23 December 2013
Suddenly all that stands in the way of further criminalizing homosexual conduct in both Nigeria and Uganda is the signature of Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Yoweri Museveni on bills headed their way.
This past week, in an article reflecting on recent successes and setbacks for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people around the world, I wrote: “There have been retrogressive steps in several countries, including Nigeria, and Uganda where new regressive bills have been proposed, although thankfully, to date, none have passed into law.”
That can all change with the stroke of a pen.
Nigeria’s federal penal code already punishes consensual adult homosexual conduct with up to 14 years in prison. Punishments are even more severe in many northern Nigerian states where Sharia (Islamic law) penal codes criminalize consensual homosexual conduct with caning, imprisonment, or death by stoning. Human rights groups in Nigeria vocally opposed the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill, passed by the House of Representatives in May 2013 and sent to a “harmonization committee,” which finalized the provisions early this week.
Read full article here.