Nigerian LGBT Reportedly Awaiting Court’s Decision On Anti Gay Law Repeal
This is according to Linda Ikeji. Can anyone tell me if this is fact? If it is, I’d like to express my admiration for this move.
Remember when I once updated on KD about the Nigerian gay activist, Michael Ighodaro, who who challenged President Jonathan during the US-Africa Leaders Summit about the Anti-Same-Sex Marriage Act. (Read HERE). Among other things he said, the president was reported to have remarked: ‘If you think the law is unconstitutional you have the right to go to court and fight [to strike] it down…’
Well, it looks like someone is fighting to strike the law down. Apparently, Nigerian LBGT filed a suit against the Federal Government stating that the anti-gay law is unconstitutional. Find the press release below.
‘Whilst the whole world looks and waits with baited breaths on whether Scotland would gain her independence from the UK after over 300 years as part of the Union, Nigerian LGBTs along with Messers Ebah Joseph Teriah [claimant] and Joseph Ebah [Enahoro and Associates], legal brief for the claimant, also await with baited breaths, to learn the outcome of his Justice Abdu Kafarati’s ruling on the claim filed against the Federal Government in the Abuja High Court earlier this year. Ruling due on September 25th.
‘Mr Joseph Teriah Ebah a straight ally had filed a claim against the Nigerian Government on Constitutional grounds. The claim stated that the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2014 a.k.a. Anti Gay Law is unconstitutional as it failed to take into consideration the fundamental human rights of the Nigerian LGBT community.
‘Ms Elizabeth Funke Obisanya (Hrh), a Christian LGBT film maker (Producer – Magdas lesbian lover – MLL©) seen at the Zafaa Film awards submitters event last month, added to the argument – “the law not only took away the rights of LGBTs to be who they are – Jesus paid the penalty price we are told in Galatians 3:13, so why the persecutions the law creates an environment of persecution and sufferings for the LGBTs community. Many have been thrown out of their homes, jobs, families, beaten up and publically humiliated – all backed up by the President and the Senators.
‘At a time when most of the African Nations have taken the anti gay stance, will Nigeria break away from the homophobic fold and do what is right according to the Nigerian Constitution and allow equal rights for ALL NIGERIANS? Or would the senators and Goodluck Jonathan remain in violation of their respective oaths to Nigerians and the nation?’
Well, what do you make of this?
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35 Comments
Dennis Macauley
September 18, 06:41Brave!
It may be dead on arrival tho!
Khaleesi got this one, I’d just listen.
Colossus
September 18, 09:10You do call on Khaleesi a lot, like really really a lot.
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 09:23Yea he does, doesn’t he? lol
Dennis Macauley
September 18, 14:24LOL! Khaleesi is my friend No?
daniel
September 18, 06:51Lol @according to linda.. Well, Linda carried the news quite late, it was a trending topic on twitter yesterday.. Let’s just wait and see… Meanwhile reading the comment section of blogs that have carried this news is hilarious, I be laughing at the ignorance and foolishness of some Nigerians.
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 07:10I don’t even know y y’all check out the comments section of such controversial blog posts. I didn’t even venture down there. I already know what I’ll see if I do.
daniel
September 18, 09:09Ikr.. Years back I use to be stressed over the comment section on issues like this, but now I see it as a comic relief.. I take time to laugh over their stupidity.
maxonex
September 18, 10:45I don’t bother checking..
The last thing you need is thinking of various ways to murder bigoted Nigerians….
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 11:04Exactly! Max, you and I reason alike.
maxonex
September 18, 12:50🙂
s_sensei
September 18, 07:05Biko I no go bate my breath for nobody. My life isn’t in their hands.
kendigin
September 18, 15:59oh but u couldnt be more wrong. ur entire existence is in their hands…they tell u whom to love. how to love,dress, talk and even what issues u can talk about (since antigay law even prohibits discussing gay issues in public), the law also puts ur life at risk by prohibiting access to health care .
