Openly gay people yesterday stormed the National Assembly in Abuja seeking for legislation that will guarantee the protection of what they termed their right to determine their sexual orientation.

At a public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Joint Committee on Human Rights, Women Affairs and Justice, the homosexuals also decried moves by legislators to pass a bill that seeks to prohibit and criminalise same sex marriage.

The public hearing was for an “Act to prohibit marriage between persons of same gender, solemn-isation of same and for other matters related therewith.”

Speaking for Queer Alliance, a group in the forefront of agitation for the abolition of all forms of discrimination against homosexuality in Nigeria, a youth, Mr. Rashidi Williams said that homosexuality “which is a private decision does not in anyway impinge on the rights of others.”

“We are law abiding citizens and have not fallen into any problems with the laws. None of us would want to be discriminated against because of our sexuality that we have no control nor have we chosen. It is already a trial to survive the hardship of our nation let alone the discrimination we face as sexual minorities,” he added.

Williams pleaded with lawmakers to look at homosexuals as God’s creations that shouldn’t be discriminated against, just as he urged the committee to discard the bill.

“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.”

Human Rights Watch in collaboration with Global Rights, all with headquarters in the USA also opposed the criminalisation of same sex marriage in Nigeria.

In a joint presentation, the duo likened the bill to one proposed by former Minister of Justice Mr. Bayo Ojo, which according to them would have punished with imprisonment not only “the registration of gay clubs, societies and organisations, sustenance, procession or meetings” but any “public show of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly in public and private.”

They argued that the present bill “appears to have a more limited purpose, but in fact perpetuates the same potential for serious human rights abuses.” They said the bill won’t serve any immediate purpose since Nigerians are not clamouring for it.

According to them, “marriage between persons of the same gender is not now legal in Nigeria, and there is no possibility of its recognition without specific state affirmation. , Imposing criminal penalties on this particular form of marital relationship is redundant. It can only be construed as an effort to further stigmatise relationships between persons of same gender-and to provide additional grounds for official harassment, arrests and persecutions of anyone even suspected of such a relationship,” they added.

Groups like Sexual Minorities Against Aids in Nigeria (SMAAN), BAOBAB for Women’s Human Rights, Amnesty International and Changing Attitude Nigeria all spoke against passage of the bill.

However, an overwhelming number of people at the public hearing, especially religious bodies, supported the enactment of the bill.

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in its presentation said it “strongly supports this bill and wants the members of the National Assembly to ensure that it is passed. Every country has its laws; there is nothing like a universal law and you see weird ways of life affecting our people negatively. Christians and Muslims are strongly against homosexuality.”

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

It added that “same sex marriage apart from being ungodly, it is 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.”

Fellowship of Christian Patriots (FCP) for its part said “God in his infinite wisdom, made sex enjoyable in order to encourage indulgence in it, for the purpose of procreation and not merely for hedonistic pleasure.”

It added that bill was just like anti-suicide legislations: “Nobody accuses society of infringing the human rights of citizens when it outlaws suicide, which it does to protect the society from self-destroying itself.”

Meanwhile, a forum of civil societies and human right groups, the Coalition for the Defense of Sexual Right in Nigeria, has opposed any legislation by the National Assembly to prohibit and sanction people involved in same sex marriage.

Coordinator of the forum, Dorothy Aken’Ova, told journalists yesterday in Abuja that the bill before the House of Representatives, Same Gender Marriage (Prohibition) Bill 2008, is a distraction and an infringement on rights of individuals.

well there goes the neighbourhood

I think its time we start treating homosexuals with respect,they are human beings like u and i

Wrex:

I think its time we start treating homosexuals with respect,they are  human beings like u and i

Are you Gay?,

mafioso:



Are you Gay?,   

bisexual

Sons of lucifer on rampage!!!!

Gay people are human beings like us. I work with openly gay people and they do not have horns growing from their heads. And before you ask no I am not gay. I am just someone who can think for myself.

yansh bursters!!! heeeeeeeeeeeeelpppppppppppp!! ;d ;d ;d ;d

Lawd Hammercy!

Soon and very soon, pedo.philes , zoophiles, and many other folks with different weird sexual orientation will demand for legislation to protect their sexuality.

Wrex:

I think its time we start treating homosexuals with respect,they are human beings like u and i

You are right ! !

:p

Homosexual, legalize am for naija? I laff like muttalab.

Give them their rights. Remember Jim Crow America? Can you see the similarities?

Dey norr dey fear ni? Abi when did that one start Where do they think they are - America??


Abeg they should go and sleeep jorr

Wrex:

I think its time we start treating homosexuals with respect,they are human beings like u and i

don't naija peeps jare. Buncha GayBashers and closet homos.

Is giving rights to homosexuals going to result in the destrusion of Nigeria?

Live and let them live jare.

Who dare compare me with a gay,abeg those guys are lesser animals

Legalising homos in naija? Wtf is wrong wit dis country sef ! We hv 2 many problems killing dis country at d moment but d so called national assembly ar der discussing on whether or nt 2 legalize gay. We hv problems.

I'm for anything that will pi$$ the hypocritical, religious thieves in leadership off. That not withstanding i'm also pro-gay, pro-animal sex and pro-anything not against human law.
I understand certain people want to recognize sharia law where they live, well if that can be granted them it is also imperative that homosexuals be left to enjoy their lives like every other person.

In asmuch as some say homosexuality is unchristian,un-Nigerian,un-African,un-this,un-that and i'm nt in support of it plus i'm nt GAY(had to emphasize this)dat dnt mean i'll be hostile to one if i see him(i.e. if he dont try sumtin funny).Nevertheless,b4 Naija will allow gay unions,we'll have 24hrs electricity,d best universities in Africa,race-course roadz allover n wat hav u.wait n see. . .

Look if i see one outside or i notice one on nairaland,believe me,that stigmatization would be so annoying for the gay person to stand.animals have more dignity than gays!!

@ bluetooth guess what then ? I'm gay.

Convince me please that you are!!!!

A step in the RIGHT Direction,
Democracy is for and not for a group of people who think they are humanly superior than other,

Look at my profile, the picture you'll see is me nak€d and was taken by my partner before he left for evening service where He's a youth leader. There's even a sister in the church whom the pastor recommended for him to settle down with, she thinks my partner and i are just "best friends".

Edoyad
How do you feel your gay partner ejaculate.you suck it up or you rub it on your face,queer

Well i don't think we do it much differently from what your parents did as youths, save for ofcourse your mother's female and my partner is male. But then again a butthole is a butthole whether male or female, don't you think ?

I kinda like democracy cause of freedom but over-tolerance make things go wrong.to me homosexuality/lesbianism without sentiments seem immoral even religiously,God would have created another man with Adam if He had like homosexuality.abag the whole thing is irritating!!!!

Bluetooth be honest with the question i'm about to ask.
If you had the power to choose between Nigeria being a developed country with homosexuals in it or remain as it is with no homos, which would you choose ?

~Bluetooth:

I kinda like democracy cause of freedom but over-tolerance make things go wrong.to me homosexuality/lesbianism without sentiments seem immoral even religiously,God would have created another man with Adam if He had like homosexuality.abag the whole thing is irritating!!!!

And Democracy isn't Irritating?
  Do think u God gives DAMN about democracy,??
 Democracy suks,

Homosexuals storm national assembly to seek legislation !    

Ok,so the lesser animals now what to be recognized abi   I laugh in arabic ,