Nigeria is a ld-blood untry for gay men -- I have the srs to prove | CNN

Contents:

• LGBTQ+ NIGERIANS ARE CELEBRATG PRI MONTH DEFIANCE OF ANTI-GAY LAW
• HAPPENING NOW: LGBT NIGERIANS JAILED AFTER PASSAGE OF NEW ANTI-GAY LAW
• NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN
• OPN: NIGERIA IS A LD-BLOOD UNTRY FOR GAY MEN – I HAVE THE SRS TO PROVE
• 'SEX EDUTN'S' ERIC EFFNG IS SPIRATN TO NIGERIA'S GAYS, SAYS ACTIVIST

LGBTQ+ NIGERIANS ARE CELEBRATG PRI MONTH DEFIANCE OF ANTI-GAY LAW

The cross-drsg bill is an expand versn of Nigeria's 2013 Same Sex Marriage Prohibn Act that punish gay sex wh up to 14 years prison.

By Pelumi SalakoILORIN, Nigeria, June 23 (Thomson Rters Foundatn) — YouTuber Victor Emmanuel knows first-hand how tough life is for people who are openly gay Nigeria, where LGBTQ+ relatnships and even same-sex displays of affectn are year, he was kidnapped by seven men who blackmailed, extorted, and tortured him for two days an attack that has sce left him nstantly lookg over his shoulr. "Nigeria is a eply relig untry, where many reject homosexualy as a rptg Wtern 2014, the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibn) Act was signed to law, which bars not only gay relatnships but also any public sign of same-sex affectn or membership of LGBTQ+ groups, wh punishments of up to 14 years prison. Gay sex is illegal more than half of Ain untri, acrdg to global LGBTQ+ rights tracker Equalx, although Gabon, Kenya, and Botswana have all crimalised same-sex relatns recent spe the risks, activists are phg to exprs themselv and mand change this June, a month which is marked around the world wh LGBTQ+ Pri ralli and parti.

HAPPENING NOW: LGBT NIGERIANS JAILED AFTER PASSAGE OF NEW ANTI-GAY LAW

The legislatn amounts to "refully nstcted state vlence" which "exacerbat queerphobia and prevents om havg a muny, " said Kayo Ani Somtochwu, founr of the Queer Unn for Enomic and Social Transformatn (QUEST) Mistry of Jtice and the police force did not immediately rpond to requts for 2018, a group of 47 men were arrted and later charged for allegedly jog a gay club, a se that drew ternatnal outcry and was wily seen as a tt of the men said they were at a birthday party and the se was thrown out by a judge due to the "lack of diligent prosecutn. "But LGBTQ+ people are growg creasgly vol and visible, wh the ter providg a space for gay-iendly films, talk shows, and rights groups barred om formally registerg as an anisatn unr the same-sex marriage law, most anisg and support groups take place onle. A judge a Nigerian urt has thrown out a se agast 47 men charged wh public displays of affectn wh members of the same sex, endg what had wily been seen as a tt of the untry’s laws banng homosexual relatnships.

The Nigerian law banng gay marriage, punishable by up to 14 years prison, and same-sex “amoro relatnships”, prompted an ternatnal outcry when me to force unr former Print Goodluck Jonathan 2014. Police said the men were beg iated to a gay club, but the fendants said they were attendg a birthday party. Homosexualy is outlawed many socially nservative Ain societi where some relig groups brand a rptg Wtern import.

Gay sex is a crime untri across the ntent, wh punishments rangg om imprisonment to ath. “It has the potential to enurage stigatn of vlence agast gay people and lbians. The man had been sentenced to the btal punishment by an Islamic urt for mtg “homosexual offenc.

NIGERIA ANTI-GAY LAWS: FEARS OVER NEW LEGISLATN

But now, btal homophobic persecutn has h a new, unthkable low. Anyone who speaks out support of, meets wh, or participat a group advotg for the rights of lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and tersex (LGBTI) people also risks 10 years prison.

Anyone uld acce their neighbor of beg gay, or of havg spoken out about LGBTI rights. Image ptn, Those who go to gay clubs Nigeria now face 10 years jailGay rights activists have exprsed fears about Nigeria's tighteng of laws agast legislatn, signed to law by the print whout announcement, bans same-sex marriag, gay groups and shows of same-sex public is already illegal to have gay sex Nigeria - now same-sex upl uld face up to 14 years prison.

Nigerian activist Bisi Alimi told the BBC the law would also affect those tryg to assist gay people.

OPN: NIGERIA IS A LD-BLOOD UNTRY FOR GAY MEN – I HAVE THE SRS TO PROVE

"You're not allowed to provi servic to anyone who is perceived to be homosexual, " said Mr Alimi, who heads the UK-based gay rights group Kaleidospe Internatnal Diversy Tst.

"When you say that servic will not be provid, what you're sayg is that HIV servic that are terg for men who have sex wh men will have to stop, " he told the BBC's Newsday new law remends prison sentenc of up to 10 years for anyone who participat gay clubs or anisatns and for same-sex upl who publicly show affectn. "Any person who registers, operat or participat gay clubs, societi and anisatns or directly or directly mak public show of same-sex amoro relatnship Nigeria ms an offence and shall each be liable on nvictn to a term of 10 years prison, " the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibn Act says.

'SEX EDUTN'S' ERIC EFFNG IS SPIRATN TO NIGERIA'S GAYS, SAYS ACTIVIST

Acrdg to AP, the few Nigerian gay and human rights activists who tried to give evince last year durg the parliamentary bate were heckled and booed until one broke to tears and another uld not be US has also exprsed s ncern about the new dangeroly rtricted "eedom of assembly, associatn and exprsn for all Nigerians", US Secretary of State John Kerry said the act was "nsistent wh Nigeria's ternatnal legal obligatns and unrm the mocratic reforms and human rights protectns enshred s 1999 nstutn" human rights chief Navi Pillay scribed the law as "dranian". A number of other Ain natns have already ma homosexualy punishable by jail December, Ugandan MPs passed a bill creasg sentenc for homosexual acts to life jail and makg punishable by a prison term not to report gay ntroversial legislatn has yet to be signed to law by the Ugandan on this storyAround the BBCRelated Inter LksThe BBC is not rponsible for the ntent of external s.