Mar 25, 2007News: Another Nigerian Group Pushes Opposition to Anti-gay Bill
By vanrozenheim
(Nigeria) - The "Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2006" was debated...[on] 22 March, by the Nigerian House of Representatives. The bill undermines the fundamental human rights of all lesbian and gay Nigerians, their families and friends. World opinion needs to urgently condemn further progress on this Bill in the Nigerian House of Representatives. It will make criminals of LGBT people simply for being who they are. "We urge all Provinces and Primates of the Anglican Communion to support international action in condemnation of this dangerous and inhuman bill", says the statement of Changing Attitude Nigeria.
Anyone who "goes through the ceremony of marriage with a person of the same sex," "performs, witnesses, aids or abets the ceremony of same sex marriage" or "is involved in the registration of gay clubs, societies and organizations, sustenance, procession or meetings, publicity and public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly in public and in private" and any priest or cleric aiding or abetting such a union could be subject to the five-year prison term.
The version of the Bill presented yesterday is the original "Sani" version that was presented last March. No amendments have been made and the public hearing has not influenced the Bill in anyway. The bill does not take into consideration the views of the Human Rights Committee of the House that the bill will create a fundamental abuse of LGBT human rights. The Committee is understood to be trying to block the Bill and the chair of the Committee reported that they are going to present a minority report. It is clear that no consensus has been reached on the content of the bill between certain of the house committees.
The House of Representatives will officially go into recess today which gives more time for lobbying. Archbishop Peter Akinola is said to be doing last minute lobbying of Anglicans in the House of Representatives and the Government to ensure the bill is voted on soon and passed into law.
Davis Mac-Iyalla, Director of Changing Attitude Nigeria (CAN), said:
"Changing Attitude Nigeria stands as a reminder to the world-wide Anglican Communion that the Church of Nigeria is promoting and supporting a bill which will erode the most basic human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people."
"Archbishop Peter Akinola has committed himself to the Windsor Report which commits him to the process of listening to LGBT people. If he is honest and serious about listening to LGBT members in his Province he must speak out now in condemnation of this bill and ensure that it is defeated."
"I am very worried because very few Nigerian LGBT activists are free to speak out in a country which already has repressive anti-gay legislation on the statute book. The bill is moving very fast and although some people think the bill will fall, the Church sponsors are not giving up and neither are we."
"Conservative Christians want to use Nigeria as an example to other African countries to demonstrate that anti-gay legislation can be passed which criminalizes all affection and activity between LGBT people."
