unholy alliance: how power fuels homophobia in nigeria

By Michael Akanji, Stonewall Initiative - Nigeria

June 2005: On May 17 1990, the General Assembly of the World Health Organization (WHO) removed homosexuality from their list of mental disorders. This action served to end more than a century of medical homophobia. The decision of the WHO constitutes a historic date and powerful symbol for members of the Lesbian, gay, bisexuals and transgender/sexual community. Before this, the World Psychiatric Association (WPA) had already removed homosexuality from their own list of disorders since 1971.

As part of the celebration of the international day against homophobia on May 17 2005, it is very pertinent that we x-ray homophobic behaviors and attitudes in the Nigerian society. Homophobia is a fear of and/or hostility towards gay people or homosexuality. Further homophobia is not a straight jacketed, according to Dr. Riddle in the Riddle scale of homophobia, act but it flows within a continuum of (1) Repulsion - where it is believed erroneously that it is a crime against nature, (2) Pity - the belief that only sex with the opposite sex, heterosexuality, that is the right thing, i.e. Heteronormativity, (3) Tolerance -some also believing that homosexuality is just a phase of adolescent development, (4) Acceptance - what you do on your bed is your own business attitude (5) Support - working to safeguard the rights of homosexuals (6) Admiration - examination of homophobic attitudes (7) Appreciation - celebrates diversity and (9) Nurturance - views gays/lesbians with genuine affection and delight.

Homophobia is often expressed visibly, audibly and sometimes violently, and I will be discussing all these expressions in it different forms in Nigeria. This homophobic expression has been through political statements/media reportage, medical and religion abuses, the manipulation of educational materials and the abuse and ill treatment by police, ethnic militias and other authorities.

MEDIA/POLITICAL HOMOPHOBIA

Political statements in Nigeria about homosexuality before ordaining Bishop Robinson has been limited to clergies turn into politicians. But since the ordination, the stage has been set in Nigeria for discussions about homosexuality and the President has not been left behind in the discussion. President Olusegun Obasanjo in his opening speech at the African Anglican Bishops' conference in Nigeria said, "homosexuality is not part of our culture". In this line was the statement that was credited to the Project manager of the FCT action Committee against AIDS (FACA), Dr. Isah .Y. Vasta in his interview with the Saturday Thisday Newspaper of April 23, 2005 where he is quoted as saying " Homosexuals are only interested in spreading HIV/AIDS".

These verbal attacks, assumptions and assertion on homosexuals help to further stigmatized and discriminate against them, thereby infringing of their fundamental human right. It also makes policy makers to exclude them in the designing of intervention programs, noting the kind of powers politicians weld in the country.

Over time reports in the media about homosexuality in Nigeria has been nothing short of negative. From the miss- representation of pedophiles and/or rapists as homosexuals to a recent statement by a radio presenter in Lagos alleging that there are no homosexuals in Nigeria. The media who are suppose to be the watch dog of the society is being governed by sentiments and prejudice and this further contribute to discrimination and stigmatization of homosexuals.

These kind of prejudice reporting weep up public sentiments against homosexuals, as in the case of Odua Peoples' Congress, a local ethnic militia, attacking gay men at a hang out in Lagos, because they are perceived to be in conflict with normal expression of masculinity, machismo.

Most times the excuse of culture is being used to perpetuate homophobic attacks. However, researches and pre-colonial court records show that homosexuality is part of our culture, as there are ample evidences to show that there are local names for homosexuality. Remember that, no language could effectively express an experience if the experience does not occur in that language.

MANUPULATIONS OF EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS

The school is one of the agents of socialization. Educational materials are suppose to promote and respect the fundamental human rights of individuals and tolerance for diversity in every form, but in the instance of such now being used by fundamentalists to promote sentiments.

There is no other place one can find this manipulation than in the National Curriculum on Sexuality Education or has the name been finally changed to Family Life Education? Any which way a sexual rights activist will see lack of consideration of the "best interest of the child" and the UNICEF standard of a child friendly school Initiative which "ensures that children are learning and not being preached at" and "develops children's self esteem and self confidence free from BIAS from teachers and parents". On the other hand, how does one rate the section on sexual orientation that labels homosexuality has against our culture and religion? What an unholy alliance!

The questions one needs to ask here is that do materials prepared with such heavy sentiments promote the self-esteem of minorities? Does anyone think about the consequences of their action on young sexual minorities?

MEDICAL /RELIGIOUS ABUSES

Apart from the fact that the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN) have not delisted homosexuality from the mental disorder list (if there is any, anyway), there continues to be cases of reparative medicine that is being branded about, one wonders where do such claimants get their clearance from? This furthers mental torture for homosexuals who are forced to go through such. The American Psychiatrist Association (APA), the world's largest psychiatric association said in one of their newsletters said that: "Homosexuality is not a mental disorder and the APA opposes all portrayals of lesbian, gay and bisexual people as mentally ill and in need of treatment due to their sexual orientation."

The American Psychological Association, followed the Psychiatrists lead and adopted the following resolution in their press release of January 24, 1975:
"Homosexuality per se implies no impairment in judgement, stability, reliability, or general social or vocational capabilities. Further, the American Psychological Association urges all mental health professionals to take the lead in removing the stigma of mental illness that has long been associated with homosexual orientation".

In addition, medical personnel are involved in sex reassignment of babies that are given birth to with both genitalia, without putting into consideration of the preference of the child. In a recent Media briefing at the American Association for Advancement of Science Symposium on Biology, the Law, and Definitions of Sex by Dr. Eric Viain on February 18, he said: " Laws and policies that restrict the rights of individuals based on their sex are not rooted in biological reality. The definition of sex from the legal standpoint is arbitrary and should not impede the freedom of individuals." Furthermore, he said, " significant minorities of individuals are left out of simple civil rights because they do not fit established categories of sex. Intersexed people are hurt by arbitrary definitions of sex. As doctors, we have a responsibility to care for our patients in more ways than drugs and surgery� in many cases, we as doctors have assigned their sex arbitrarily."

