is clearly the standard in Krishna consciousness. My basic point is this: as Vaishnavas, we should feel great compassion for every sincere soul who is struggling to become Krishna conscious in this very difficult age. I have no doubt that there are sincere souls, with real devotion to Krishna, who cannot completely avoid homosexuality. We should encourage these sincere souls to advance in Krishna consciousness and gradually transcend all material desires."

This is nothing new. Gays are viewed as those who should not be seen as equals, but whom need help to overcome their sexuality. Absolutely nothing new in these statements. People who are openly practicing homosexuals are not fully accepted as equals or truly welcome in ISKCON. That was true thirty years ago, and it is still basically true today. Nevertheless, anyone can praise Krishna anyway without following any of these ISKCON gurus. "Bow down mister, Hare Rama, Hare Krishna!" Fartbucket (talk) 19:03, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Now, I have read the discussion up to this point and I want to weigh in.

1. Invoking WP:BLP to keep off Category:LGBT Hare Krishnas is misunderstood. This guideline is intended to protect the article subject. There is no reason (except perhaps by a far stretch of the imagination) to believe that adding this category to the article would cause adverse reactions towards Boy George. And this goes even if it is inaccurate in that he no longer sympathizes with and/or considers himself a Hare Krishna.
2. I am a bit puzzled at the fervor to require recent sourcing for his religious affiliation. I don't believe this i generally required for an article subject to be categorized as an adherent to a religious group. We have fully adequate sources from the mid-90s that attest to his affiliation. I'd say we need at least some indication that this has changed before finding the attaching of said category inapplicable. __meco (talk) 19:34, 26 August 2008 (UTC)

Sources on orientation

The section on his orientation is not very well sourced and it should be given the standards for such things at WP:BLP. Here is an article that might be helpful for those of you editing this article:

• Grossman, Pamela, "Straight Talk With Boy George: Boy George on Culture Club, bisexuality and the U.S. elections", Rolling Stone, October 19, 2000

Happy editing -MrFizyx (talk) 00:49, 28 August 2008 (UTC)

I think the source you provided doesn't really say anything. It's just Boy George deflecting the issue - again (like his "cup of tea" statement in the 1980s). Back when some deranged female fan was once insisting that she was carrying his baby, didn't he famously say (in court) that he had never slept with a woman in his entire life? I have never thought for one moment that Boy George was anything other than gay and, certainly in the media, he has only been known for having sexual relationships with men (which is what I think the article should say). I can understand that he doesn't want to be a spokesperson for the gay community or be pigeon-holed, but come on....as if! 79.66.88.219 (talk) 04:22, 6 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't have a source for this, but I believe George said he never had vaginal intercouse with a woman, but he has had some sexual contact with them. I'm not sure why there needs to be a separate section on someone's sexual orientation anyway. In the article cited there, it seemed George was talking about people in general, not him specifically so I agree it's not very helpful.

Irish?

Can there be some clarification about the part that mentions he is Irish (only in passing, explaining the Culture Club name in-joke). Nowhere else in the article mentions he's (part-?) Irish. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.101.237.160 (talk) 00:47, 25 November 2008 (UTC)

Irish? George is more Irish than many born in and living in Ireland

I am not sure why this issue has been raised. George is Irish, and to the best of my knowledge, 100% Irish. Both of George's parents, Christina Dinah, or "Dinah", and Gerry were born in Ireland. (this is stated in George's Wikipedia article) Dinah immigrated to the UK, or more specifically, London when she was in her late teens or at about aged 20. I am not sure when Gerry moved to the UK but I believe it was when he was a child, with his family.

Irish citizenship- Ireland has recognised Irish citizenship by birth and by descent, since 1956, and perhaps prior. People born outside of Ireland but at the time of their birth, either parent was an Irish citizen or an Irish National, were Irish citizens. Ireland's Irish Nationality and Citizenship Act of 2001, allows people in countries other than Ireland to file a declaration of Irish citizenship if their parents (one or both) were Irish born citizens, at the time of their birth. BUT, if you were born in the UK, the UK's Citizenship laws prevented you from making this declaration, as the UK did not recognise dual citizenship. Recently, or with in the past 10 years, the UK has made some changes in these laws, in particular, to those UK citizens who wished to declare Irish citizenship by descent, and retain their UK citizenship, on a dual basis. George was born in Bexley, London but would definitely qualify for Irish citizenship. I honestly don't know if he has ever made the declaration. I do know large numbers of his mother’s family are still living in Ireland, and he visits them, occasionally. I know he also owned a home in Ireland, at one point. And, 20 years ago or more, land sales in Ireland were limited to citizens. Therefore, George is Irish and may even be an Irish citizen. If you're looking for sourced information as to whether George is Irish, most of the information on his family can be found in George's first published book, "Take it Like a Man". In addition, some of the information about his extended family and genealogy can be found in Dinah's book, "Salty Tears", published in 2005 or 2007. Information on Irish citizenship can be found in the current, online Irish Statute book http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2002/en/si/0196.html http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/2001/en/act/pub/0015/sec0003.html#sec3 and The Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service page:http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/WP07000113. Both of the pages are websites set up and run by the Irish Government, and not self-help or advisory pages run by third parties. --irshgrl500 (talk) 08:56, 28 June 2009 (UTC)--irshgrl500 (talk) 05:32, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

