Nigeria is tryg 47 men arrted a hotel unr s anti-gay laws | CNN

Contents:

• NIGERIA IS TRYG 47 MEN ARRTED A HOTEL UNR S ANTI-GAY LAWS
• NIGERIA ARRTS DOZENS AS ANTI-GAY LAW TO FORCE
• GROUP: NIGERIA ARRTS GAY ‘SPECTS’ UNR NEW LAW BANNG HOMOSEXUALY
• OPN NIGERIA’S ANTI-GAY LAW MANDS A RPONSE OM THE WT
• LGBT: DPE ANTI-GAY LAW, HOMOSEXUALY RIS NIGERIA FEW DAYS TO BIN’S PRINCY
• NIGERIAN POLICE JAIL 5 GAY MEN AS ANTI-LGBTQ+ PERSECUTN CONTU
• NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN
• NIGERIA'S ANTI-GAY BILL SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRINT GOODLUCK JONATHAN
• ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS
• NIGERIAN SENATE PASS ANTI-GAY BILL, FYG BRISH AID THREAT
• NIGERIA TRI TO ‘SANIZE’ ITSELF OF GAYS
• U.S. SUPPORT OF GAY RIGHTS AI MAY HAVE DONE MORE HARM THAN GOOD
• NIGERIAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY BILL TO LAW
• LGBTQ+ NIGERIANS ARE CELEBRATG PRI MONTH DEFIANCE OF ANTI-GAY LAW
• GAY IN NIGERIA: LGBT LIFE IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC NATNS

NIGERIA IS TRYG 47 MEN ARRTED A HOTEL UNR S ANTI-GAY LAWS

Dozens of gay men are reported to have been arrted across northern Nigeria as police beg to enforce punive new laws that crimalise same-sex marriag and membership of gay rights legislatn, nmned by the US secretary of state, John Kerry, and human rights groups Europe, has e to force shortly after the Ugandan parliament passed an Anti-Homosexualy week Nigeria's print, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibn Act, which provis penalti of up to 14 years jail for a gay marriage and up to 10 years' imprisonment for membership or enuragement of gay clubs, societi and spokman, Rben Abati, said: "This is a law that is le wh the people's cultural and relig clatn.

“I challenge Amnty Internatnal to publish tails of persons alleged to have been arrted nnectn wh the new anti-gay law, statg clearly when they were arrted, where they were arrted, the police statn or partment that rried out the arrt, etc., ” Mba told CNN Thursday. At the time, thori announced that arrte would be taken to a “rrectnal center” to be “re-oriented, ” likely referrg to the harmful and discreded practice of nversn the Nigerian crimal , dividuals taed over accatns of beg gay face potential imprisonment of up to 14 years. While LGBTQ+ Nigerians have historilly been crimalized unr lonial-era prohibns of gay sex, the suatn has grown more tenuo over the past several 2013, Nigeria strenghtened s ban on homosexualy wh the passage of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibn Act (SSMPA).

NIGERIA ARRTS DOZENS AS ANTI-GAY LAW TO FORCE

” It also forbids LGBTQ+ anizatns om operatg openly the vlence directed at Nigeria’s LGBTQ+ muny has dramatilly creased the 8 years sce the law was enacted, acrdg to 2018, at least 47 people acced of beg gay were arrted after police raid a birthday party and alleged that atten had engaged “homosexual iatn.

When Nigeria's " yan ddu" populatn no longer walked eely and publicly their muni, was a clear and omo sign to everyone of what was g down the legislative pike: a new dranian anti-gay more than a century, the "yan ddu" (shorthand for "men who act like women, " or cross drsers) populatn was an accepted Hsa subculture the Mlim a Mlim Bori practice, the yan ddu's relig rual is tradnally practiced and celebrated among s most margalized populatns, like sex workers, gay and bisexual men, and transgenr January, however, the group, which was surprisgly driven unrground, has been unearthed and actively pursued for punishment and persecutn by murro, mardg gangs of their fellow Mlim Jan. Nigeria already had place harsh laws agast s LGBTQ populatn, but Jonathan's recent edict tacly enurag mobs who engage what amounts to "queer cleansg" -- the vlent and systematic eraditn of any exprsn of LGBTQ inti and act, which was unanimoly passed Nigeria's Hoe of Reprentativ, not only prohibs people om enterg to same-sex marriag but prcrib a 14-year jail sentence for if you're straight and thk you're safe, you need to know this: It also prcrib a 10-year, guilty-by-associatn jail sentence for any iend or ally "who admisters, wns, abets or aids" any form of genr-nonnformg or homosexual law stat that "any person who registers, operat (supports) or participat gay clubs, societi and anizatns directly or directly, mak a public show of a same-sex amoro relatnship ms an offence and shall be liable to a term of 10 years' imprisonment.

