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Nigeria moves to tighten gay
laws
14 Feb 2007-
Nigeria's House of Representatives has held a public hearing on a new
bill seeking to outlaw gay relations.
The bill, which
could become law before April's elections, proposes a five-year sentence
for anyone convicted of being openly gay or practising gay sex.
Critics say the
bill is anti-freedom, but religious leaders say it will help "protect
society's morals and values".
Homosexuality is
taboo across most of Africa, although South Africa recently legalised
gay marriages.
The committee
conducting the public hearing say they have received over 100 petitions
from rights groups asking that the proposed bill be withdrawn.
"The bill is
going to seriously violate the rights of people. This bill is evil and
should not be allowed to see that light of the day," says Alimi Ademola
who heads Independent Project Nigeria, a gay rights organisation.
Debate
But the bill
will prove popular in a country where homosexuality is taboo and
elections are looming, says the BBC's Senan Murray in Abuja.
Parliamentary
insiders say the bill is likely to be passed by both chambers of the
Nigerian National Assembly by the end of March, he says.
Speaking at the
session, Deputy Speaker Austin Opara said he did not want Nigerians to
forget their "religious and cultural backgrounds".
The Christian
Association of Nigeria (Can), the umbrella body for Nigerian Christians,
called for speedy passage of the law, describing same sex unions as
"barbaric and shameful".
The National
Muslim Centre also condemned gay relations as "immoral, and runs
contrary to our cultural and religious values".
The deputy
chairman of the house committee on human rights Abdul Oroh says it was
hypocritical of proponents of the bill to use morality and religion as
basis for their arguments.
"We should not
be hypocritical here. I think we should deal with this subject
dispassionately. While we are trying to protect morals and values, we
must also remember to protect people's rights even if they are a
minority," Mr Oreh said at the public hearing.
The United
Nations has warned that the bill would promote the spread of HIV/Aids.
"Failing to
acknowledge that sex between men will only increase the vulnerability of
men - and women - to HIV infection, since men who cannot talk about
their sexual orientation are less likely to seek appropriate support
services," said Dr Pierre Mpele, the UNAids country co-ordinator in
Nigeria.
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