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January 20, 2006

Nigeria to outlaw same-sex unions

Any gay or lesbian couple trying to tie the knot in Nigeria—or anyone who officiates at a ceremony—will be thrown into jail for five years, the BBC reported Thursday. Information minister Franke Nweke told the BBC that the government was making the move as a "preemptive step" because such ceremonies are becoming more common around the world.

"In most cultures in Nigeria, same-sex relationships, sodomy, and the likes of that is regarded as abominable," Nweke told the news service. Homosexual sex is already illegal, and offenders can be subject to stoning.

In addition, the new law will ban "any form of protest to press for rights or recognition" by homosexuals, Agence France-Presse reported.

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and its leaders have continually tried to squash any gay rights protest. President Olusegun Obasanjo, discussing homosexuality at a conference of Nigerian bishops in October 2004, said that "such a tendency is clearly unbiblical, unnatural, and definitely un-African." (Advocate.com)

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