Nigeria's Gay Marriage, Unn Ban 'Legaliz' Homophobic Vlence, Activists Say | HuffPost Voic

Contents:

• HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY
• OPN: NIGERIA IS A LD-BLOOD UNTRY FOR GAY MEN – I HAVE THE SRS TO PROVE
• NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN
• NIGERIA'S PRINT SIGNS LAW IMPOSG UP TO 14 YEARS' JAIL FOR GAY RELATNSHIPS
• LGBTQ+ NIGERIANS ARE CELEBRATG PRI MONTH DEFIANCE OF ANTI-GAY LAW
• NIGERIAN POLICE JAIL 5 GAY MEN AS ANTI-LGBTQ+ PERSECUTN CONTU
• NIGERIA'S GAY MARRIAGE, UNN BAN 'LEGALIZ' HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE, ACTIVISTS SAY
• NIGERIANS REACT TO BIN'S THREAT OF SANCTNS AGAST NIGERIA, OTHERS OVER ANTI-GAY LAWS
• THE NEW ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSED GHANA WILL DTROY LIV

HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

The acced say they were attendg a birthday Same Sex Marriage Prohibn Act, which banned gay relatnships and entrenched tolerance of sexual mori Nigerian society, was signed by Goodluck Jonathan, then print, January law ed an ternatnal outcry, wh nmnatn om global human rights anisatn and wtern ernments. Surveys have historilly shown high levels of homophobia Nigeria, but some have poted to what mpaigners say is a tentative, growg acceptance of gay men and June, high urt judg Botswana led that laws crimalisg same-sex relatns were unnstutnal and should be stck down, a major victory for gay rights mpaigners Ai.

Botswana is regard as one of Ai’s most stable and mocratic natns, but homosexualy was outlawed unr the untry’s penal of, Mozambique and the Seychell have scrapped anti-gay laws recent judg rejected the precent set by India, which last year legalised gay sex between nsentg adults, as well as by a seri of other judgments across the Commonwealth and elsewhere, and said Kenya should make s own laws to reflect s own Tanzania, thori Dar Salaam, the biggt cy, have lnched a seri of crackdowns on gay people recent years. Image source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Kamala Harris has been a vol supporter of LGBTQ rightsUS Vice-Print Kamala Harris who is on a tour of three Ain untri - Ghana, Tanzania and Zambia - has drawn cricism over her support for LGBTQ Ghana, a speech llg for "all people be treated equally" she appeared to cricise a bill before the untry's parliament which crimalis advocy for gay rights and propos jail terms for those that intify as lbian, gay, bisexual, or untry's Speaker Alban Bagb later lled her remarks "unmocratic" and urged lawmakers not to be "timidated by any person" Tanzania, a former mister spoke agast US support for LGBTQ rights ahead of the vis and Zambia some opposn policians have threatened to hold is homosexualy still outlawed? In the same month, the high urt Barbados stck out laws that crimalised gay July last year, the urts Antigua and Barbuda clared a law crimalisg same-sex acts between nsentg adults Febary 2021, Angola's Print Joao Louren signed to law a revised penal to allow same-sex relatnships and ban discrimatn on the basis of sexual 2020, Gabon reversed a law that had crimalised homosexualy and ma gay sex punishable wh six months prison and a large fe.

OPN: NIGERIA IS A LD-BLOOD UNTRY FOR GAY MEN – I HAVE THE SRS TO PROVE

Mozambique and the Seychell have also scrapped anti-homosexualy laws recent there are untri where existg laws outlawg homosexualy have been tightened, cludg Nigeria and 's parliament recently passed a law to crack down on homosexual activi, promptg wispread source, Getty ImagImage ptn, Campaign agast LGBTQ rights some Ain untri has tensified recent weeksAnd some untri, efforts to get the laws removed have May 2019, the high urt Kenya upheld laws crimalisg homosexual acts.

