NIGERIA PASSES THE ANTI-GAY LAW

Hey everyone!

Very recently, in fact just a few days ago, the Nigerian government passed into law an anti-gay bill. A small amount of the population went mad. They took to the social media to vent, to attack the government and to express their opinions. Many were more concerned about the state of affairs in the country,  like bad roads, no jobs, security or electricity. They thought the government should have tried to tackle these issues first, before bothering itself with sex laws. Usually, I don't bother myself with getting involved with such shenanigans, however, something made me want to say one or two things about the whole situation. This is a sensitive topic and people may not like some of the response I got but it had to be done.

So, following in the advice of a new friend +Ajibola Robinson, I decided to try a different approach to writing - the journalistic way.  First, I tried to collate other people's thoughts and reactions to the news. Using my bbm contacts as my sample size. Here are their honest replies;

• Dr. Nnenna from Port - Harcourt: Indifferent.
• Monsieur Sherif from Abuja: Live and let live. Have you ever watched "Kingdom of heaven" by Orlando Bloom? There was a statement that Orlando made in the film,  he said and I quote "if this is truly the kingdom of heaven, let God decide what he wants to do with it." Storyline was about the last crusaders. The point been made is that man do lots of stuff in the name of God. Either good or atrocious. But in the end, I believe all these things don't matter to God. In the end, he will be the one to judge what's good or bad. Now assuming these people can only be happy being gay,  (either devil's work or not), alienating them only makes them sad and have led multiple to commit suicide. So basically, people are happy causing grief to others. Don't get me wrong! I'm not saying it's a right act. Even looking at it biologically, it's wrong. But either way, no law can stop them from doing what they want to do. Whether publicly or not! And at the end of the day, it's their maker that will judge and punish them! 
• Mr. Spatus from Lagos, Dr. Nwabueze from Abuja,  Nurse Lily from Benin and Mrs. Dunni from Abuja: they sent this broadcast message - oyibo,  na wa for you ooooo!!!... You asked us to wear coat under hot sun, we did! You said we should speak your language, we obediently dumped ours! You asked us to tie rope around our necks like goats, we obeyed! You said our ladies should wear dead people's hair instead of the natural one God gave to them, they obeyed.  You said we should marry just one woman in the midst of plenty damsels, we reluctantly obeyed! You said our decent girls should wear catapults instead of conventional pants, they obeyed! You said we should be answering your names, we did! Now you want our men to sleep with fellow men and women with fellow women, so that God would visit us like Sodom and Gomorrah?! Oyinbo,we say tufiakwa! If you like keep your aids and supports. As Nigerians, we say NO to GAY relationships/Marriage. 
• Dr. Uche from Kaduna decided to wish me a happy new year instead
• Miss Prisca from Abuja sent me another broadcast message about a movie I shouldn't watch.  The name of the movie is "corpus christi", and it is said to depict Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour as gay. Apparently, there is a fight going on to make sure that it's banned from entering Africa. 
• Dr. Ndubisi from Abuja: ok! So,  a very popular picture on twitter is of a big dog making love to a lady for real,  NOT photo shopped! Must've been a rottweiler. So she has a right to love whoever she wants, abi? World people! If today gays are accepted, my fear is that paedophiles are also being gradually accepted. Soon, beastials would be accepted too. It's scary. I'm sure you want a simple answer but on matters like this, there are no simple answers anywhere. It is confusing to people like me! I hope this response was to the point. I know some gay people! I worked with one. I fear to think that the guy will be caught and sent to jail for years. This topic split the Anglican communion into two.
• Barr. Tochi from Port Harcourt: In the first instance, it isn't a bill anymore, it is a law having being assented to by the president. Secondly, I really think the law is unwarranted. There are provisions in the criminal and penal codes that deal with gay relationships. On the two legislations, ample/sufficient punishments are prescribed for anyone who indulges. The penal code as applicable to the north prescribes for the guilty to be stoned to death, while the criminal code as applicable in the south provides for imprisonment.. On this premise, the anti-gay law isn't just unnecessary, it's also unwarranted. Thirdly the anti-gay law as it is passed presently can't apply beyond the FCT, save where other states adopt it. This is one angle to it that the courts may have to decide in the nearest future.  The states will have to adopt the anti-gay law before it'll apply within their territories.  Fourthly, and on a very personal note, gay instincts is something below animalistic. Virtually every religion on earth abhors it. I do not think I can stand a gay. But wait a minute, is it everything our religions abhor that we criminalise? Obviously not. Extra/pre - marital relationships for example are condemned by all religions and cultures and yet no law in secular states has criminalised it. They are left at the control of moral etiquettes. This new law has given an insignificant gay community an undeserved attention and resultantly, it will bring about a rise in gay rights activism.. Is being gay a natural/health condition? Or is it a mere sexual orientation? How does anyone being gay affect the lives of those who are not? Is being a gay, a disease that can be transmitted? How does it affect the economy of a nation? These questions are merely rhetorical, the answers are so very unambiguous. If indeed being gay is some kind of natural condition, legislating upon it becomes an infringement on the fundamental rights of a person, and like we know, fundamental rights are inviolate. Conclusively, there's nothing about that law that's so plausible. It is not about solving any of the socio-economic problems facing Nigeria/Nigerians at the moment. That's to say once again, legislative energy has been channelled in the wrong direction. 
• Dr. Monica from Abuja: it's good because Nigeria is a Christian and Muslim country, unlike the west that don't believe in God. 
• Dr. Ik from Abuja sent me a totally unrelated broadcast message, something about money. 
• Dr. Emmanuel from Warri said "good."
• Dr. Kriss: another unrelated broadcast message. Something about male and female conversations. 
• Nurse Eki was more concerned with getting the link to a former blog post. 
• Dr. Bemi from Benin told me to watch out for him on TV that day. Unfortunately, I was on call battling with one form of bleeding or another. So, I missed the show. He wouldn't say what it was about too. 
• Mr. Emma Ugolee from Lagos: had so much to say, I couldn't fit it into this post. I'm reserving a "part 2" of this post specially for him. 
• Mr Emma Ugolee's friend from South Africa: the other day at the airport, I saw 2 girls kissing. The worst part was that my 6 year old saw it first and he brought my attention to it and before he could speak further, I put my hand over his mouth, because I did not have any answer to whatever question he was about to ask.  #sickening. 

My own honest opinion come at the end of part 2. Watch out for it!!!... In the meantime, you can share your thoughts on this matter here under the comments box.

Cheers.....