Nigerian Senate passes anti-gay Bill

Nigerian Senate passes anti-gay Bill

Human rights groups have expressed dismay and outrage at the news that Nigeria’s Senate has voted in favour of a bill which will criminalise gay marriage, gay advocacy groups and same-sex public displays of affection.

It will make it illegal to register gay clubs or organisations, as well as criminalising the “public show of same-sex amorous relationships directly or indirectly”.

Under the proposed law, couples who marry could face up to 14 years each in prison. Witnesses or anyone who helps couples marry could be sentenced to 10 years behind bars.

“The bill will expand Nigeria’s already draconian punishments for consensual same-sex conduct and set a precedent that would threaten all Nigerians’ rights to privacy, equality, free expression, association and to be free from discrimination,” said Erwin van der Borght, the director of Amnesty International’s Africa program.

The bill, now much more wide-ranging than its initial draft, must be passed by Nigeria’s House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan (pictured) before becoming law.

However, public opinion and lawmakers’ calls for even harsher penalties show the widespread support for the measure in the deeply religious nation.

“Such elements in society should be killed,” said Senator Baba-Ahmed Yusuf Datti of the opposition party Congress for Progressive Change, drawing some murmurs of support from the gallery.

Gay sex has been banned since British colonial rule in Nigeria, but religious leaders in the country have long pushed for harsher penalties for homosexuality and supporters of gay men and women.

In September, the Anglican Primate of Nigeria called gays and lesbians “evil” at the wedding of tribal royal Princess Ewere Efeizomor, telling the room that God had created women as a “helpmates” for men.

“What is being known now as gay and homosexuality is contrary to God’s plan for human sexuality and procreation,” the Most Reverend Nicholas Okoh said.

“It is against the will of God, and nobody should encourage it, and those who do will earn for themselves the damnation of the Almighty.”

Commenting on the new development, George Broadhead, secretary of UK gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust, said gays and lesbians already face open discrimination and abuse in a country divided by Christians and Muslims who almost uniformly oppose homosexuality.

“In the areas in Nigeria’s north where Islamic Sharia Law has been enforced for about a decade, gays and lesbians can face death by stoning,” he said.

“It seems that there is a very real threat that this barbaric bill will become law and if it does, Nigeria will become the most homophobic nation in Africa.

“It is clear that the impetus for such legislation has come from religious sources.”

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20 responses to “Nigerian Senate passes anti-gay Bill”

  1. And people say Australia is a third world country?! It’s only when you hear of things like this, you appreciate how well off we are

  2. I think its important for posters in Aust to be mindful that our country affords us freedoms, liberties and educational advantage not afforded to some of these African countries. after Colonial rule and many years of hardship, these young African countries are finding their feet.

    Unfortunately, Us Evangelical Christians and a variety of religious groups got in early with converting what they saw to be poorly educated and vulnerable people to their extremist, dogmatic religions. The blood of David Kato and untold numbers of Lgbti Africans is on the hands of these very well resourced, sinister and dangerous cults.

    I applaud the UK for its pro gay stance but whats required here is more aid, for education and the promotion of a secular understanding of the world.

  3. Chyde & Benet – no body taught me to be gay. In fact, my entire eductaion and up-bringing told me I was going to grow up to be heterosexual and that’s what I expected too.

    It didn’t happen.

    Women do not trigger the necessary response in me for me to be able to physically commune with them. Like it or not, sexual orientation IS natural and hard-wired – and homosexual is EXACTLY how I was designed. No choice was involved.

    Get educated. Your opinions of situations that you either don’t like or don’t understand is not going to make them less real or true. You are better off learning about them instead because they’re never going to change or go away.

  4. Homosexuality is a choice,for no man is designed to be so. The excuse that our sexual orientation is not our making is a terrible lie,it may not be to some degree-but ultimately the choice of who we have sex with is ours to make. As for aid,Britain can keep it all to herself. I guess Cameron can afford to recall all british biz men & women.

  5. mds maybe you should read John’s comment and Chris’ as well. For saying that intelligence is genetically low in that part of the world says a lot about your personality and you mind set. Yeah corruption is a problem there, but then look at the present Euro crisis. Bottom line dont point fingers

  6. I agree John. Some of the comments here, particularly about killing Nigerians and Muslims (from Kevin that it got 6 likes so far) are shockingly bigoted. It’s an absolutely disgusting response to a horrible situation that many Nigerians find themselves in and shows no understanding of the situation

    Sadly some of us in this country gay or otherwise are clearly no better then those we deplore.