Although the origal Brish laws applied only to men, untri that crimalise homosexualy today also have penalti for women who have sex wh Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (Ilga) monors the progrs of laws relatg to homosexualy around the says the ath penalty is the legally prcribed punishment for same-sex sexual acts Bnei, Iran, Mrania, Sdi Arabia, Yemen and some northern stat of five untri - Afghanistan, Pakistan, Qatar, Somalia, and the Uned Arab Emirat - there is no legal clary and the ath penalty uld be source, AFPImage ptn, An Indian gay rights activist protts agast a urt lg 2013 upholdg a law which crimalis gay repealed the ath penalty for nsensual same-sex sexual acts observers note that the risk of prosecutn some plac is mimal. And yet, even this gome attack pal parison to the fatal btaly many Nigerian gay men have too often experienced the form of lynchgs or pillory wh tir before they’re set on fire and burnt alive—not for terrorism or worse, but for beg gay, for beg human, a sperately homophobic untry.

Such provisns build on existg legislatn Nigeria, but go much further: while the lonial-era crimal and penal s outlawed sexual acts between members of the same sex, the SSMPA effectively crimaliz lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr (LGBT) persons based on sexual orientatn and genr inty. Many LGBT dividuals terviewed by Human Rights Watch said that prr to the enactment of the SSMPA January 2014, the general public objected to homosexualy primarily on the basis of relig beliefs and perceptns of what nstut Ain culture and tradn. Punive legal environments, stigma, and discrimatn based on sexual orientatn and genr inty, together wh high levels of physil, psychologil, or sexual vlence agast gay men and other men who have sex wh men (MSM), impes staable natnal rpons to HIV.

NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN

When acts of vlence are mted or ndoned by officials or natnal thori, cludg law enforcement officials, this leads to a climate of fear that fuels human rights vlatns and ters gay men and other MSM om seekg and adherg to HIV preventn, treatment, re, and support servic. A June 2013 poll nducted by NOIPolls, prr to the enactment of the SSMPA, found that for moral and relig reasons, approximately 92 percent of Nigerians supported the proposed law, and did not see as gg on the human rights of the lbian, gay, and bisexual muny.

NIGERIA'S PRINT SIGNS LAW IMPOSG UP TO 14 YEARS' JAIL FOR GAY RELATNSHIPS

[18] In 2015, NOIPolls, partnership wh The Iniative for Equal Rights (TIERs), [19] a Nigeria-based non-ernmental anizatn workg to protect and promote the human rights of sexual mori, and Bisi Alimi Foundatn, [20] an enty that works to enurage the acceptance of LGBT people Nigeria, nducted a send poll followg plats that the SSMPA enabl law enforcement agenci to vlate the human rights of lbian, gay, and bisexual dividuals. [23] While the general public ntu to support the prohibn and crimalizatn of same-sex marriage and civil unns Nigeria, is signifint that nearly a third of Nigerians do not agree wh discrimatn accs to socenomic rights for lbian, gay, and bisexual persons.

The report fds that while the SSMPA was troduced to a legal ntext that already crimalized nsensual same-sex nduct and an already pervasive homophobic climate, has had profoundly negative human rights impact on LGBT people Nigeria.

LGBTQ+ NIGERIANS ARE CELEBRATG PRI MONTH DEFIANCE OF ANTI-GAY LAW

LGBT dividuals and reprentativ of LGBT anizatns told Human Rights Watch that the one mon misnceptn sce the passage of the SSMPA is that homosexual inty is now a crimal offence, that members of the public have a duty to report any person they know or spect to be homosexual, and that failure to do so is also a crime. Durg a rad terview March 2016, the producer of the show said that we should not say anythg that hts at or is specifilly related to sexual orientatn, not to monstrate any support for sexual orientatn issu or sympathy to homosexualy, particular male homosexualy. [46] The report, “Legal Environment Asssment for HIV/AIDS Rponse Nigeria, ” nclus that there is limed unrstandg of the provisns of the SSMPA, statg, “apart om the fact that they have not read the law, the Police have also given the imprsn that the law is aimed at arrtg homosexuals.

Osr, a 22-year-old gay man om Lagos, told Human Rights Watch that on April 16, 2015, while visg a iend Ibadan, he and five of his iends saw police vans, wh seven police officers ont of his iend’s hoe when they returned om church. Nathan told Human Rights Watch that police arrted him and the other two men, forced them to strip down to their unrwear while ctody, acced them of beg gay (whout filg any formal charge), and released them four days later after they paid a 20, 000 Naira bribe (approximately $64).

