I don’t know who edited this picture but they did a good job
The ink isn’t even dry on the paper yet and the Nigerian Police Force have started rounding up suspected gay men. Allegedly some members of the police have signed up to some gay dating websites and begun luring men to meet up with them. When these men appear, the officers arrest force them to reveal names and numbers of other gay men in the area. Many people have been arrested and some are asked to pay bribes or risk being outed. In the North, 12 men were arrested according to the BBC and one of them was sentenced to receive 20 lashes and pay a fine in accordance with Muslim Sharia law. The lashes were meted out in a packed court room. A Christian who was also arrested will be handed over to the regular courts. Gay men in Nigeria have been warned to stay off the sites and not to meet any new people.
While I’m thankful the poor man got flogged publicly as opposed to being stoned to death and will live to see another day, I can’t help but wonder how something like this could be occurring in today. It seems like there’s only darkness in the tunnel and the train has stopped moving.
The health implications of this new law are far-reaching and it will eventually affect the heterosexual population as well. As all LGBT rights groups including those that promote health for LGBT have been branded persona non grata, health facilities that cater to the LGBT community in Nigeria especially those with HIV/AIDS will find it difficult to stay open as they depend on funding from such associations. Currently the country has the second largest number of HIV positive people globally at 3.4 million and 17% of men who have sex with men are positive according to UNAIDS. This law again undermines President Jonathan’s resolution that “no Nigerian should be allowed die of AIDS” as he has effectively made sure that the group that is at the highest risk will be the one who cannot receive any testing or treatment. As much as leading medical specialists  claim that no one who visits a clinic will be turned away irrespective of their sexuality, I have heard enough personal stories from people who have had terrible experiences in hospitals because they admitted to being gay to know that this assertion is not true on the ground. As many men who have sex with men are already married and many more will probably soon be, if only as a “cover”, infection rates in heterosexual women (and possibly children) may begin to rise as well.
Many have spoken out against this new law worldwide and people have written numerous open letters to President Jonathan. Maybe this is the catalyst that will finally push majority of Nigerians to rethink this “gay agenda” for themselves.
My favourite letter so far happens to have been penned by WP blogger keredim69 of Sagba Chronicles. It definitely put a smile on my face.
Purple Gloves 
dlaiden
January 17, 2014 at 12:13 am
Well, I guess that’s firmly put an end to any plans of mine to revisit my parent’s country as an adult. It’s sad, especially because I know at least three people from my high school years there who are both gay and are quite ‘stereotypically gay’ in how they act, and who might now be in danger due to this law. It’s absolute nonsense that while the country lack’s consistent electricity, while Boko Haram wreck havoc as keredim rightly pointed out, while the people are clamouring for food and an end to governmental corruption, this is what the Nigerian government is wasting it’s time on. What a waste.
D.C.
January 17, 2014 at 12:18 am
It is indeed a waste of time and money. It’s interesting you should mention “stereotypically gay” guys because a couple of guys I know personally who are slightly feminine will not it easy from now on. Sad.
tiffany267
January 17, 2014 at 1:14 am
Reblogged this on Tiffany's Non-Blog.
D.C.
January 17, 2014 at 6:25 am
Thanks
angryricky
January 17, 2014 at 7:23 am
My heart is with Nigerians in this.
aguywithoutboxers
January 17, 2014 at 2:49 pm
This is indeed a human tragedy that will, unfortunately, reach beyond the borders of Nigeria. The seed for this human rights crisis rests at the front door of the American haters and homophobes who, using their belief system as a cover, have exported messages of exclusion and bigotry abroad.
In the issue of HIV/AIDS, in today’s global and highly mobile society, it’s only a matter of time before those travelling to and from Nigeria become infected and transmit the disease to the four corners of our planet.
I’m reminded of the words of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.: “As long as one among us is oppressed, none of us are truly free.”
D.C.
January 17, 2014 at 9:35 pm
…None of us are truly free indeed. With regards to HIV, this is the time that we all need to pay closer attention to how we can protect ourselves and the people we love. As much as people can live a normal life with medication, I just worry about those whose access to testing and treatment will be interrupted.
In all honesty I refuse to blame any other country for Nigeria’s anti-gay stance unlike Uganda where the rise in homophobia was linked to US evangelists. I feel it has to do with politics and the need to garner support for the coming elections and the only thing Nigerian politicians seem to care about: remaining on the gravy train.