Nigeria's president signs law imposing up to 14 years' jail for gay relationships

[Eugene]

Source: Associated Press

Nigeria's president signs law imposing up to 14 years' jail for gay relationships

Associated Press in Abuja
theguardian.com, Monday 13 January 2014 18.28 GMT

Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan signed a bill on Monday that criminalises same-sex relationships, defying western pressure over gay rights and provoking US criticism.

The bill, which contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same-sex "amorous relationships" and membership of gay rights groups, was passed by the national assembly last May but Jonathan had delayed signing it into law.

A presidential spokesman told Reuters he had now done so. As in much of sub-Saharan Africa, anti-gay sentiment and persecution of homosexuals is rife in Nigeria, so the new legislation is likely to be popular. Jonathan is expected to seek re-election in 2015 but is under pressure after several dozen lawmakers and a handful of regional governors defected to the opposition in the past two months.

Under existing Nigerian federal law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much broader crackdown on homosexual people, who live a largely underground existence.

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Read more: http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/13/nigerian-president-signs-anti-gay-law

[shenmue]

1. :(

[blkmusclmachine]

2. US Evangelical groups had a hand in this, as well as in Uganda and Russia, too, I suspect.

[NCLefty]

3. These fundies will be remembered as horrible people by history.

Everything is documented well now.