nigeria’s anti-gay bill passed despite lgbti deliberations

Mongezi Mhlongo (BTM Reporter)

NIGERIA – 28 January 2009: The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex, (LGBTI) community in Nigeria is appalled by the recent approval of the drastic Same Gender Marriage Prohibition Bill  by the House of Representatives, which aims to root out all forms of homosexual practices in that country.  

According to Reverend Jide Macaulay of the House of Rainbow Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) the Bill “is a continuing nuisance and avoidable evil that is terrorizing innocent same gender loving people.”
 
Macaulay cited that this Bill is a step back with regards to an inclusive society where the LGBTI people are respected.
 
“It also slows down the journey towards reconciliation, inclusion, respect and dignity for LGBTI people”, he said.

The Bill is described as “seeking to prohibit marriage between persons of same gender, witnessing of same gender marriages.”

It is also said to provide appropriate penalties for solemnisation of such marriages.

Furthermore the Bill suggests that individuals who have entered into a same sex marriage are liable to a conviction of three years imprisonment, and those who have witnessed, abetted or aided a same sex marriage are liable to a fine that constitutes a five year jail term.

The “draconian” bill has been discussed at public hearings and has the full support of Nigerian citizens and it has been praised by some politicians.

“It is against my faith to have same sex marriages. It is against our penal code to even engage in activities that are as quarrelsome as these between a man and man as well as between a woman and woman”, a Nigerian politician Igo Aguma said.

Aguma indicated that the spread of HIV/AIDS is solely to be blamed on sodomy which he believes is homosexuality, adding that young children are being coerced into such behavior. 

“The greatest means of transmitting this disease is through the act of sodomy. Young children are already victims of being lured into this cruel and unimaginable act. It is an act of perversion”, he said.

However Macaulay hinted that such claims are based on ignorance and the lack of understanding by the religious community.

He added that “the condemnation of homosexuality by the religious communities is based on unreasonable fear and failure to ensue dialogue that may bring enlightenment and also dip into historical knowledge of homosexuality.”

Nigeria has been under fire following a series of unfolding events that have compromised LGBTI rights in that country.

The European Parliament Intergroup on gay rights has been vocal on human rights violations in Nigeria.

The Intergroup even sent a request to the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid to bring to a halt its financial support to Nigeria in opposition of the Same Gender Marriage (Prohibition) Bill. 

In 2007 Nigeria lost the bid to host the 2014 Commonwealth Games following gay activists sending an 11 page report setting out why Nigeria should not host the 2014 games.

Among the reasons Davis Mac-Iyalla revealed in that report that Nigeria had appalling human rights records and that the country’s homophobic oppression violated Common Wealth Games ethos of equality, humanity, peace unity, cooperation and understanding.

Presently Macaulay says there are currently no specific protections or recognitions under law for LGBTI people.

“For many years the lives of LGBTI people in Nigeria have been compromised by the introductions of bills seeking to punish us for who we are and who we love”, Macaulay said.

In 2007 the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was deliberated by the Nigerian Parliament but no consensus was met and was not passed into law but the recent reviewed and harsher version will most likely be passed into law following a supporting response from both the government and Nigerian citizens.