GROUP: NIGERIA ARRTS GAY ‘SPECTS’ UNR NEW LAW BANNG HOMOSEXUALY

Purchas 70 percent of Nigeria's Nigeria's passg of the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibn) Act, murro, mardg, homophobic gangs the Christian south will ntue to chase LGBTQ cizens om their hom while leavg their signature msage, "Homosexuals, pack and leave! 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.

"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.

OPN NIGERIA’S ANTI-GAY LAW MANDS A RPONSE OM THE WT

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.

Recent urt and polil victori have given the LGBT rights movement unexpected momentum the Uned Stat, but the picture is not so bright other plac the world – namely sub-Saharan Ai, where untri like Nigeria, the Gambia and Uganda have passed laws crackg down on their gay, lbian, bisexual and transgenr populatns. In January, Nigeria’s Jonathan signed to law a measure that punish same-sex unns wh 14-year prison sentenc and 10-year terms for those guilty of “promotg” homosexualy; wh days, dozens of people across the untry were arrted, some charged urt wh belongg to a gay anizatn. In Febary Uganda’s Meveni, the face of formidable polil opposn his upg electn, signed a law that levi heavy punishments for same-sex activy, cludg a lifetime prison for “aggravated homosexualy, " meang homosexual relatns wh a mor, a disabled person or someone fected wh HIV.

LGBT: DPE ANTI-GAY LAW, HOMOSEXUALY RIS NIGERIA FEW DAYS TO BIN’S PRINCY

Illtratn by Ethan Rosenberg for USN&WR/Photo by Rebec Vassie for APBoth Brown, who has not been to Ai but says that don’t mean he wouldn’t ever go, and World Congrs of Fai Managg Director Larry Jabs sffed at the ia that their efforts abroad were rponsible for the harsh anti-gay laws beg passed plac like Uganda and Nigeria. * Bill says gay marriage, same-sex relatnships illegal * Penalti set of up to 14 years prison* Wtern ernments urged Nigeria not to pass lawBy Felix OnuahABUJA, Jan 13 (Rters) - Nigerian Print Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that crimalis same-sex relatnships, the princy said, fyg prsure om Wtern ernments to rpect gay and lbian 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 siar bills have been proposed sce 2006 but failed to make through parliament. "Y, Mr Print had signed the bill to law, a statement will be issued on wh the week, " princy spokman Rben Abati told much of sub-Saharan Ai, anti-gay sentiment and persecutn of homosexuals is rife Nigeria, so the new legislatn is likely to be popular.

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

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 homosexuals and lbians, who already live a largely unrground European untri, most recently France, have moved to offer same-sex upl the same legal rights enjoyed by heterosexuals, many Ain untri are seekg to tighten laws agast homosexualy.

“Wtern untri are puttg prsure on pennt untri by attackg the fay foundatn, promotg the ugly phenomenon of homosexualy, the spread of extremism and terrorism, and the e of human rights as a tool, for which the velopment of cultural teractns and cultural operatn between Iran and Uganda will be very effective nontg the plots of the enemi of the two natns, ” said Raisi. “In a dramatic expansn of the threat of vlence; there have also been lls to kill, burn, and beat up fai of those of who are openly LGBTQIA+ and live abroad orr to make their fai unrstand the ep shame and wound that Ethpian homophob the diaspora feel due to the outspokenns of those openly LGBTQIA+ dividuals, ” reads a statement that Hoe of Guramayle issued this week. Passg the Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Fay Valu bill would further rce eedoms a untry where gay sex is already punishable wh up to three years jail, crics and activists Odoi, an amic rearcher, filed a lawsu on July 7 challengg the bill's nstutnaly, sayg would impact donor aid and other forms of fancial support.

