It’s been all over the web, yes, same-sex marriage, homosexuality is now criminalised in Nigeria! Rueben Abati, spokesperson for the president confirms:
“I can confirm that the president has signed the bill into law," Abati said, without specifying a date but adding that it happened earlier this month.
"More than 90 percent of Nigerians are opposed to same-sex marriage. So, the law is in line with our cultural and religious beliefs as a people,"
"And I think that this law is made for a people and what [the] government has done is consistent with the preference of its environment."
According to the study of 39 nations by the US Pew Research Center, Nigerians are the least tolerant nation when it comes to gays, with 98 percent surveyed saying society should not accept homosexuality. Nigeria is also a highly religious society, with its 70 million people roughly divided in half between Christians and Muslims and a minority practicing other religions.
The law says anyone who enters into a same-sex marriage or civil union can be sentenced to 14 years in prison while any such partnerships entered into abroad are deemed "void". Also anyone who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisations or who directly or indirectly makes a public show of a same-sex relationship will break the law and the punishment for this is up to 10 years in prison. “Only a marriage contract between a man and a woman shall be recognised as valid in Nigeria,"
U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry elaborates that "Beyond even prohibiting same-sex marriage, this law dangerously restricts freedom of assembly, association and expression for all Nigerians,”… he further adds that "People everywhere deserve to live in freedom and equality. No one should face violence or discrimination for who they are or who they love." Also, Samantha Power, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, says the law is a “big setback for human rights for all Nigerians."
With the backlash the presidency is receiving especially from other nations...what I ask is this… (you can comment anonymously)…do you approve of this law or you think it should be abolished? Same sex (gay) marriage ban is in line with our cultural and religious beliefs as a people as Nigerians… YES/NO?
i feel it is...ayo2temi@gmail.com
ReplyDeletei feel it is...ayo2temi@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteI'll just say this, if something were TRULY against your culture/custom, you wouldn't need a law to keep it from happening.
ReplyDeleteOur belief n cultural values does not approve of such things as a result d ban in d country. If anyone is NT pleased wit DAT they can legalised DAT in their country and NT interfering in other country business as to wat is ban or not.
ReplyDeleteWe are just a country full of religious hypocrites...two adults choose to do what they like, no one is getting hurt yet it's a crime but it is ok to legalize child marriage where an innocent child would be damaged for life and innocence stolen...mtcheeeew
ReplyDeleteSomeone says no one is getting hurt when u are actually destroying destinies!I'm not in support of child marriage bt child marriage is far far far better than gay marriage
DeleteHOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DeleteBecause married Gay people have the Right to adopt children.
DeleteJohn kerry and d us should mind their business,same sex marriage is evil and against our cultural beliefs,us as a nation needs help,talking about freedom,united state is void of good morals cos of their poor sense of wt is gOod for a society or not,look at wt freedom of aving guns has cost them as a nation,america isn't nigeria and will never be,its a matter of time I blv nigeria will be greater than united states of america(centre of immorality)
ReplyDeleteInfact if I was d president,I will allow them,but it will be a life sentence if they adopt a child or try to raise a child,let them have pleasure wtout children,d pleasure dt wil send them to their graves childless and wtout a heir!rubish,stupid gay people,gays are worse and less than animals!it will never find expression in dis country!nigeria has bn thru so much as a nation,then u want to add to d problems naija has already by taking away some of d beautiful things in our society,gays are not normal people
ReplyDeleteThe issue with human beings is that we are too judgmental, sin is sin, you steal, lie, commit adultery, fornicate etc God looks at all as sin, there are no degrees, one is not less than the other..Why is what is happening in the four walls of one's bedroom anyone's problem, do you really think every gay individual is trying to get with you? People do not know how to mind their business. I have no issues with a country making their own rules and laws, I do take issue with ignorant people passing judgment, that God says it is sinful, if you are religious then yes you know it is sinful, everything is sinful, the fact that you were born was in of itself a sin- read your bible!!! why does the government truly care about one's sexual preference really? will add money to the bank, fix infrastructures, help with education, come one..it just does not sit well with your beliefs and your culture right? The same culture that allows multiple marriages, as one reader also indicated, child marriages, please.. at the end of the day, we fear what we do not know, and those that are opposed to anything to do with same-sex relations obviously need to take their heads out of their ***es and stop using God as their crutch..
