Human rights groups and United Nations officials expressed grave concern about the scope the law, its vague provisions, and the severity of punishments. The passage of the SSMPA was immediately followed by extensive media reports of high levels of violence, including mob attacks and extortion against LGBT people. While existing legislation already criminalizes consensual same-sex conduct in Nigeria, the report found that the SSMPA, in many ways, officially authorizes abuses against LGBT people, effectively making a bad situation worse. This followed consultations with Nigeria-based LGBT activists and groups, and mainstream human rights organizations. This report documents the human rights impact of the SSMPA on LGBT individuals and its effects on the activities of non-governmental organizations that provide services to LGBT people. Such provisions build on existing legislation in Nigeria, but go much further: while the colonial-era criminal and penal codes outlawed sexual acts between members of the same sex, the SSMPA effectively criminalizes lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Punishments are severe, ranging from 10 to 14 years in prison.
The law forbids any cohabitation between same-sex sexual partners and bans any “public show of same sex amorous relationship.” The SSMPA imposes a 10-year prison sentence on anyone who “registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies and organization” or “supports” the activities of such organizations. The notional purpose of the SSMPA is to prohibit marriage between persons of the same sex. On January 7, 2014, Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA) into law. Executive Director of a Minna, Niger State NGO, October 2015 Vigilante groups have added homosexuality to their “terms of reference.” These groups are organized by community members, given authorization by the community to maintain some sort of order and “security.” Executive Director of an Abuja NGO, October 2015 They torture, force people to confess, and when they hear about a gathering of men, they just head over to make arrests. Only 54% of the men who say they're straight and have sex with women are married, compared with the 70% marriage rate among the men who say they're straight but have sex with men.Basically, because of this law the police treat people in any way that they please.
This means safe-sex messages aimed at straight and gay men are likely missing this important subgroup, suggest Preeti Pathela, DrPH, New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and colleagues. In fact, 10% of all married men in this survey report same-sex behavior during the past year. 18, 2006 - Nearly one in 10 men who say they're straight have sex only with other men, a New York City survey finds.Īnd 70% of those straight-identified men having sex with men are married.