  7. Cutting off foreign aid is merely a token gesture – that does not affect those in power who receive bribes from multinational companies who exploit Nigeria’s natural resources; eg. Shell. What they receive this way is more than enough for a comfortable living.
    Other countries protesting likewise has no effect. You see, the rich and powerful are isolated from all that and don’t need to care.
    Remember it’s this part of the world where intelligence is genetically lowest and people are deeply superstitious. Why do you think these countries can never get out of their rut and make things work? Hate to spell it out, but the attitudes aren’t going to change any time soon.

  8. This is not at all good, but hopefully pressure from other nations will mean that this type of legislation will not be passed in more countries.

    It does dishearten me when I read comments from readers here that display the same ignorant discrimination towards Nigerians as we accuse them of doing.

    Scotto, it’s pretty obvious you are dealing with internalised homophobia. Hopefully you learn to love yourself sooner rather than later.

  9. This is truly appalling news. It may also set a precedent for other African countries like Uganda. UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, has said that future aid packages will be dependent on human rights progress being made, including LGBT rights progress, so let us hope he is as good as his word on this issue and that other civilized countries can be persuaded to follow his lead.

    As George Broadhead remarked, modern-day homophobia in Africa is almost entirely based on religion (Islam, as well as post-colonial Christianity). This issue is now pressing – perhaps the most important issue in a generation for LGBT campaigners everywhere. It is vital that we support gay Nigerians whilst building pressure on our own Governments to use carefully targetted sanctions against the Nigerian government until they reverse these vicious anti-gay laws.

  10. Nigeria doesn’t need to depend on aid to survive,homosexuality is a learned act not natural like it or not and no govt will force perverted ways of life on Nigeria, Nigeria’s cultures and values still remain

  11. I really hate that throughout human history people have been oppressed in the name of religion. People seem to forget that religion is based on “belief” NOT fact!! Humanity is in its infancy, we haven’t even gotten a “manned” spacecraft to Mars yet and here we are thinking that we’ve got it ALL worked out!!

  12. I just want to make a correction about Scotto’s comment. Homosexuality is NOT promoted. Gay rights are promoted in order to get peace and equality for all just like it should have been ever since the beginning. Because they are close minded people who believe that homosexuality is a sin or it’s “dirty”, people have to make this “big deal” about it.

    I wish people would stop tormenting homosexuals just because they love in a different way. There are way more important things to do in this world like stop wars, cure AIDS and feed the hungry. Why hate innocent people for who they are? Gay people don’t chose to be gay to “become gay”, they are born like that just he way straight people were born that way too.

  13. In defending Nigeria’s legislation that makes criminals out of gay people, David Mark said “our values are our values … [and] we hold on very firmly to our values.”

    Somebody should tell this enlightened senator that sexual orientation is not a value — anymore than the color of his skin is a value.  And racial prejudice is something the Nigerians should know about being victims of it for centuries.

    Apparently, however, being a victim in one form of prejudice does not stop you from being a bigot in another.

    Fortunately individual freedoms do not depend on the empathy of victims or the whims of the majority.  Rather, they are governed by universal principles of fairness shared by us all –irrespective of our race, sex, religion, culture, wealth, power, class, or predispositions.

    Making criminals out of law-abiding citizens due to their sexual orientation runs counter to basic fairness. More importantly, it is an affront to our other principles that are founded on fair play. 

    It behooves us all, therefore, to be vigilant of the slightest encroachment on any one freedom, as this also erodes the same foundation on which our other freedoms are built. 

    Nigeria should be rebuked at every turn by by all fair-minded people who respect the basic dignity of Man.

  14. so Scotto…..do you think Heterosexuality should not be promoted either? How do you define “promotion” anyway? Homosexuality is a NORMAL form of sexual behaviour…you don’t PROMOTE it, it JUST HAPPENS mate! BORN THIS WAY!

  15. Religion is the root of all evil. Muslim, Christian whatever…..fairy tales that destroy so much life! 14 years in jail and death by stoning because the boogeyman man says so! Africa will not move on until the curse of religion there subsides and the same corrupt rulers who uphold its laws are replaced by people who care. It’s just another stick to beat the ordinary people with!

  16. Quite a well written article, nice spin for those in the glbt community.

    I agree that Homosexuality should not be made illegal, but I think it should not be promoted either.

  17. f*cked up country deserves all it gets.. although you have to feel sorry for all those people who will now be persecuted and killed because of such narrow minded backward thinking.

  18. Its funny how they Hated the British and tried to kill them all.(Shame that never worked ).But they kept their stupid religous beliefs and laws about who could have sex with whom.
    They Kill their enemies from different tribes and thats ok.
    Should never help these people.They should have always been left alone.

  19. @ Hoin: Nigeria does not need foreign aid from countries struggling with recession when it is powering ahead at 7% GDP growth. As a matter of fact, those so-called aid givers will soon run to Nigeria for bailout…LOL.