There have been cases where parents of gays/lesbians/bisexuals in Nigeria conclude that their children that have such sexual orientation have mental disorder. These parents with the collusion of some clergymen made these innocent victims to pass through rigorous"healing" of the so-called "evil spirit". One thing that needs to be put straight here is that religious belief about homosexuality is diverse. Some theologians will argue the fact that holy books never condemn it. Just like there are diverse opinions and beliefs about contraception too.

Further, most health institutions in the country lack personnel that are trained to be sensitive to the needs of homosexuals, or how do one explain this that, questions by physicians that only assume that every one is involve in heterosexual relationships and the lack of sexual risk assessments most times by them.

LEGAL HOMOPHOBIA

The penal and criminal codes of legal system in Nigeria sections 214,215 and 217 criminalize sodomy, which is anal sex. This most times is being used to prosecute homosexuals. The sodomy law actually does not specify that anal sex happens only between same sex relationships. The law is against anal sex of which happen both in heterosexual and homosexual relationships. However, this law has never been used to charge any heterosexual. Statistics have shown that homosexuals have anal sex as an option in sexual relationships just as heterosexuals have it too as an option.

Further, other times part of these codes that have been used to perpetuate this legal homophobia is the "moral and indecent dressing" and the "soliciting for sex" sections of them.

All these are remnant of the Victorian law that criminalizes any form of sexual intercourse that is not intended for procreation.

ABUSE AND ILL TREATMENTS BY POLICE AND OTHER AUTHORITIES

The police have for most times been synonymous with brutality and this has not excluded homosexuals. The case of one Michael Ifedora in Keffi Nasarawa State readily comes to mind. Michael was brutally beaten by police in an attempt to get him to confess that he has been having sexual intercourse with his friend Ibrahim.

Sometimes police harassment is in the form of extortion has the recent case of February 26 2005 in Enugu shows. In the case in question, Emeka Madueke, an open gay was arrested on the charge of raping a 26 year old man, while the truth about the incidence is that actually it was the 26 year old man that tried to rape and molest a girl in a dark alley. However, Emeka was arrested because he is a known gay, so his explanation was not listened to. He got his bail only when he could part with #15,000. With even his landlord, threaten to eject him from the house.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Nigeria has ratified many international laws. Part of these is the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, which its committee, the Human Rights Committee in 1994, in the case of Toonen Vs Australia, the human Rights Committee held that the references to "sex" in Art. 2, paragraph 1, (non discrimination) and 26 (equality before the law) of the Convenant should be taken to include sexual orientation.

In the spirit of this and chapter IV of the 1999 constitution, Nigeria should do well to domestic this international law and others, since it will go a long way in criminalizing discrimination against homosexuals.

Also, the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria (APN), should do well to follow the steps of their world body and WHO, by delisting homosexuality from their list of mental disorder and if there is no list, they can also do well by addressing a press conference or issuing a statement of the issue in the same vain, because that will go a long way in helping to end medical homophobia in the country. The association should also sanction members who are miss-representing the views of their association. The Psychiatrists association should also follow the lead of their American counterpart in helping to remove the stigma of homosexuality.

Clinicians should also avoid assuming that all their patients are heterosexuals, and the use of labels. They should ask specific questions regarding behavior in a direct and non-judgmental way. Care providers that do not understand the health risks of homosexuals cannot provide complete care.

The media need to avail itself with trainings human rights reporting and different sexual behaviors, so that they will not be miss-reporting the issues. They also need to collaborate with organizations that work on this issue. Organizations working on the issues of sexual minorities in Nigeria should also leave up to the watch dog status of responding to scandalous views, opinion and assertions about homosexuality.

The police also need to respect diversity and need not put sentiments at the fore. In the local police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), there should be representatives of diverse groups within the community so that they are better represented and to be able to push forward the issues that concern them. These PCRC should be democratic in nature not the present appointment status that it has.

Furthermore, our educational authorities need to start putting aside their thought but be at the forefront of truly representing the best interest of the child. The UNICEF child friendly initiative should be put into reality in Nigeria. By using the human rights model and a multi-sectoral approach to ensuring that all children are educated with bias, then the result will cover a broad landscape. It will create a vanguard generation of children who are living a lesson in equality. To also further position the children themselves in decision-making levels, we should involve them in school councils, there should be the students representative(s) in the school councils.

In whatever intervention program schools do through the family life or sexuality education provision, there should be acknowledgement that in almost every group of young people there will be at least one young homosexual and therefore the program should acknowledge their needs and experiences. Moreover, all young people, whether they are homosexual or heterosexual, need to know about and to understand the experiences and particular risks that young homosexuals may be at. This can help reduce stigma and prejudices, which still exist about homosexuals.
One good reason to make sure homosexuality is covered is because in every school there will be young persons who either know that they are homosexual or might have a sexual relationship with person of the same sex at some point in their lives. Also, young people are already talking about homosexuality, it is their right to have an accurate information about sex and sexuality, it should not be negotiable, not subjected to religion and personal sentiments of manipulative adults. Being freely accepted and supported is very important in terms of self-acceptance and self-esteem.

Politicians should be weary of what public statements they make as such can help to fuel the fire of discord and thereby lead to miss-representation of the people they are suppose to be representing, which includes the sexual minorities in the country

Finally, as we all look forward to the celebration on May 17 2005, let us all do well to task ourselves, that we all want to learn more about homosexuality, as this action will help us to understand this set of maginalized group in Nigeria and understanding leads to tolerance and tolerance ultimately will lead to respect.