Meanwhile, in Nigeria

The House of Representatives, Nigeria

Homosexuality is a 'moral and social holocaust' which threatens the 'continued existence of this nation' and brings 'disastrous consequences to mankind' - according to the Anglican Church (Nigeria).

From Gay Community News:

The House of Representatives in Nigeria has voted unanimously in favour of a new legislation banning same-sex marriage.

The bill "prohibits marriage between persons of same gender, solemnisation of same and other matters related therewith."

Representatives said that both Islam and Christianity, the prominent religions in Nigeria, condemn homosexual acts.

Pink News says:

Changing Attitudes Nigeria (CAN), an Anglican Church pressure group on LGBT rights, attacked a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and imprison anyone associated with promoting gay rights.

Davis Mac-Iyalla, head of Changing Attitudes Nigeria, warned that acceptance of the bill would see vast numbers of Nigerians fleeing to other countries to escape persecution.

"Already we are seeing an increase in homophobic behaviour and attacks, because people feel they can get away with it. The climate is already becoming intolerable", said Mac-Iyalla.

"Unless the government tones down its language and cancels the bill, we are going to see a flood of refugees as people flee for their lives," he warned.

...
But Emmanuel Onwubiko, a senior commissioner at Nigeria's Human Rights Commission told the BBC:

"Supporters of the same-sex marriage in Nigeria don't know what they are saying. As far as we are concerned, gay marriage is not allowed in Africa.

"If South Africa want to do it, that is their business. It is not Nigerian to by gay, let alone going ahead to legally get married as gay and even live as a family with adopted children.

It's completely alien to our culture," he added.

Colin Coward has written a letter (here, but not yet on his blog) arguing against the legislation partly because 'Very few Nigerian LGBT activists are free to speak out in a country which already has repressive anti-gay legislation on the statute book'.

But there were protests (This day):

Homosexuals yesterday stormed the National Assembly to protest over a bill which seeks to prohibit same sex marriages in Nigeria.

The group, comprising young males and females, said they were opposed to the bill because the United Nations charter on Human Rights guaranteed them freedom of association and freedom to sexual orientation, all of which the proposed law will deny them.

The protest was countered by a group of religious leaders who were in attendance at a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Human Rights, Women Affairs and Justice.

...

Rashidi Williams, leader of the Queer Alliance, one of the homosexual groups at the forefront of the agitation, said his group was opposed to all forms of discrimination against homosexuality in Nigeria, arguing that homosexuality was a private decision which does not in anyway affect the right of others who are not homosexuals.

...

“We believe that we are created by God and do not wish to be discriminated against, we seek your help and appeal to you all to lay this bill aside. We ask that the House of Representatives and our lawmakers work with us to understand the concept of sexuality and sexual orientation through our experiences and not create laws that punish us needlessly,’’ he said.

And this is what the church says:

Many of the legislators and religious leaders at the event were shocked to see young people openly identifying with an idea considered as sacrilegious and satanic.

In a presentation by the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), the church said “same sex marriage is out to foist on the world a false sense of the family, which will bring disastrous consequences to mankind.”

According to the clerics, same sex marriage ”apart from being ungodly, was unscriptural, unnatural, unprofitable, unhealthy, un-cultural, un-African and un-Nigerian. It is a perversion, a deviation and an aberration that is capable of engendering moral and social holocaust in this country. Outlawing it is to ensure the continued existence of this nation.”

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When the rhetoric grows this loud and bombastic the only question that remains is: what are they tring to hide?


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