Anti-gay legislation in Nigeria

 

The Nigerian National Assembly is in the process of considering a sweeping piece of anti-gay rights legislation which is thought very likely to pass. You can read about it here:

 

 

 

Quote:

The draconian measure will outlaw membership of a gay group, attending a gay meeting or protest, advocating gay equality, donating money to a gay organisation, hosting or visiting a gay website, the publication or possession of gay safer sex advice, renting or selling a property to a gay couple, expressions of same-sex love in letters or emails, attending a same-sex marriage or blessing ceremony, screening or watching a gay movie, taking or possessing photos of a gay couple, and publishing, selling or loaning a gay book or video. Even mere socialising by two or more gay people is likely to be interpreted as illegal.

 

LONDON, January 19, 2007 – Nigeria seems certain to legislate one of the world’s most sweeping and repressive anti-gay laws, unless international pressure is bought to bear on the Nigerian government in the next few weeks.

 

We appeal to gay and human rights groups worldwide to take urgent action to press the Nigerian government to uphold international human rights law and to drop this draconian legislation.

 

A new bill, currently being debated in the Nigerian parliament, is the most comprehensively homophobic legislation ever proposed in any country in the world.

 

Its extremism is rivalled only by the death penalty that exists for homosexuality in several Islamic fundamentalist states.

 

The bill is primarily concerned with banning same-sex marriage, but its sub-clauses go much further. They will strip lesbian and gay Nigerians of their already limited civil rights. The bill outlaws almost every expression, affirmation and celebration of gay identity and sexuality, and prohibits the provision of sympathetic advice and welfare support to lesbians and gay men.

 

And violations will be punished with an automatic five year jail sentence.

 

Expressions of same-sex love in letter or email to be outlawed

 

 

The draconian measure will outlaw membership of a gay group, attending a gay meeting or protest, advocating gay equality, donating money to a gay organisation, hosting or visiting a gay website, the publication or possession of gay safer sex advice, renting or selling a property to a gay couple, expressions of same-sex love in letters or emails, attending a same-sex marriage or blessing ceremony, screening or watching a gay movie, taking or possessing photos of a gay couple, and publishing, selling or loaning a gay book or video.

 

Even mere socialising by two or more gay people is likely to be interpreted as illegal.

 

The Bill widens Nigeria’s already harsh anti-gay laws, to criminalise any expression, public or private, of homosexuality. Attending a private gathering of gay people, or imparting HIV prevention information to a gay person, will also become a crime.

 

“Even before this new legislation, homosexuality was punished with a 14-year jail term under civil law, and by the death penalty in the northern regions of the country that are governed by Sharia law.

 

The new legislation is backed by the Anglican Church in Nigeria and by its notoriously homophobic Archbishop, Peter Akinola.

 

They are encouraging and endorsing the bill’s victimisation of their gay countrymen and women, including the victimisation of their fellow Christians who are gay.

 

The new law will criminalise gay Christian gatherings, blessings and celebrations. It is a direct attack on both the Christian and gay communities of Nigeria.

 

The Bill is entitled, “The Prohibition of Relationships Between Persons of the Same Sex, Celebration of Marriage by Them, and for Other Matters Connected Therewith.â€

 

It has been approved by the Federal Executive Council and is now before the National Assembly. It is expected to be passed and become law shortly.

 

Under the bill, a penalty of five years imprisonment will be imposed on any person who “goes through the ceremony of marriage with a person of the same sex,†or who “performs, witnesses, aids or abets the ceremony of same sex marriage,†or who “is involved in the registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations, sustenance, procession or meetings, publicity and public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly in public and in private.†(See below a full “backgroundâ€)

 

Edited January 31, 200718 yr by Dino

Disgraceful really... But the Nigerian regime is another one of these that the UK Govt props up because of, you guessed it, oil.... The Shell corporation are up to their necks in Nigerian politics

whoa theres oil in nigeria?? wow i didn know that :o

Heres the 1st reaction about article:

 

 

I mean this is Nigeria.. so far away from where I live. But could u imagine this kind of legislation passing in your country!?!? If something like that happens, i'll be at the airport the next day. For sure, thats what they want.. they want the gay people "OUT of the country". so sad

 

 

 

 

 

Heres the 2nd rection about articleb]

 

I don't think it's about getting "Homosexual" out of the country, it's a form of control just like won't allow most girls to attend schools, letting women not use birth control and therefore the spread of AIDS/HIV because men won't use condoms.

