A collection of my Facebook Posts on the Anti-Gay Law
This post is for my mother. It's a collation of all my Facebook posts on the anti-gay law. I couldn't muster enough courage to write a different article that sums up all my thoughts on the matter. Took me a week to get it all out. It will be difficult summarizing my feelings in a few hours. Also, so many people have written on the issue already.
January 12
It's official, if you're suspected or seen engaging in a homosexual practice, you will spend 14 years in jail. Jonathan signed the law. Of all the fucked problems we have to deal with, na to jail innocent people remain. Good roads, for where? Electricity, na for Yaba left. Quality education and healthcare, you must be joking. Religion and government no dey make sense, let's talk true. Government should get out of a person's body or what they do with it. We're a blind people.
Who is a gay person in Nigeria? A poor Nigerian without connections. S/he's the person the new law will affect.
The one thing I don't get is the height of hypocrisy. I mean, we know of rich men and politicians who sleep with young boys. Abuja is the capital. Yet because these men are married, rich and powerful, they're not gay. Let's be fooling ourselves and keep saying we're helping God.
Why am I concerned? Well, because of this: "Bauchi state have a list of 168 purportedly gay men, of whom 38 have been arrested and 10 who have been tortured recently." Soon, we will erect homosexual concentration camps, if we don't have them already!
While the government was busy giving us stuff to waylay our focus from bigger issues and demanding better governance, Boko Haram was busy laughing and continuing its mission, claiming the lives of 17 people in Maiduguri. Why isn't the government doing something about that? Nigeria hit by deadly car bomb
January 12
It's official, if you're suspected or seen engaging in a homosexual practice, you will spend 14 years in jail. Jonathan signed the law. Of all the fucked problems we have to deal with, na to jail innocent people remain. Good roads, for where? Electricity, na for Yaba left. Quality education and healthcare, you must be joking. Religion and government no dey make sense, let's talk true. Government should get out of a person's body or what they do with it. We're a blind people.
Who is a gay person in Nigeria? A poor Nigerian without connections. S/he's the person the new law will affect.
The one thing I don't get is the height of hypocrisy. I mean, we know of rich men and politicians who sleep with young boys. Abuja is the capital. Yet because these men are married, rich and powerful, they're not gay. Let's be fooling ourselves and keep saying we're helping God.
Why am I concerned? Well, because of this: "Bauchi state have a list of 168 purportedly gay men, of whom 38 have been arrested and 10 who have been tortured recently." Soon, we will erect homosexual concentration camps, if we don't have them already!
While the government was busy giving us stuff to waylay our focus from bigger issues and demanding better governance, Boko Haram was busy laughing and continuing its mission, claiming the lives of 17 people in Maiduguri. Why isn't the government doing something about that? Nigeria hit by deadly car bomb
As a friend said "GEJ messed up up on that last bill he signed, because it means the anti-corruption bill and petroleum bill which has been lying on the house table for months could also have been passed and signed with such alacrity. So the question is where does government priority lie?"
2. The vagueness of the law bothers me. What does "indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship" mean? Does it mean that writers who write stories about same sex relationship or encounter are guilty of the 10 year sentence? There goes most Caines writers. Or two women, friends, talking, holding hands are guilty too. One of the things I miss most about Nigeria was the lack of the self consciousness in female friendship. I could tell my friends I loved them and didn't have to think about how it would be construed. The law gives policemen the right to arrest women or men on suspicion. This is on top the unofficial idea and rule that a woman cannot go to a hotel without a man or she will be labelled a prostitute.
3. There are other matters are on ground that need speedy process. Security, Boko Haram has been given a free pass. Rape, do you know the constitution only recognizes women as survivors? The language leaves no justice for male survivors. Health, people still need to fly out for normal check-up, doctors still go on strike and people still die needlessly. Shall I go on? If the govt can focus on this matter this way, it means THEY CAN WORK. A revelation that I needed to see actually because I could have sworn our govt has no idea how it works. Does the law means Nigeria is somehow better, economically or structurally?
4. The bible -- part that burns most people-- language evolves, words change. And as a Christian, you should invest in a concordance. And use it. Also read your bible. Stop swallowing what your pastor says without going back to check the word. And use your concordance. Also translation is a tricky business. And Nigerians should know this, often words lose their meaning or are changed when translated to English. Conclusion being that the way we read the bible now might be totally different from what was intended.
5. Study church history.
6. Read your bible, so when you debate, refute or try to educate others, you can with logos (carefully laid out argument with points in the bible to back it up).
7. Stop playing God. He isn't incapacitated you see.
#Nigeria: Bauchi state police already is extorting money from family and friends of arrested gay people. You know this is an avenue to make money: jail lots of people and extort them in order to subvert trial.