This is all academic unless George has self-identified as Irish. Regardless of his parentage, George was born and raised in England. Unless we have a cite that specifically states he regards himself as Irish, or has applied for Irish citizenship, that makes him English and not Irish. It is not the responsibility of Wikipedia or anyone else to decide, or speculate, otherwise. --Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 06:10, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

Re-write in Personal Life

Initially I was shocked to find that the Personal Life section was nothing more than a National Enquirer version of his Rap Sheet (arrest and conviction record). I am not a fan of either BG or CC, so I will not be adding any actual "personal life" stuff. But I did re-write a considerable amount of the existing section, using the references that were there already (after careful reading of what the sources actually said). Anyone attempting a revert to the trash that was there should consult Wikipedia's BLP requirements first. I didn't realize until after making almost all the changes that this article is in British English so there may be American spellings that can be corrected by any Irish British editor. Joe Hepperle (talk) 19:53, 20 March 2009 (UTC)

I don't see anything wrong with the personal life section. It is covering things that are a matter of public record. I guess people could write about other personal things, but it's hard to verify those as accurate. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 138.88.61.211 (talk) 16:09, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

I agree, Joe Hepperle that the "Personal Life" section is nothing but information on his rap sheets, and afterthoughts of George's run-ins with the law. The information spans over his entire adult life and appears to be sourced by headlines of sensationalised media stories. It is an association that has followed him throughout his career, and even parodied in headlines. George even joked about the association, when talking about his motivation to participate in a documentary about his life; he wanted people to see something new and positive, rather than the old standard "Junkie George" is in trouble for the following........... I am not suggesting that this information be removed but supplemented with information about his family, friends, items that are positive and part of his life.

George is a gay, single man and simply because he's not married or living the elite life of Elton John, he does have many positive attributes about his life to be told. For example, He has a very close and positive relationship with his mother, and siblings. He cherishes his role as an Uncle and Godfather to his nieces and nephews. His home in Hampstead is a gothic landmark, which he purchased shortly after his career was in international full swing. The house has been a subject of topics relating to George, and has so much character that it can be said, it is part of his personality. George also overcame a hideous heroin addiction and began to follow and adopt the philosophy of Hare Krishna. He spent an enormous amount of time studying, learning about the Hindu faith and lifestyle of the Hare Krishnas, though I am not sure he practised Bhakti, or made any kind of formal conversion. (He was baptised and raised in the Roman Catholic faith). He incorporated the philosophy and approach not only into his lifestyle but his profession, which is exemplified in his work (from about 1990-1996). George also was involved, and resided with a partner, Michael Dunne, on and off for 11 years. Dunne isn't even mentioned in his article but Jon Moss is mentioned. George's relationship with Moss lasted 3 years at best, and was the cause for George leaving CC. So,,,,,,,,,,,, I vote to REDO the "Personal Life" section! --irshgrl500 (talk) 09:54, 28 June 2009 (UTC)--irshgrl500 (talk) 05:38, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

By all means please add information about the more positive parts of his personal life. But remember that people's personal lives are often private. Unless you can cite the information it can't be added. So that means it must be information that is in the public domain and has been discussed in a reputable source. --Escape Orbit ^(Talk) 06:15, 30 June 2009 (UTC)

I think the reason Jon Moss is mentioned and not other lovers of George is because Jon Moss is also a celebrity who was in the band Culture Club with George as well as other famous bands and thus put himself in the spotlight. I don't know if it would be right to talk about George's other lovers if they aren't famous since that would be invading their privacy. George has talked a lot about Jon Moss in interviews, but has barely mentioned his other lovers so perhaps that's why the articles focuses on his relationship with Jon Moss. George has rarely talked about his relationship with Michael Dunne, so perhaps that is not something he want to be put in the public domain. Also, I think his relationship with Jon Moss lasted 7 years, not 3 from 1981 to 1987.

Proper referencing needed

URLS and citations are not in line. URL states to Guardian UK (that's GUARDIAN.CO.UK) but the exact URL MUST be stated.

Data needs to be verifiable and otherwise PDFs of the articles needed. Although I do like George, the wiki is OF A LIVING PERSON and likewise, videos and write ups (blog or otherwise) with ISBN or ISSN is required.

Data is entirely vague at times

CLEAN UP NEEDED Dr R Azrin (talk) 22:09, 22 August 2009 (UTC)

Is there any reason why you feel disinclined to do that yourself? Rodhullandemu 23:21, 22 August 2009 (UTC)