Using a list of names supposedly garnered through torture, Nigerian authorities have launched a manhunt for gay men.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill that criminalises same-sex relationships, the presidency said, defying pressure from Western governments to respect gay and lesbian rights.
The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amorous relationships" and membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the national assembly last May but Jonathan had delayed signing it into law.
Dorothy Aken'Ova, executive director of the country's International Centre for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, said that the legislation, hailed the "Jail the Gays" law, had led to mass arrests.
Police in Bauchi state, she claimed, had a list of 168 purportedly gay men, of whom 38 had been arrested.
The laws, she cautioned, will endanger medical programmes combating HIV-Aids in the gay community. Nigeria has the second-largest HIV epidemic globally with an estimated 3.4 million people living with HIV.
Responding to the spread of anti-gay legislation,Kerry said: "The United States is deeply concerned by Nigeria's enactment of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. Beyond even prohibiting same-sex marriage, this law dangerously restricts freedom of assembly, association and expression for all Nigerians.
"[The law] is inconsistent with Nigeria's international legal obligations and undermines the democratic reforms and human rights protections enshrined in its 1999 constitution," he added.
"People everywhere deserve to live in freedom and equality. No one should face violence or discrimination for who they are or who they love."
6 comments:
Christian homophobes like Scott Lively and Peter Spriggs have greatly assisted African nations in their drive towards genocide of LGBT people. Nigeria, an unsustainable and failed state, was in need of a scapegoat and religious hatemongers were only too eager to provide one. It is yet another obscene example of western religious imperialism.
Hi Elliott. If you caught the Daily Show last night, Stewart's guest was a documentary film maker who just did a movie on Uganda's anti-gay laws and the American fundamentalist evangelicals who are behind Africa's spreading homophobia.
saw the same interview. the documentary will be interesting to watch. if the U.S.A. is concerned about these types of laws in Uganda and Nigeria, then make sure their American citizens don't go and preach hate.
perhaps these Americans who are doing this ought to be arrested and tried in the Hague as war criminals. They certainly qualify. They are just getting another government to do their dirty work.
Scott Lively is currently embroiled in a civil suit brought by a group of Ugandan LGBT activists for crimes against humanity. Although the case is far from settled, US District Judge Michael Ponsor has ruled that "Widespread systematic persecution of LGBTI people constitutes a crime against humanity that unquestionably violates international norms."
I do not routinely watch Jon Stewart and missed his presentation of the issues.
Canada quite rightly has laws designed to allow us to prosecute pedophiles who go abroad to procure children for their unspeakable crimes. Perhaps we should have similar laws that allow us to prosecute hatemongers who promulgate hate speech in other nations, that would be an offense if disseminated here. I am not sure how often that happens but it is a law worth considering.
I think you're on to something Elliott. It's no secret these filthy rich evangelical homophobes have been doing this "missionary" work in African countries for many years. Make no mistake that Scott Lively types live in our home and native land too. They know where to stoke the ashes. We're told that gays are less than 10% of the population (which I think is much higher) and yet countries like this want to make a huge moral issue of it. The reality is though that the main goal is to name a scapegoat for all of societies woes, as Bush Jr tried to do in '04 with all his amendments to state constitutions, it very effectively distracts the masses so that their pockets may be emptied without them noticing and to support more corruption.
FAIR WARNING to you greasy, African nutjobs. I will not tolerate comments left here perpetrating scams to milk money from HIV victims for Nigerian voodoo therapies. You put'em up, I'll delete them every time. You people are carbuncles on the asshole of humanity.
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