"The bill is a calculated move to change the focus of the Nigerian political debate at a time when President Jonathan's luck appears to be running out.... Now, as his position weakens, Jonathan is scrambling for a populist measure that will give him the domestic support he so desperately needs." More to the matter, open and close. Nail the story in its bud. The Politics Behind Nigeria's Anti-Gay Law Must Be Understood
January 14
I wonder how many people realize that the Hebrew word translated to mean sodomy in the present time, "qadesh," actually meant male prostitutes, specifically male prostitutes loyal to the worship of pagan fertility gods? Men would sleep with male prostitutes for "special mode of worship" after offering sacrifice at the temple. The word "homosexual" didn't appear in bibles until 1950. (1 Kings 14:24, 1 Kings 15:12, 1 Kings 22:46, 2 Kings 23:7, Deut. 23:17, Job 36:14 and Hosea 4:14)
Or that God's alienation of Sodom and Gomorrah has more to do with their inhospitability, blindness to the plight of the poor and helpless, and move to RAPE angels? Not necessarily because they slept with men. (Ezekiel 16:49-50, Genesis 19:4-13 and 2 Peter 2:7-10)
January 15
Since it seems most Nigerians like to "miss the point," I shall give you bullet version:
1. The law is bonkers. Fullstop. A democratic government has no legal standing deciding what associations its citizen can join or which consenting adult its citizen can sleep with, and go further to criminalize certain fractions. The concern of any government concerning relations should do with marriage. And if you cannot see the distinction between the two, we might need to go back to military rule. The last time I checked no gay person in Nigeria is asking for the right to be married. Your government woke up one day and decided that's what tax payers get, and also to make a point to the western government.
I wonder how many people realize that the Hebrew word translated to mean sodomy in the present time, "qadesh," actually meant male prostitutes, specifically male prostitutes loyal to the worship of pagan fertility gods? Men would sleep with male prostitutes for "special mode of worship" after offering sacrifice at the temple. The word "homosexual" didn't appear in bibles until 1950. (1 Kings 14:24, 1 Kings 15:12, 1 Kings 22:46, 2 Kings 23:7, Deut. 23:17, Job 36:14 and Hosea 4:14)
Or that God's alienation of Sodom and Gomorrah has more to do with their inhospitability, blindness to the plight of the poor and helpless, and move to RAPE angels? Not necessarily because they slept with men. (Ezekiel 16:49-50, Genesis 19:4-13 and 2 Peter 2:7-10)
January 15
Since it seems most Nigerians like to "miss the point," I shall give you bullet version:
1. The law is bonkers. Fullstop. A democratic government has no legal standing deciding what associations its citizen can join or which consenting adult its citizen can sleep with, and go further to criminalize certain fractions. The concern of any government concerning relations should do with marriage. And if you cannot see the distinction between the two, we might need to go back to military rule. The last time I checked no gay person in Nigeria is asking for the right to be married. Your government woke up one day and decided that's what tax payers get, and also to make a point to the western government.
2. The vagueness of the law bothers me. What does "indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship" mean? Does it mean that writers who write stories about same sex relationship or encounter are guilty of the 10 year sentence? There goes most Caines writers. Or two women, friends, talking, holding hands are guilty too. One of the things I miss most about Nigeria was the lack of the self consciousness in female friendship. I could tell my friends I loved them and didn't have to think about how it would be construed. The law gives policemen the right to arrest women or men on suspicion. This is on top the unofficial idea and rule that a woman cannot go to a hotel without a man or she will be labelled a prostitute.
3. There are other matters are on ground that need speedy process. Security, Boko Haram has been given a free pass. Rape, do you know the constitution only recognizes women as survivors? The language leaves no justice for male survivors. Health, people still need to fly out for normal check-up, doctors still go on strike and people still die needlessly. Shall I go on? If the govt can focus on this matter this way, it means THEY CAN WORK. A revelation that I needed to see actually because I could have sworn our govt has no idea how it works. Does the law means Nigeria is somehow better, economically or structurally?
4. The bible -- part that burns most people-- language evolves, words change. And as a Christian, you should invest in a concordance. And use it. Also read your bible. Stop swallowing what your pastor says without going back to check the word. And use your concordance. Also translation is a tricky business. And Nigerians should know this, often words lose their meaning or are changed when translated to English. Conclusion being that the way we read the bible now might be totally different from what was intended.
5. Study church history.
6. Read your bible, so when you debate, refute or try to educate others, you can with logos (carefully laid out argument with points in the bible to back it up).
7. Stop playing God. He isn't incapacitated you see.
January 16
So you imprison gay people and you send them to same sex prisons to be raped. I see, being raped straight has gotta be the answer. I mean gays will come out reformed and miraculously straight, not angry, deflated and still gay.