[105] Michael and many other terviewe said people who tend to perpetrate homophobic vlence seem to have been lyg low, but now that the wily publicized SSMPA was passed, they believe they n unleash terror, and the victims will be terrified of reportg to the police due to the “threat of 14 years prison. ”[106] Many terviewe told Human Rights Watch that prr to the passage of the SSMPA, the general public may have generally objected to homosexualy primarily on the basis of relig beliefs and particular unrstandg of Ain culture and tradn. When the law was passed January 2014, the rate of human rights vlatns creased, accs to health re servic rced; people uld not go to hospals for treatment for STIs [sexually transmted fectns] or HIV bee they feared doctors would ask how they got fected—that doctors would ask directly if they were havg gay sex.

NIGERIAN POLICE JAIL 5 GAY MEN AS ANTI-LGBTQ+ PERSECUTN CONTU

Ined, numero peer tors who provi servic to gay men and other MSM Abuja, Lagos, and Delta State told Human Rights Watch that the police routely e posssn of ndoms and lubrint as evince of homosexual inty and therefore a crimal offence. Samuel, an activist who was arrted while dog muny outreach Kaduna, told Human Rights Watch that the anizatn is operatg unr severe ndns due to fear of arrt and prosecutn: “Many people are aaid to seek servic bee of the SSMPA and some of our gay muny members prent a feme way and we nnot meet them public to do this work.

The provisns of the law uld lead to creased homophobia, discrimatn, nial of HIV servic and vlence based on real or perceived sexual orientatn and genr inty … [and] be ed agast anizatns workg to provi HIV preventn and treatment servic to LGBT people. On October 22, 2014, the Abuja Feral High Court accepted this argument, lg that the applint lacked loc standi to stute the actn on behalf of the gay muny Nigeria, and further stated: “there is nobody or anizatn Nigeria lled lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr (LGBT) muny. The enactment of a law crimalizg homosexualy has the potential to engenr vlence agast persons on grounds of their actual or imputed sexual orientatn, and also to drive this group of persons vulnerable to HIV/AIDS unrground, thereby creatg an environment which mak impossible to effectively addrs the HIV panmic the State.

Image ptn, Those who go to gay clubs Nigeria now face 10 years jailGay rights activists have exprsed fears about Nigeria's tighteng of laws agast legislatn, signed to law by the print whout announcement, bans same-sex marriag, gay groups and shows of same-sex public is already illegal to have gay sex Nigeria - now same-sex upl uld face up to 14 years prison. "When you say that servic will not be provid, what you're sayg is that HIV servic that are terg for men who have sex wh men will have to stop, " he told the BBC's Newsday new law remends prison sentenc of up to 10 years for anyone who participat gay clubs or anisatns and for same-sex upl who publicly show affectn.

NIGERIA'S GAY MARRIAGE, UNN BAN 'LEGALIZ' HOMOPHOBIC VLENCE, ACTIVISTS SAY

"Any person who registers, operat or participat gay clubs, societi and anisatns or directly or directly mak public show of same-sex amoro relatnship Nigeria ms an offence and shall each be liable on nvictn to a term of 10 years prison, " the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibn Act says.

Acrdg to AP, the few Nigerian gay and human rights activists who tried to give evince last year durg the parliamentary bate were heckled and booed until one broke to tears and another uld not be US has also exprsed s ncern about the new dangeroly rtricted "eedom of assembly, associatn and exprsn for all Nigerians", US Secretary of State John Kerry said the act was "nsistent wh Nigeria's ternatnal legal obligatns and unrm the mocratic reforms and human rights protectns enshred s 1999 nstutn" human rights chief Navi Pillay scribed the law as "dranian".

A number of other Ain natns have already ma homosexualy punishable by jail December, Ugandan MPs passed a bill creasg sentenc for homosexual acts to life jail and makg punishable by a prison term not to report gay ntroversial legislatn has yet to be signed to law by the Ugandan on this storyAround the BBCRelated Inter LksThe BBC is not rponsible for the ntent of external s.

