y1WlEjNAYV3-K1WpS3N1_iK3Azo TaJuLa's Blog: Nigeria's Secret Gay Club.

Thursday 3 January 2013

Nigeria's Secret Gay Club.


Rashidi Williams
Rashidi Williams is one of Nigeria's few openly gay human rights activists.
This gathering of members of the gay and lesbian community in Lagos is held regularly, albeit discreetly, but it could soon be illegal.

The vast majority of gay Nigerians may not be interested in this kind of event but they still have to hide their sexuality in this conservative society.
Whilst already illegal, homosexuality is widely frowned upon across Nigeria and has been the subject of several bills in the National Assembly.
The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill specifically outlaws same-sex unions.
It also bans gatherings of homosexuals or any other support for gay clubs, organisations, unions or amorous expressions, whether in secret or in public. But Nigerian homosexuals complain that the stigma they face is already enough punishment for their way of life. "Ours is to weigh the aggregate of opinion - what the majority of Nigerians want," says Abike Dabiri, a member of the House of Representatives.
"If majority of Nigerians want same-sex marriage, then why not?"
She adds: "You have a right to your sexual preference but by trying to turn it into marriage do you realise you could be infringing on the human rights of the other person who finds it repulsive?"
CULLED FROM BBC NEWS.

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