Marriage Criminalization Bill Introduced In Nigerian House

Jim Burroway

December 7th, 2011

It took barely twenty-four hours for Nigeria’s House of Representatives to register its answer to the Obama Administration’s pledge to become more vigorous in protecting the human rights of LGBT people abroad. The Associated Press reports that the bill which imposes prison terms for gay unions of all stripes which passed the Nigerian Senate last week has was introduced into the nation’s lower house today:

A spokesman for the House of Representatives and a cabinet minister in Africa’s most populous nation and largest oil producer were defiant in the face of Western criticism over the measure. “We have a culture. We have religious beliefs and we have a tradition. We are black people. We are not white,” said Zakari Mohammed, who is also a lawmaker.

He said same-sex marriage “is alien to our culture and we can never give it a chance. So if (Western nations) will hold their aid to us, to hell with them.”

Information Minister Labaran Maku said “we reserve the right to make our laws without apologies to other countries.”

President Barack Obama’s actions and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech seems to have touched off a particular anger, with one lawmaker vowing to up the ante:

Mohammed vowed lawmakers would proscribe even tougher penalties than those proposed so far. He said “to hell with the super powers if they are for gay marriages.”

When the anti-gay bill was first introduced in the Senate, it contained a three-year prison term for couples who enter into a same-sex marriage or any other arrangement  “for other purposes of same sexual relationship.” It also included fines for “witnesses, abet and aids the solemnization of a same gender marriage contract.”

 But by the time the measure finally passed last week, the penalties were substantially increased. The defined unions being outlawed were broadened considerably and the penalty was increased to fourteen years in a Nigerian prison, and the fines for supporting such a union were replaced with ten years imprisonment.

And that’s not all. New crimes were also added. “Any person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organisation, or directly or indirectly make public show of same sex amorous relationship” is now subject to ten years imprisonment. The same penalty applies to anyone who “supports the registration, operation and sustenance of gay clubs, societies, organisations, processions or meetings in Nigeria.” What tougher penalties could be added to the bill is anybody’s guess.

Darina

December 7th, 2011

So now President Obama is white?

Sorry, I couldn’t help noticing the irony.

Jaft

December 7th, 2011

It’s a valid point, Darina.

But you know who *was*/*is* white? Ma Rainey, Bayard Rustin, Felicia Pearson, Darryl Stephens, Audrey Lorde, Melvin Boozer, Sheryl Swoopes, E. Lynn Harris, Tracy Chapman, Angela Davis, Guillermo Diaz, Octavia Butler, Langston Hughes, Bessie Smith, James Baldwin, – wait…

Steve

December 7th, 2011

The only western import is their religion. And later the violent homophobia. Legalized or ritualized same-sex relationships are well established among various African tribes.

It’s crazy how the enslaved take on their masters’ religion and “values” so willingly. Same with African Americans

Tom in Lazybrook

December 7th, 2011

I’m going to ask for the US Department of State to revoke any tourist, student, or immigration visas for any member of the Nigerian Parliament voting for this bill or their direct families.

Does anyone know of any IRS guidelines regarding the tax deductability of donations to groups, including the Nigerian Anglican Church and its’ American Affiliate, CANA, who advocate the denial of basic human freedoms? If so, we might be able to really impact Family Watch International, World Congress of Families, the Orthodox Anglican Movement, and several other evangelical movements in the USA that provide tax exempt assistance to these groups.

The USA provides 1.3 BILLION dollars in DIRECT taxpayer funding to Nigeria.

We should also call Senators and Congressmen, who are currently sponsoring an import subsidy bill for Nigeria, called the American African Growth and Opportunity Act. We should ensure that this Act, currently moving through the Senate, is not used to assist Nigeria.

We should also ask the Congress (sponsor Chuck Shumer) to ensure that those nationals that criminalize Gay persons are excluded from a new Act currently moving through the US Senate, called the Visit USA act, which would allow foreigners purchasing a property in excess of 500k to live in the USA indefinately. We should tell the elites of Nigeria, Jamaica, Russia, Serbia, and Saudi Arabia that they can’t just write a check to gain access to our nation.

Leonardo Ricardo

December 7th, 2011

My mouth flyeth open–these men, and they mostly are arrogant/cowards of men, wish to spit in the face of ¨white folk¨ in order to insist on remaining arrgant and selectively superstitious– meanwhile the child witchburning burnneth out of control, sexual slavery is a big rampant running business and civil war and religious massacres (Yelwa/Jos) are ignored– it will take a long time before these dudes are willing to work for the emotional, spiritual well-being of ALL Nigerians and basic National sanity!

Lucrece

December 7th, 2011

Now watch as the US stays mum or does stern finger-wagging while aid and deals benefiting these African shitholes pass and are upheld.

We’ll see the actual value of LGBT rights to our “allies” pretty soon.

David

December 7th, 2011

“To hell with the superpowers”?

To someone else with our money then.

If you want the benefits of developed civilizations, ya gotta meet the minimum requirements.

Mark F.

December 8th, 2011

Obama is half-white, so he doesn’t count as a “real” black man. Or something. One drop of white blood…

Rob in San Diego

December 9th, 2011

“We are black people. We are not white,”

Because for some reason only white people are gay…

Dear republicans and Tea Baggers, this is why we as American’s are not suppose to claim a religion for our great nation!

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