LGBT Nigerians protest outside the Nigerian embassy in New York (Photo: Saharareporters)
BY ERIN HIGGINS
dot429
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has approved a bill that not only bans same-sex marriage, but criminalizes it. A spokesperson for Jonathan, Reuben Abati, did not clarify the exact date, but merely stated on January 13 that the president had signed sometime “earlier this month.”
“More than 90 percent of Nigerians are opposed to same-sex marriage. So, the law is in line with our cultural and religious beliefs as a people,” said Abati. “I think that this law is made for a people and what [the] government has done is consistent with the preference of its environment.”
The law is not intolerant of only same-sex marriages. It also states that anyone who registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs or societies, as well as anyone who shows any homosexual public displays of affection, is breaking the law. These offenses are punishable by up to ten years behind bars.
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