Tobago Church leaders are worried Sir Elton John’s performance at a jazz festival will turn locals gay.

Elton is due to headline the Plymouth jazz festival there in April 2007, but Church leaders and locals are campaigning to keep Elton out because he’s gay.

Archdeacon of Trinidad and Tobaga, Philip Isaac is quoted in the Daily Mirror as saying: “His visit to the island can open the country to be tempted towards pursuing his lifestyle.” The Archdeacon also criticised his relationship with David Furnish as “man should not lie with a man”.

However Elton will be pleased to hear that there may still be help for him and husband David Furnish as despite his lifestyle Isaac is still prepared to assist him. Isaac said: The artist is one of god’s children and while his lifestyle is questionable he needs to be ministered unto.”

Homophobic campaigners are trying to keep Elton out of the country by claiming that a clause in Tobago’s immigration laws means homosexuals could be kept out of the country. One person told a local newspaper “We have a huge problem with homosexuality in our population because, unlike our foreign counterparts, our free-up nature and infrastructure cannot support the conditions of this lifestyle.”

However festival organiser Anthony Maharaj said that Tobago should be “honoured to have him,” adding: “This is a man who was knighted by the Queen, who was highly complimented by Desmond Tutu.”

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