ReplyDelete....And please before you come for me with your comments-wait until i send for you!!!!
Ehn ehn? Do our cultural and religious beliefs support pedophile? Adultery? Fornication? Why don't they pass bills On these as well.
ReplyDeleteInstead of us to pass bills that will move our country forward, it's what two adults are doing in their house that we are making our business.
Soon they will pass bill on what kind of sex position is legal.
Issues like this I avoid.. cos we could bring up other sin that we all commit yet no ban has been put on it. I personally thing the issue of no light in Nigerian and lack of unemployment is a bigger issue the president and his team should be facing.. not this at the moment. I personally think banning this will not stop those who want to be gay from being gay. Even with all the sermons in churches in Nigeria fornication and adultery is on the rise.. so lets call a spade a spade.. people will do what they want.. They govt should focus on things they have change and make positive impact.. like electricity and employment.
ReplyDeleteQ: Same sex (gay) marriage ban is in line with our cultural and religious beliefs as a people as Nigerians… YES/NO?
ReplyDeleteA: If we say is this ban in line with our cultural beliefs and customs I would say yes.
Now is this what the Government should be focused on?
No, there are so many other things wrong with Nigeria and I don't think tackling the matter of homosexuality first would begin the process of moving this nation forward
Truth be told the Bible has already said in the end times, men would be lovers of themselves and not of God and God has said he would give them over to a reprobate mind.
No matter the ban or law, No one can change the plan of God and the end is indeed drawing nearer
Q: Same sex (gay) marriage ban is in line with our cultural and religious beliefs as a people as Nigerians… YES/NO?
ReplyDeleteA: If we say is this ban in line with our cultural beliefs and customs I would say yes.
Now is this what the Government should be focused on?
No, there are so many other things wrong with Nigeria and I don't think tackling the matter of homosexuality first would begin the process of moving this nation forward
Truth be told the Bible has already said in the end times, men would be lovers of themselves and not of God and God has said he would give them over to a reprobate mind.
No matter the ban or law, No one can change the plan of God and the end is indeed drawing nearer
Adultery is also a sin, yet many people in Nigeria practice it and there is no 14 year sentence as a consequence. I'm not saying gay marriage should be legal in Nigeria but us Nigerians shouldn't be so ignorant.
ReplyDeleteThe government have more urgent matters to be concerned about. There is not even 24 hour electricity. Yet their worry is homosexuality, which is obviously practiced by a very small proportion of the nation.
ReplyDeleteyou lots can say what you like, some people are just like that, it natures and you can't really stop it, you 'll just create the a dangerous "DL" situation like in black-Americans and that will means more diseases, better to know who they are than have them been underground, 1 in 6 men or women is gay that is just it, accept or not....African, Nigerians should come out of dark ages it 2014 not 1914s, science, fact is there now don't start turning you eyes at it..it not a west issue it a human issue..I'm sure some of you knows or aware of someone who just not keen on the opposite sex... I sure, when I was 10 or 11 in 1987 in Nigerian and I' am aware of a very afeminine man now a guy like in Nigerian was force into a marriage with a female what do you think that will be like for him, a living nightmare.
ReplyDeleteyou lots can say what you like, some people are just like that, it natures and you can't really stop it, you 'll just create the a dangerous "DL" situation like in black-Americans and that will means more diseases, better to know who they are than have them been underground, 1 in 6 men or women is gay that is just it, accept or not....African, Nigerians should come out of dark ages it 2014 not 1914s, science, fact is there now don't start turning you eyes at it..it not a west issue it a human issue..I'm sure some of you knows or aware of someone who just not keen on the opposite sex... I sure, when I was 10 or 11 in 1987 in Nigerian and I' am aware of a very afeminine man now a guy like in Nigerian was force into a marriage with a female what do you think that will be like for him, a living nightmare.
ReplyDelete