Ghana's Supreme Court on Wednday led her arguments were not sufficiently nvcg to grant an lg cleared the way for the bill, one of the harsht towards the LGBTQ muny Ai, to go through a fal stage of parliamentary approval before beg signed to May, Uganda's Print Yoweri Meveni signed one of the world's tought anti-LGBTQ laws, which spelled out the ath penalty for "aggravated homosexualy"'s bill, backed by relig and tradnal lears, clus jail sentenc of up to 10 years for advotg for LGBTQ rights.

NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN

“It would place a wi range of people at risk of crimal sanctns, cludg human rights fenrs and anyone else – cludg iends, fai and lleagu – who stands up for the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual or transgenr people Nigeria, ” Amnty Internatnal said a statement. Ston and bottl raed down on them outsi the urt two weeks ago, rints and officials said; some the mob even wanted to set the urtroom ablaze, wns Nigeria’s print, Goodluck Jonathan, signed a harsh law crimalizg homosexualy throughout the untry last month, arrts of gay people have multiplied, advot have been forced to go unrground, some people fearful of the law have sought asylum overseas and news media mands for a crackdown have sex has been illegal Nigeria sce Brish lonial le, but nvictns were rare the south and only ocsnal the mostly Mlim north.

Police officers routely stop them to search for crimatg imag and chats on their an anti-gay law went to effect last year, many gay Nigerians say they have been subjected to new levels of harassment, even blame the law, the thori and broad social tolerance for their troubl. ”Four years ago, the Amerin ernment embarked on an amb mpaign to expand civil rights for gay people overseas by marshalg s diplomats, directg s foreign aid and ployg Print Obama to speak before hostile 2012, Uned Stat officials said, the Amerin ernment has spent more than $41 ln specifilly to promote gay rights globally, along wh a portn of $700 ln earmarked for margalized groups to support gay muni and .

The Amerin mpaign has stirred misgivgs among many Ain activists, who say they mt rely on the Wt’s support spe often disagreeg wh s Nigeria, Ai’s most populo natn, the fal passage of the 2014 law agast homosexualy — which mak same-sex relatnships punishable by 14 years prison and mak a crime to anize or participate any type of gay meetg — is wily regard by both supporters and opponents of gay rights as a reactn to Amerin prsure on Nigeria and other Ain natns to embrace gay rights. “If ’s important to advance the human rights and velopment of the folks by beg discreet, that’s a posn we’re perfectly fortable takg, ” said Todd Larson, the senr lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr ordator for the Uned Stat Agency for Internatnal Development. Gee Ehani, former secretary general of the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, addg that Nigerian Catholic chari had stopped applyg for Amerin ernment grants that promote gay many Ain activists, Amerin backg is a double-edged the office of the Iniative for Equal Rights here, a small muny center has served as an oasis for gay Nigerians this megalopolis.

NIGERIA'S ANTI-GAY BILL SIGNED INTO LAW BY PRINT GOODLUCK JONATHAN

Callg homosexualy “unnatural” and “un-Ain, ” Olegun Obasanjo, a former print of Nigeria, backed an anti-gay bill 2005 that seemed to be gog as the Uned Stat and other Wtern ernments fiercely nmned the bill — and a siar one Uganda — Father Ehani, Ms.

The legislatn passed unanimoly 2013, the first bill to do so sce the end of ary le what was nsired a major setback to gay rights Ai, Nigeria’s former print, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same Sex Marriage Prohibn Act to law January retrospect, Father Ehani said that Nigeria’s law was too punive and an “overkill.

ABUJA, Nigeria — Nigerian Print Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that crimaliz same-sex relatnships, fyg prsure om Wtern ernments to rpect gay and lbian bill, which ntas penalti of up to 14 years prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amoro relatnships" and membership gay rights groups, was passed by the natnal assembly last May, but Jonathan had layed signg to siar bills have been proposed sce 2006 but failed to make through parliament. Print had signed the bill to law, a statement will be issued on wh the week, " printial spokman Rben Abati told much of sub-Saharan Ai, anti-gay sentiment and persecutn of homosexuals is rife Nigeria, so the new legislatn is likely to be popular.

ADVOCY GROUPS: ETHPIAN ERNMENT’S ANTI-GAY RHETORIC SPURS ONLE ATTACKS

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 homosexuals and lbians, who already live a largely unrground European untri, most recently France, have moved to offer same-sex upl the same legal rights enjoyed by heterosexuals, many Ain untri are seekg to tighten laws agast homosexualy.

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. "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.

