HAPPENING NOW: LGBT Nigerians Jailed After Passage of New Anti-Gay Law

Contents:

• HAPPENING NOW: LGBT NIGERIANS JAILED AFTER PASSAGE OF NEW ANTI-GAY LAW
• HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY
• WHY 'S A CRIME TO BE GAY NIGERIA
• 13 UNTRI WHERE BEG GAY IS LEGALLY PUNISHABLE BY ATH
• NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN

HAPPENING NOW: LGBT NIGERIANS JAILED AFTER PASSAGE OF NEW ANTI-GAY LAW

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.

HOMOSEXUALY: THE UNTRI WHERE IS ILLEGAL TO BE GAY

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.

WHY 'S A CRIME TO BE GAY NIGERIA

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. In April 2006, proposed legislatn to crimalize same-sex unns and GLBTI anisatns, was expand to clu people who celebrate or support same-sex unns, imposg five years imprisonment for “those who vlate the proposed law, cludg those who wns, celebrate wh or support upl volved [a] homosexual relatnship” [R1.

13 UNTRI WHERE BEG GAY IS LEGALLY PUNISHABLE BY ATH

In April 2006, proposed legislatn to crimalize same-sex unns and GLBTI anisatns, was expand to clu people who celebrate or support same-sex unns and rultg far-reachg nsequenc not only for gays and lbians, but anyone who eely associat wh them [R1.

999 Ikorodu Road/Toy Close, Weigh Bridge, Owo Onir, Lagos, the Lagos Magisterial District, did engage gay activi by permtg male persons to have nal knowledge of themselv agast the orr of nature and thereby mted an offence punishable unr Sectn 261 of the Crimal Law of Lagos State, 2015”.

NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN

On 28 December 2016, Chief Magistrat Mrs MC Ojobo the Oredo Magistrat’ Court the Edo State pal Ben reportedly orred the remand of two men, Pl Frank, 31, and Ejimofor Christian, 22, for allegedly engagg homosexual rnal knowledge of each other [R3. On 24 November 2016, a magistrat urt Damatu reportedly sentenced four persons, Ali Sherif, 30, Yuf Maila, 45, Sule Hassan, 32 and Mtapha Usman, 23, to seven years prison followg their nvictn on charg of homosexualy [R3.

On 17 September 2012, Senr Magistrate, Nafisatu Buba, sentenced Btwood Chwuemeka, a 28 year-old actor, rint of Gidan Mangoro, to a three-month term of imprisonment whout an optn of fe, for havg nsexual gay sex wh another man [R3. On 28 July 2013, Mistry of Foreign Affairs spokperson Ogbole Am O nied a 22 July 2013 report that Mister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga Ashi had said that Nigeria would accept gay diplomats and their “spo” posted to the untry [R1. On 22 July 2013, Nigerian Mister of Foreign Affairs Olugbenga Ashi said London that Nigeria will allow foreign diplomats married to people of the same sex to the untry spe s ban on same-sex marriage and homosexualy [R1.

In January 2007, a bill banng same-sex marriage was beg bated the parliament, the sub-cls of which would ban membership of a gay or lbian group, and advotg gay and lbian equaly, hostg or visg a gay webse, rentg or sellg a property to a same-sex uple, takg or posssg photos of a gay or lbian uple, and even exprsns of same-sex love letters or emails.