Jan. 14 (GIN) – Governments
across Africa are decreeing new punitive laws against gay nationals just as
displays of tolerance and acceptance are being seen around the world.
Nigeria, Cameroon and Uganda in the last few months all tightened
existing laws that target the homosexual community, their organizations, meeting
places, and anyone working within or for gay rights in Africa.
A
so-called “Jail the Gays” bill was quietly signed earlier this month by Nigerian
President Goodluck Jonathan. Dorothy Aken-Ova, head of Nigeria’s International
Center for Reproductive Health and Sexual Rights, said the law “encourages the
persecution of gays and will endanger programs fighting HIV-AIDS.”
Same-sex couples face up to 14 years in jail for a gay marriage.
Last week, police jailed dozens of gay men in Nigeria’s northern Bauchi state. A
list of some 168 suspects is said to be in police hands, obtained through
torture of the detainees.
In
neighboring Cameroon, gays suffer greater persecution than in any other African
country, according to the NY-based Human Rights Watch. In one tragic case, a gay
man was left to die after his family yanked him from a hospital where he was
receiving treatment, saying he was a curse for them and would be better off
dead. Jean-Claude Mbede, who had served jail time for sending a text to a man
which read: “I’m very much in love with you,” died last week at the age of
34.
Similarly in Uganda, gays live a precarious life since parliament
last month passed a bill that punishes certain acts of homosexuality with life
in prison.
"The
knock-on effect of passing this bill will reach far beyond gay and lesbian
people in Uganda, impeding the legitimate work of civil society, public health
professionals and community leaders," said the deputy Africa director at Amnesty
International.
David Bahati, the Ugandan lawmaker who sponsored the bill, said:
"This legislation is needed in this country to protect the traditional family
here in Africa, and also protect the future of our children…”
Other countries with harsh anti-gay laws include Senegal, Tunisia,
Algeria, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Gambia, Mauritania, Sudan, Somalia and Zambia.
By contrast, Dr. Thabo Makgoba, Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town,
South Africa, challenged claims that culture, tradition, and religion justify
the marginalization of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex
people.
"Don't fear," Archbishop Makgoba said in a message to the gay
community. "You've been given the task of helping humanity realize that we
are called to respect and honor each other. People may say this is un-African,
and I'm saying love cuts across culture." w/pix of Dr. T.
Makgoba
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