NIGERIAN SENATE PASS ANTI-GAY BILL, FYG BRISH AID THREAT

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. LAGOS, Nigeria -- Life Nigeria, one of the world’s most anti-gay natns, is a daily stggle for Aola, a closeted, workg-class homosexual man livg on the outskirts of Abuja, the natn’s small, central (not his real name) has been lled offensive nam, sulted and ostracized over assumptns about his sexualy, so he shields his te self fear that g out would only attract more tense abe. Meanwhile, some young, wealthy gay Nigerians who spend most of their time the louche, Wternized Victoria Island sectn of Lagos -- the massive, quickly mornizg megalopolis on Nigeria’s southwtern ast -- are able to live a quasi-open life spe the vilent homophobia that l much of the rt of the Aola, a portly man his thirti who earns a most livg as a ok at a terg pany Abuja, that life of openns is difficult to said he worri about discrimatn every time he walks out the door, pecially light of a law passed this year that, should be signed by Print Goodluck Jonathan, would make the sheer act of beg gay punishable by up to 14 years prison.

”Aola’s fears are supported by statistil evince: A study of 39 natns published by the Pew Rearch Center June emed Nigeria the least-acceptg natn of the lot for gays, wh 98 percent of survey rponnts sayg society should not accept homosexualy, edgg out ultranservative Jordan by a sgle percentage Acceptg BubbleSix upper-class gay profsnals who met wh the Internatnal Bs Tim at a Victoria Island rtrant last week say that bee they mostly stay wh that neighborhood’s fairly tolerant bubble, they are largely able to avoid Aola’s nstant state of fear. ”Crimalizg HomosexualyBeg gay Nigeria has long meant hidg the shadows of society, but fear and anxiety among most members of the natn’s gay muny have grown markedly sce May 30, when the Nigerian Senate passed a bill makg the simple act of beg homosexual a crime punishable by as long as 14 years prison.

NIGERIA TRI TO ‘SANIZE’ ITSELF OF GAYS

Jonathan has not yet signed or vetoed the bill -- which was prevly passed by the Nigerian Hoe of Reprentativ -- nor has he sent a clear signal of which si he will eventually take on the ntroversial bill, upled wh legal rtrictns on gay marriage, is actually lenient pared wh the suatn faced by gays the Mlim-domated north of the natn, where Shariah Islamic law mak homosexualy a pal offense punishable some areas by stong to though the measure is not yet officially on the books, has already had a chillg effect on gay life Nigeria, acrdg to Aisha, a lbian iend of Fatima’s.

Although Fatima nsirs Abuja to be “like gay central of Nigeria, ” the place she said she would go to “hook up wh a girl, several girls, one weekend, ” that si of gay life isn’t accsible to many homosexual rints of the pal who aren’t as well-heeled as said that due to the discrimatn he fac Abuja, he unrground channels and word-of-mouth to fd other gay people to teract wh or date. “They don’t stay groups, they’d rather rema not mixg wh other gay people, bee they don’t want other people to be able to say, ‘Those guys are gay, ’” he Of The UnknownKgsley is rare among straight Nigerians that he has a well-veloped sense of the nuanc of human sexualy, and he has chosen to unrstand and accept the gay muny rather than ri for s otherns. She said she was eply disturbed when a lleague at the ernmental office where she works who is not aware of her sexualy said a discsn once, “Gays should all be killed, ” but that such vlent remarks are rare her world, where sual ignorance is much more mon.

U.S. SUPPORT OF GAY RIGHTS AI MAY HAVE DONE MORE HARM THAN GOOD

And Augt, an Ogun State man was btally beaten for allegedly beg gay, as reported by the same the laws aimed at crimalizg gayns and same-sex marriage threaten to dify a new paradigm of heightened timidatn and margalizatn for the natn’s gay for urban Nigerians wh enough money, there are some hopeful signs the face of so much discrimatn and misunrstandg.

”And a small but growg number of openly gay activists speak out regularly support of gay rights Nigeria whout beg slammed wh lengthy prison terms, although they are still often harassed and attacked by dividuals for their said that spe all the challeng, life as a homosexual Nigerian n approach normalcy for members of her enomic class.

NIGERIAN PRINT SIGNS ANTI-GAY BILL TO LAW

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

GAY IN NIGERIA: LGBT LIFE IN ONE OF THE WORLD’S MOST HOMOPHOBIC NATNS