I often explode in anger wen i hear tbs say “dont carry this gay thing on ur head”. like helloooo its like saying dont carry ur skin or intestine on ur head!
Khaleesi
September 18, 17:0720 kisses for you Ken!! I cant bear that phrase bandied about by internalized homophobes “dont carry this tb thing on your head”, you might as well tell me to “not carry my existence and survival on my head” … mtcheeewww
Lothario
September 18, 07:34I have nothing to say except ‘Please God, help us find peace in this country’….Gay Nigerians are leaving the country everyday, not because the life over there is so much better, just so they can have peace of mind. In the past three years, the amount of people that have left this country never to return is no joke!
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 07:51And with each departure are more souls who lose their sense of citizenry and loyalty to this country.
GB_show!
September 18, 07:46Gudluck!
Samaurai
September 18, 07:55I think Uganda is one of the most homophobic countries in Africa. If their court could squash their own anti-gay laws, I believe the Nigerian court will do the same. That law infringes on a number of human rights. And secondly there are so many things that are undefined in the text of that law.
trystham
September 18, 09:39Sometime two weeks ago, a friend called me to tell me that the law had been repealed. Considering his penchant for dramatics, I didn’t believe, and little wonder. No news about it online during the period. But on second thoughts, I have to believe as this is the second ‘occurence’ of the news. I hope si
Colossus
September 18, 10:21Going through the comments section on Linda’s blog is comic relief. I picture the guys behind their gadgets typing their ignorant comments and i think, “well there goes the five minutes energy spent by the parents when they created this joker”
That being said, its great the law is being challenged, not because we ALL wanted to get married to a man or fuck in public but for the fact that’s its the right, decent and proper thing to do. When a law is created, a law which is seen in some or most quarters, depending on which part of the world you are, as discriminating and denying some people their basic rights, you at least try to get it overturned. Try to flip it over the way you flip over a piece of male buns
Khaleesi
September 18, 10:52In my opinion, even if this law gets overturned by the Court, it will at best be a mere piece of symbolism. The Court can strike down that obnoxious piece of legislation for any number of reasons, but you and i know that they will never give any directives actively encouraging the protection of the rights of gay people. Basically, what am trying to say is that whether or not the law gets struck down, it wont change the pervasive and extremely toxic and homophobic environment which exists in present – day Nigeria, it wont stop a hate filled mob from violently attacking gays like they’ve always done, it wont stop our abhorrent police force from seeking to victimize gays whenever/wherever they can, it wont stop families from disowning/hating/rejecting their children who are gay, it wont stop our religious houses from stuffing their congregations’ heads with the notion that gays are cursed, evil, demonic, diabolical, doomed … (add whatever more vilifying words you’ve heard) nor will it stop the congregation from holding onto these gross untruths and rejecting them for the lies they are! I fear that in fact if the law is overturned, some religious leaders will somehow use this as further evidence of the “endtimes” they coontinue to scream from the pulpit. The overturning of this law will likely attract more undue publicity (negative) to gays and deepen the prevailing homophobia. The only persons who might stand to gain from the overturning of the law ironically, might be our political leadership, as that will likely repair whatever diplomatic damage has been done to our image abroad. The Western Governments wil smile and say nice words about how the Nigerian judiciary has shown that it is independent and fair by striking down that obnoxious law, whereas in reality, absolutely nothing has changed. Am sorry, am not trying to burst your bubble on anything, but i am a cautious optimist and this is my analysis of this whole issue.
@Lothario, your friends who left are probably the smart ones, if i had as much sense as i think i should have, i should probably pack my bags as well, because everyday, it becomes clearer to me that as a gay person, you can NEVER be truly happy in this country whether you choose to be true to yourself or to live a fake like, the end result is the same; depression and unhappiness in a vicious unending cycle ***its a solemn occasion so my long silky hair is packed away in a simple brown scarf, my usual high heels replaced by a pair of simple flat but nevertheless classy slippers, i walk away slowly, deep in thought***
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 10:59Hahahahahaha Oh Khaleesi thou art golden
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 11:03And quite frankly everything you’ve said is depressingly true. When I read this report, my first thought was, Should this law be repealed, a bitter Nigerian public might react by unleashing another round of public lynching of recognized or suspected gay men, simply to make a statement to the courts.
