Editor's Note: Chude Jideonwo has worked as a journalist on TV, radio and print for 11 years. He was an Editor and Member of the Editorial Board at NEXT Newspapers. He's also Managing Director of Red Media group.
He writes about a recently-passed bill in the Nigerian senate outlawing same sex marriage.
Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) - It is important to first understand that no gay Nigerian, as far as anyone knows, is seeking marriage -- in Nigeria.
You can comb the breadth of our decidedly homophobic media ("Homosexuals are in trouble!" crowed The Sun Newspapers, no doubt mirroring the excitement of its upright editorial board), and there is neither anecdotal nor empirical evidence of a clamor, even a quiet one, for gays to be married in churches, mosques or courts.
Still, our legislators were hard at work over a considerable number of weeks while the rest of sane Nigeria, in a state of suspended disbelief, ignored them; convinced that, in a country with pressing issues such as fuel subsidy removal and debilitating insecurity, this frivolous legislation would not see light of day.
Until yesterday when, of course, it did.
Our elected representatives in the Senate, armed with their version of our National Moral Code, took time off urgent national issues to tackle the even more urgent evil of gay marriages. Before we could catch our breaths, our over-paid and under-worked Senators had legalized homophobia.
According to the law, not only is gay marriage a crime punishable by a 14-year jail term, but "any person who registers operates or participates in gay... organizations" faces a decade in jail -- a clause that specifically targets the many active sexuality rights advocacy groups in the country.
By the time the House of Representatives adds its predictable voice to this and the President signs it into law, writing this kind of piece might even risk jail time.
It is important to note though that I and other aware young people who might sometimes be misidentified as the elite, may spend precious hours in vocal incredulity on Twitter and Facebook; shouting down a law that we can hardly do anything about - but we are sadly in the minority, at least for now.
You see, in Nigeria, homophobia is alive and well.
Culled from www.edition.cnn.com
Title : 'Why Nigeria's anti-gay bill sickens me' by Chude Jideonwo
Description : Editor's Note: Chude Jideonwo has worked as a journalist on TV, radio and print for 11 years. He was an Editor and Member of the Editori...