 

In my opinion, I think they want everyone to be oppressed, no freedom to do anything, it's like they are living under dictatorship, it's really sad. And the thought that they want to have a ruling like this is even more appauling, but I know that there are people in that country who won't give up the struggle no matter what the laws state. That's my two cents on that.

Edited January 31, 200718 yr by Dino

whoa theres oil in nigeria?? wow i didn know that :o

 

Well, the Shell Corp wouldn't be there if there wasn't mate.... :lol: Not just them, US Oil Corp Chevron is there as well...

 

There was a scandal about a decade or so back involving a Nigerian Writer and Eco-Activist activist called Ken Sarowiwa... He was accused on a pretty trumped up charge of treason (punishable by death, unsurprisingly..), ie, he had the temerity to criticize Shell and Chevron's exploitation and ecological devastaton of the Niger delta... He sought political asylum here in UK, but the craven cowardice of the Major Govt caved into Shell's demands and he was deported. He and eight other dissidents were sentenced to be hanged by a kangaroo court...

 

We are really a disgraceful, hypocritical nation.. Here we are banging on about what a 'bad guy' Saddam was, and we turn a blind eye to much worse, even more repressive regimes just cos they're giving us cheap oil to put in our bloody 4x4s...... :angry: :angry: :angry:

Here's a link for you Dino, click on to get the whole sorry, disgraceful Sarowiwa affair....

 

http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/struggle.htm

Here's a link for you Dino, click on to get the whole sorry, disgraceful Sarowiwa affair....

 

http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/struggle.htm

 

Ok cool thanks

It's like Britain, Margaret Thatcher Clause 28-era..... if you're talking about draconian anti-gay laws, look no further than this country in the 80s.....

It's like Britain, Margaret Thatcher Clause 28-era..... if you're talking about draconian anti-gay laws, look no further than this country in the 80s.....

 

Absolutely mate... It's so easy for us to look at others and condemn them as being 'backward foreigners', but when you actually LOOK a little closer to home, well, we're really not that much better.... I mean, you've got the Catholic Church threatening to close adoption agencies just to stop gay couples from adopting..... Jeeeeeeez, what a bunch of hypocrites, cos the kids are really safer from harm with Priests than they are with the average Gay couple aren't they...? <_<

i think Stephen K. Amos is going to a programmefor c4's gayweek about the black commity's attitude to gay people (ie not much)

so this might include something about Nigeria and other African countries as well.

 

http://www.breweryarts.org.uk/stephen%20k%20amos.jpg

Much of the anti-gay feeling from black people, I think, stems from the revolting stance to homosexuality of the Rastafari faith - a supposedly peace-loving faith that condones vilence and hatred toward homosexuals.... Jamaica is horrendously homophobic, somewhere to avoid at all costs if you're a err... 'batty bwoy'.

Much of the anti-gay feeling from black people, I think, stems from the revolting stance to homosexuality of the Rastafari faith - a supposedly peace-loving faith that condones vilence and hatred toward homosexuals.... Jamaica is horrendously homophobic, somewhere to avoid at all costs if you're a err... 'batty bwoy'.

 

Actually, I dont think you can really blame Rastifari for this particular case, Nigeria is an Islamic country operating a system of Sharia Law.... And much of the rest of Africa is controlled by Christian zealots as well... I do take your general point though, but is it Rastifari itself or is is just the "Ragga" sub-culture...? I never really heard any homophobic thoughts from the likes of Bob Marley or other Reggae musicians...

 

nah, it's Rastafari that's the base of the problem, Scott - it gives the impression of being a loving, all-embracing, peaceful religion - in reality, it's one of the most violent, nasty and opressive:

 

Jamaica has more churches per capita than anywhere else on earth, most of them preaching a brand of Christianity that would seem pretty familiar to your average US Biblebelt fundamentalist. As a side order, there's Rastafarianism, particularly the hard-line bobo ashanti variety adopted by current reggae stars including Sizzla and Capleton. As well as believing in racial segregation, bobo Rastas go in for a fire-and-brimstone reading of the Old Testament that makes Jamaican Christianity look liberal". (extract from The Guardian, December 10, 2004.

 

 

here's some more:

Rastafarianism – Like religious or Christian fundamentalism practices by some churches, Rastafarianism has declared zero-tolerance on homosexuals and homosexuality. Note that some dancehall and reggae artistes in the Caribbean that produce music of homophobic lyrics are practicing Rastas or are supportive of the Rastafarian culture.

The ideology of the Rastafarian Movement is highly condemnative of the Western culture (the US and

Europe) based of its enslavement of the African people and the underdevelopment of Africa among other issues.