I commend the efforts of the claimants. This is after all what most of us have been hankering for. I do hope this endeavour pulls through.
And then, thereafter, I can’t help but wonder, what next…?
maxonex
September 18, 13:10All Khaleesi said its true, but @ least if the law is overturned, we won’t have to feel like we r commiting a crime when we r indoors doing our thing…and also if someone walks in on you by mistake, they can’t call the cops or even blackmail you with it… In thr end it’ll just be between you and people sans the draconian law…
We r just better off without it cos it gives police the power to harass some ppl like I’ve been hearing…
Without the law, they won’t be able to do that, and also your employer won’t be able to sack you for being gay(cos it’s not a criminal offence).
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 13:40True that.
Khaleesi
September 18, 17:10@Max, i disagree, even before the law came into existence, the police were already blackmailing and extorting gays because no one wants to be arrested or to have police issues cos of being gay, gays were still being mobbed and violently attacked even while i was in the University, a few years before this obnoxious law came into being. Yes, overturning the law means you and i are no longer criminals cos of who we choose to fuck, but in a lawless society like ours is, when has the law ever amounted to much expecially in the eyes of a hate – filled bigoted mob?
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 17:37Khaleesi the law sanctioned these criminal activities against homosexual Nigerians. It endorsed what they do. It said, go ahead, do what you will with the faggots, the government is behind you.
But with its repeal, granted it doesn’t take away the hate, but it frees us from the certain terror of jail time
gad
September 18, 17:17Let’s not forget that homosexuality has been in our laws as a crime since the colonial era.d 1979 constitution spells out a 7yrs jail term 4 offenders.Badluck sorry,goodluck only broadened d crime and increased the punishments.D best thing to do in this situation is 4 gay guys 2 stop stabbing themselves. 99% of gay related “crimes”where reported by gays mostly as a fall out of failed relationships or outright blackmail 4 economic gains.Lets get our acts together 1st b4 we face the world.if the law remains and no one reports or outs the other,its as good as non-existence
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 17:3899%? Really? I know we’re a backstabbing lot in this country. But I don’t believe we’re that bad.
gad
September 18, 18:16We are that bad my brother.sadly so
lluvmua
September 18, 12:55Hmmmmmmm. If the law is repelled , I think it would cause more harm than good to the nigerian lgbt community. Gay men nd suspected gay men will be killed overnight by angry ignorant mobs, the LGBT won’t be safe in Nigeria and the degree of homophobicity in Nigeria would hit its highest level. If this law is repelled in nigeria, I just fear for the Nigerian LGBT community… *removes wig, takes off makeup and goes back into closet cause of fear*
king
September 18, 13:23Naaaa no need to fear…but I wonder ooo how the Supreme Court will go about it. Will they need endorsements from the public on their perception or validation on polls…am thinking…cause if they do..how are we gonna respond??? Are we gonna unpack our weaves and wear back our stilletoes to show solidarity or are we just gonna cower again in fear…Hmmmm..seriously pausing for effect here!!!!!….anyway enuf said but more to do I guess!!
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 13:43Courts seek public opinion? Since when has our leadership and lawmakers ever sought our opinion before carrying out a task?
pinkpanthertb
September 18, 14:37Courts seek public opinion? Since when has our leadership and
lawmakers ever sought our opinion before carrying out a task?
JustJames
September 18, 17:23Lol. we’ve been shouting about how the law is evil and blah blah blah.. now it seems like it might just be repealed and we are all not so sure of how evil it is. Let them undo it. Gay lynchings have been happening. Besides… since we are no longer criminalised police action can be taken against the homophobic mobs. That’s if I read this right.
#TeamKizito
September 18, 17:42Hmmm.