NIGERIANS REACT TO BIN'S THREAT OF SANCTNS AGAST NIGERIA, OTHERS OVER ANTI-GAY LAWS

Nigeria's Print Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that crimalis same-sex relatnships, fyg wtern prsure over gay rights and provokg US bill, which ntas penalti of up to 14 years prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amoro relatnships" and membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the natnal assembly last May but Jonathan had layed signg to law. Jonathan is expected to seek re-electn 2015 but is unr prsure after several dozen lawmakers and a handful of regnal ernors fected to the opposn the past two existg Nigerian feral law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislat for a much broar crackdown on homosexual people, who live a largely unrground US secretary of state, John Kerry, said Washgton was eply ncerned by the new measur.

"It is nsistent wh Nigeria's ternatnal legal obligatns and unrm … mocratic reforms and human rights protectns, " he European untri, most recently France, have moved to offer same-sex upl the legal rights enjoyed by heterosexuals, many Ain untri are seekg to tighten laws agast homosexualy. "Any person who registers, operat or participat gay clubs, societi and anisatns or directly or directly mak public show of same-sex amoro relatnship Nigeria ms an offence and shall each be liable on nvictn to a term of 10 years prison.

By Pelumi SalakoILORIN, Nigeria, June 23 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) — YouTuber Victor Emmanuel knows first-hand how tough life is for people who are openly gay Nigeria, where LGBTQ+ relatnships and even same-sex displays of affectn are year, he was kidnapped by seven men who blackmailed, extorted, and tortured him for two days an attack that has sce left him nstantly lookg over his shoulr.

THE NEW ANTI-GAY BILL PROPOSED GHANA WILL DTROY LIV

"Nigeria is a eply relig untry, where many reject homosexualy as a rptg Wtern 2014, the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibn) Act was signed to law, which bars not only gay relatnships but also any public sign of same-sex affectn or membership of LGBTQ+ groups, wh punishments of up to 14 years prison. Gay sex is illegal more than half of Ain untri, acrdg to global LGBTQ+ rights tracker Equalx, although Gabon, Kenya, and Botswana have all crimalised same-sex relatns recent spe the risks, activists are phg to exprs themselv and mand change this June, a month which is marked around the world wh LGBTQ+ Pri ralli and parti. The legislatn amounts to "refully nstcted state vlence" which "exacerbat queerphobia and prevents om havg a muny, " said Kayo Ani Somtochwu, founr of the Queer Unn for Enomic and Social Transformatn (QUEST) Mistry of Jtice and the police force did not immediately rpond to requts for 2018, a group of 47 men were arrted and later charged for allegedly jog a gay club, a se that drew ternatnal outcry and was wily seen as a tt of the men said they were at a birthday party and the se was thrown out by a judge due to the "lack of diligent prosecutn.

"But LGBTQ+ people are growg creasgly vol and visible, wh the ter providg a space for gay-iendly films, talk shows, and rights groups barred om formally registerg as an anisatn unr the same-sex marriage law, most anisg and support groups take place onle. 13, 2014A tough ban on same-sex relatnships that threatens vlators wh 14-year prison terms has been quietly signed to law by the print of Nigeria, Ai’s most populo natn, a step that rights advot have long feared not only as a reprsn aimed at gays but as an afont to basic eedoms of speech and assembly. The law took effect as gay-rights advocy is gag tractn elsewhere, led by the Uned Stat and other Wtern natns where the legaly and acceptance of same-sex marriage and civil unns are the Nigerian law, is illegal not only to engage an timate relatnship wh a member of the same sex, but to attend or anize a meetg of gays, or patronize or operate any type of gay anizatn, cludg private clubs.

Language an earlier proposal that would have ma a crime not to report a same-sex relatnship — which uld have forced parents to report gay children, for example — was absent om a fal versn of the law, acrdg to The Associated Prs, which said had seen a py signed by the print. In a poll on homosexualy nducted 39 untri and published last June by the Pew Rearch Global Attus Project, 98 percent of Nigerians — more than any other populatn surveyed — answered “no” to the qutn “Should society accept homosexualy?