 

The Rastafarian Movement generally condemns the existence of homosexuals and homosexuality. But when

it comes to African community they are of the view that it is a Western perversion that serves to destroy

the morality and integrity of the African community (in the Caribbean).

 

It is lucid that the above themes do not exist in isolation. They serve to entrench the deep resentment

that exists in some sections of the Caribbean against homosexuals. Amidst this homosexuals are peacefully

co-existing with their tolerant heterosexual and homophobic heterosexual counterparts in the Caribbean.

Noting the abovementioned themes some homosexuals have resorted to ‘solitary bliss’ whilst others publicly

articulate the right for legal protection against discrimination and other related intolerance.

 

The task ahead of advocacy for the gay and lesbian community is challenging due to years of Caribbean culture and tradition that is ignorant against homosexuals. This taboo can be broken and it has started with some incremental steps and achievements. The mere fact it is a debated issue is indicative that the issue of homosexuality being a taboo in the Caribbean will diminish with other significant changes being a corollary to this.

 

It should be noted that several outspoken gay rights activists in Jamaica have been murdered in the past few months alone.... with the local police having a nonchalent attitude to catching their killers, and in one case, even being accused of assisting with the murder.

Even though there is alot of bad things about the uk, when i read stuff like that i'm glad i live here.

Even though there is alot of bad things about the uk, when i read stuff like that i'm glad i live here.

 

;)

;)

erm..and what is that suppose to mean? If you can't see what is wrong with them wanting to pass a legislation like that then you are an idiot.... homophobia is virtually a form of under education, most of the people who are homophobic tend to be those who leave school at 16 and go straight in to a job, obviously not all of people who go straight in to work are homophobic. oh and by the way, lot's of people who are in denial tend to be homophobic too, there are lots of examples of those sort of people on this forum, aren't there? :)

Edited February 2, 200718 yr by jack89

erm..and what is that suppose to mean? If you can't see what is wrong with them wanting to pass a legislation like that then you are an idiot.... homophobia is virtually a form of under education, most of the people who are homophobic tend to be those who leave school at 16 and go straight in to a job, obviously not all of people who go straight in to work are homophobic. oh and by the way, lot's of people who are in denial tend to be homophobic too, there are lots of examples of those sort of people on this forum, aren't there? :)

 

 

he was agreeing with the previous post... the uk is ok to live in!

avoid getting petrol from 'shell'... thats a small thing you could do..

he was agreeing with the previous post... the uk is ok to live in!

mm the emotion looks like something else -_-

Speaking of Jamaica, this is disturbing...

 

 

Cops save three alleged homosexuals from angry crowd

The Jamaica Observer

 

THREE men branded as homosexuals were yesterday rescued by the police from an angry mob outside a pharmacy in Tropical Plaza, where they had been holed up for almost an hour.

 

But even after the police managed to take the young men from the Monarch Pharmacy, one of the three was hit with a stone, forcing officers to fire tear gas on the crowd which included men, women, teenagers and small children.

 

The approximately 2,000 people gathered outside the Kingston pharmacy hurled insults at the three men, with some calling for them to be killed.

 

The crowd grew larger as the minutes ticked by and the three men and staff inside the pharmacy were visibly terrified as the mob demanded that they be sent out so they could administer their brand of justice. "Send them out!" shouted one man.

 

The men, who all had bleached-out faces, and dressed in tight jeans pants and skimpy shirts, were saved due to quick action by police from the St Andrew Central Division.

When the officers arrived and attempted to push the crowd back from the front door of the businessplace they were greeted with some resistance and when they attempted to escort the men to a police service vehicle, which was parked near to the entrance of the pharmacy, one of the alleged homosexuals was hit on the back of the head with a stone as he flashed a wry smile before attempting to hustle inside the police car.

 

The cops were forced to disperse the large mob by dispensing tear gas canisters and whisking the men away as the crowd scampered in all directions in an effort to escape the irritating fumes.

 

One man in the crowd was determined to get a chance to beat them and hurled insults at the police when they drove out of the premises.

 

"Unu can come save them nasty boy yah? Them boy yah fi go down," the man bellowed.

 

One woman expressed surprise at the brazenness of the men who were clearly displaying effeminate behaviour.

"Jamaica has lost its way if men think they can openly flaunt being gay without any consequences. We don't want that kind of open gay life in this country," the woman said.

 

Homosexuality is frowned upon in Jamaica and gay rights groups have constantly branded the island as anti-gay.

 

Under Jamaican law a male can be slapped with a sentence of up to nine years if caught in a compromising position with another man.

 

Source: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/html/2...ANGRY_CROWD.asp