Hopefully the Nigerian government will soon discover state-sponsored homophobia can be expensive. UK Gay News reports the European Union Parliament's committee on gay and lesbian rights is calling on the EU to suspend foreign aid to Nigeria following that country’s latest move to ban same-sex marriage.
Last week the House of Representatives blasted same sex relationships and marriages as "immoral" and voted unanimously to ban same-sex marriage. Gay marriages are already illegal in Nigeria. Sodomy is also illegal and homosexuals face the death penalty. Human rights activists, and, now EU legislators, say the new proposal is redundant and caters to "aggressive homophobia preached" by Christian and Muslim religious leaders, as well as the Nigerian news media.
"I am really surprised that no politician in the House of Representatives stood up against this proposal to state-sponsored homophobia," Intergroup vice president Sirpa Pietikäinen (EPP-ED, Finland) said this morning. "From our history in Europe we know what atrocities can be caused by disrespect of minority rights. The African continent unfortunately has similar experiences."
Michael Cashman (PSE – UK), president of the Intergroup, added that the passing of the law in Nigeria will only raise hatred against gay, lesbian and transgender citizens. "I do not understand how legislators in such a big and diverse country can be so cruel and indifferent to millions of their own people who are already such a marginalised and oppressed minority in their country," he added.
The European Parliament has previously said the level of state-sponsored homophobia in Nigeria is "unacceptable." The committee is sending a request to the European
Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid to evaluate financial support to Nigeria.
Nigeria has among the most draconian anti-gay legislation on the planet. The nation has proposed comprehensive anti-gay measures that would ban gays from even going out to dinner together. Human rights groups have criticized the nation for allowing religious judges to sentence gays to death, but, these sentences have never been enforced. In 2008 this year and in 2007, lynch mobs attacked groups of suspected gay men, killing at least one. There were no arrests.
Call for Suspension of Foreign Aid to Nigeria [UKGN]
Some Background ...
Nigerian Legislators Vote to Ban "Immoral" Gay Marriages [R20]
EU Parliament: Level of Homophobia in Nigeria "Unacceptable" [R20]
Nigerian Mob Attacks Gay Activist [R20]
Nigerian Lynch Mob Storms Jail [R20]
Nigeria Latest 18 Alleged Gays Face Death Penalty [R20]
Nigerian Woman Denies "Lesbian Wedding" [R20]
Nigerian Lesbian In Hiding After Reported Wedding [R20]
Nigeria's Homophobia Threatens Bid for Games [R20]
Nigeria One Step Closer to Outlawing Gays [R20]
Gay Nigerians Speak Out [R20]
Nigeria Prepares to Outlaw Gays [R20]
Nigeria to Ban Gays Meeting [R20]
Who is Archbishop Peter Akinola? [R20]
Nigeria's Islamic Sharia Law [R20]
UK Deports Gay Nigerian [R20]
They should suspend it, for the vile homophobia of the government, and, the fact that most of the money is going into the pockets of the ones spewing the hate, not, the poor who need it.
Posted by: Luther | 22 January 2009 at 15:10
That's right! Hit them in their pocket!
This nation is corrupt from the president to low level bureaucrats. They rob the treasury and shake down everyone for bribes. I bet if they have less money coming in to the country and more nations cut aid, yes they will think two or three times!
Solve the poverty and share the oil revenue!! Forget about gay sex it is not the problem!!
Posted by: Tommy Ross | 22 January 2009 at 15:16
Great news! Maybe our new President and Secretary of State and UN Ambassador will follow the EU's lead.
Well, we can let him know how we feel. He'll hear.
Posted by: Derrick from Philly | 22 January 2009 at 15:21
What a great news day!
Posted by: FREELEO | 22 January 2009 at 15:36
You can say that again. I love the news today, just when things seem bleak there is hope and change!
Posted by: Eric Trujilio | 22 January 2009 at 19:31
Excellent news. I wish the European Union MPs the best of luck.
Posted by: Donovan | 22 January 2009 at 19:51
You just know, though, that if this gets any press in Nigeria at all, it will be declarations from all the Nigerian politicians about how this is yet another example of European neo-colonialism (not to mention European moral decadence).
You can’t blame any African for being sensitive about being told by Europeans what is and is not culturally acceptable. On the other hand, I’m sure most Nigerians realize what corrupt frauds their leaders are. Maybe someday, they’ll realize that the scapegoating of their gay friends and family members is just another technique used by their politicians and pastors to keep them from paying attention to how badly they are being robbed.
Posted by: Jim | 23 January 2009 at 00:15
It is a good step
Posted by: Viktor | 23 January 2009 at 01:11
''You can’t blame any African for being sensitive about being told by Europeans what is and is not culturally acceptable''
Oh please.
THAT is exactly what they've been doing all along; Following outdated and primitive idealogies of NOW non-existent colonial powers and making (and even claming) them as their OWN. Remember homosexuality = UnAfrican/White Man's Conspiracy/European Imperalisim/White. There was never a word to describe same sex actions before those snot-nosed Europeans made their way to Africa and colonized it, and now they've taken what Europe thought about homosexuality as the gospel.
The real victims, the people who should be ''senstive'' to these issues, are the LBGT Africans who are being made into scrapegoats by the ''oppressed'' using those very same idealogies that SCREWED a continent and its people over, against them. Funny how before there was never any questioning about anything the Europeans forcibily spoon fed the Africans, but when the subject of homosexuality comes about, it's those evil Europeans forcing their beliefs, culture and it's approval/disapporval against a nation that has already done all of that for long time.
LMAO at moral decadence. Still slaves to good ol' fashion European Imperalisim. I always love nations that make themselves to be these martyrs of Christinaity (and religion in general) as well as the authority of morality.
It's time to stop giving nations that support BS like this a pass and treating the people of such nations (or citizens) as being some sort of misguided, innocent child who nobody should be to hard on, you know, because they're ''misguided''.
I don't support nor give Latin America a pass on issues like this because it's a region where the people claim oppression but turn a blind eye to evident issues (racism, homophobia, poverty, religious bigotry and the influence of the Catholic church)
Posted by: Kevin Perez | 25 January 2009 at 15:20