Lagos, Nigeria – Lawmakers in Nigeria are debating a bill that would ban same-sex marriage and any form of association among gays, even sharing a meal at a restaurant.
Few in Nigeria’s deeply closeted gay community have publicly opposed the legislation, which proposes penalties of up to five years in prison and is widely expected to pass.
Engaging in homosexual acts is already illegal in Nigeria, with those convicted facing jail terms in the mainly Christian south and execution in the mainly Muslim north.
“This meeting, right here, would be illegal,” said activist Bisi Alimi, stabbing the air with a French fry for emphasis as he sat at a table with three gay friends and a reporter.
Other activities prohibited under the proposed law include belonging to gay clubs or reading books, watching films or accessing Internet sites that “promote” homosexuality.
Alimi has been trying to drum up opposition to the legislation but says Nigeria’s gay community is too far underground and the subject too taboo.
The 27-year-old activist is one of few openly gay Nigerians, having been “outed” by a university newspaper three years ago.
Haruna Yerima, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, said he supported the proposed ban.
Social contact between gays should be limited, he said, because it might encourage behavior that is “against our culture … against our religion.”
Attitudes toward gays in Nigeria are typical of those across the continent.
In neighboring Cameroon, Amnesty International says accusations of homosexuality and anti-gay laws have been used as a weapon against political opponents.