"So when the British came, they must have found homosexual behaviour in Nigeria, right? Or else why did they need the law?" -- Ijeoma OgwuegbuUduma
Sad part no one understands is that the law gives enough berth for a policeman to arrest two friends on the street for "indirect public show of same-sex amorous relationship," which I still have no understanding what it means.
Sad part no one understands is that the law gives enough berth for a policeman to arrest two friends on the street for "indirect public show of same-sex amorous relationship," which I still have no understanding what it means.
Major Gideon Orkar's 1990 coup announcement accused Babangida's government of being 'homosexually-centered.' "I , Major Gideon Orkar, wish to happily inform you of the successful ousting of the dictatorial, corrupt, drug baronish, evil man,deceitful, homo-sexually-centered, prodigalistic, un-patriotic administration of General Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida." Are we still planning to elect this man as President in the next next election or will we jail IBB on his homosexual practices? 1990 Coup De'tat Speech
"The bill is a calculated move to change the focus of the Nigerian political debate at a time when President Jonathan's luck appears to be running out.... Now, as his position weakens, Jonathan is scrambling for a populist measure that will give him the domestic support he so desperately needs." More to the matter, open and close. Nail the story in its bud. The Politics Behind Nigeria's Anti-Gay Law Must Be Understood
The taste of killing someone else in the name of mob justice drives Nigerians high and mad. Nigerians would rather lynch a thief than report the said thief to the authority for fair trial. Lailai. Bring petrol, throw tire on the neck, douse am with petrol, strike matches, step back and revel in the glory: man dancing around with flames bellowing from his skin; the smell of burnt skin, not suya like; the desperation in the victim's eye -- the fear of death and the acceptance of it; and more importantly, the feeling of power at taking someone's life. You are a god carrying out the wishes of God.
January 17
"It is unconscionable in a country where Senator Chris Anyanwu is still struggling to pass the Sexual Offences Bill. It should be inconceivable in a country where a majority of its states are yet to domesticate the Child Rights Acts. It is incredible in a country where 13-year-old girls are legally allowed to marry men thrice their age." Let Us Be Clear, We Totally Unequivocally Stand Against The Anti-Gay Law
I have heard many Nigerians say "the law only illegalize gay marriages, doesn't criminalize the people" or somethings similar. Then, it becomes clear some Nigerians have no idea about the law itself, only one aspect-- the banning of gay marriages. For example, most don't realize straight people can/will spend 10 years in prison for helping a gay person (i.e. offering condom to prevent HIV) or talking to them, or for appearing to be gay (indirectly showing same-sex relation). You can download a copy of the 'Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill' here and learn how the law affects you, even with a straight orientation. The Straight Nigerians Guide to the New Anti-Gay Law.
January 18
This is why the new bill annoys me, justification of lynching culture. #sad
"Last week Ibrahim Marafaa, a 47-year-old teacher who was arrested before the bill was signed, was publicly flogged and fined 5,000 naira (£20) after confessing to his abnormality.
"It is unconscionable in a country where Senator Chris Anyanwu is still struggling to pass the Sexual Offences Bill. It should be inconceivable in a country where a majority of its states are yet to domesticate the Child Rights Acts. It is incredible in a country where 13-year-old girls are legally allowed to marry men thrice their age." Let Us Be Clear, We Totally Unequivocally Stand Against The Anti-Gay Law
I have heard many Nigerians say "the law only illegalize gay marriages, doesn't criminalize the people" or somethings similar. Then, it becomes clear some Nigerians have no idea about the law itself, only one aspect-- the banning of gay marriages. For example, most don't realize straight people can/will spend 10 years in prison for helping a gay person (i.e. offering condom to prevent HIV) or talking to them, or for appearing to be gay (indirectly showing same-sex relation). You can download a copy of the 'Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill' here and learn how the law affects you, even with a straight orientation. The Straight Nigerians Guide to the New Anti-Gay Law.
January 18
This is why the new bill annoys me, justification of lynching culture. #sad
"Last week Ibrahim Marafaa, a 47-year-old teacher who was arrested before the bill was signed, was publicly flogged and fined 5,000 naira (£20) after confessing to his abnormality.
One, a doctor, asked if he could be prosecuted for treating gay patients.
One man was arrested after his landlord said it was suspicious he shared a flat with another man.
For campaigners, the problem starts with the title of the bill. "People read it and think: OK, I agree with this. They don't question what else is inside that bill," says Aken'ova, who has never heard of anyone campaigning for gay marriage. "It's not [just] anti-gay people; it's anti-people."" The Nigerians who dare to speak of love as a tide of anti-gay hatred rises
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