THE NIGERIAN LGBTQIA COMMUNITY:

WHAT PEOPLE SEE.

 

Introduction

The LGBTQIA community is being faced with different discriminations, violence and inhumane experiences. Most of the lethality the community encounters are justifiable with legal backing. Not only is the lethal treatment for the “outed” members, any perceived person or any person with an LGBTQIA like attribute also shares from the lethal treatments. This problem is also not limited to a particular  region, It’s a global problem, Africa included, Nigeria especially.

Nigeria is one of the most versatile countries when it comes to LGBTQAI rights violations. In 2014, under the Goodluck Jonathan administration, the Same Sex-Marriage (Prohibition) (SSMP) Bill was signed into law.

PrideTV, a virtual place for the LGBTQIA Nigeria, with the help of its crew has taken time to study and figure out things that revolve around the LGBTQIA community in Nigeria. The study cuts across problems that come with sexual orientation and gender identity. Not only are the problems stated, but suggestions on how to reduce them to the minimum is also identified as well.

THE LGBTQIA COMMUNITY IN NIGERIA:

WHAT SOCIETY SEES.

The Nigeria LGBTQAI community society perception is very controversial and numerous. While some view and give an opinion about the community based on religious beliefs, some give their opinion based on moral codes, some are even based on Moralistic therapeutic deism. None of this diversity in views is healthy for the community.

Those with religious beliefs have demonized the LGBTQIA community as they believe all the community members will end up being a benefactor of the religious book’s “HellFire”

There is also a perception that the LGBTQIA community members are against the reproduction law which allows just heterosexuality. A humorous case study on the oddness of the LGBTQIA community by the religious believers is that “God created Adam and Eve and not Adam and Adamu or Eve and Evelyn”

These numerous perceptions of the LGBTQIA community have aroused a lot of problems for the community in Nigeria, some of these problems include the following.

 

VIOLENCE

The Nigerian LGBTQIA Community members face a lot of acts of Violence such as Rape, Killing, Emotional blackmailing, discriminations, etc.

  • Killing:- Before and After the SSMPA, the Nigerian LGBTQIA Community members have been suffering from Transphobic and Homophobic brutality. This brutality often leads to the killings of the community members. The perpetrators of this killing always get justified because most Nigerians believe that the LGBTQIA community members should not be a part of their society because not only does their sexual orientation and gender identity depicts immorality, it’s also a taboo to their religious beliefs.
  • Rape: The LGBTQIA community members also get rape, their family members often push them into a heterosexual marriage where they have a sexual relationship out of their willingness.
  • Emotional blackmailing:- This is also a problem facing the LGBTQIA community members in Nigeria, in the sense that they get death threats every time from homophobes and transphobes.

 

TORTURE

Homophobes and Transphobes and other Anti-LGBTQIA folks believe that the LGBTQIA community members are subjected to torture, brutality, harassment and all other sick treatments because they failed to conform with the dominant sexual orientation (Heterosexual) and gender identity. They act towards this belief by dishing out absolute and aggressive torture, harassment, brutality and the rest to the LGBTQIA community members anytime they deem suit.

 

Discriminatory laws and Practices:

Discriminatory Laws against LGBTQIA include the Northern Nigerian Sharia Law, Same Sex-Marriage (Prohibition) Act (SSMPA) etc. These laws forbid the existence of the LGBTQIA community, its members and at times its allies. There are penalties for being a member or ally of the LGBTQIA community in Nigeria, some of these penalties include;

  • Arbitrary arrest and Detention: In Nigeria, LGBTQAI community members and allies are subjected to arbitrary arrest and detention for going against society’s projected sexual orientation and gender identity norms. Also, anybody perceived to be a member of the LGBTQIA community is subjected to arrest and detention because “Coming out” is not just what makes one a member of the LGBTQIA community in Nigeria, effeminate men and Tomboys are being referred to as members of the Community.
  • Jailing or Prison Penalty: According to the Nigerian SSMPA, anybody that operates within the jurisdiction of the LGBTQIA community is subjected to 21 years jailing Term.
  • Death Penalty: The penalty for being a member or ally of the LGBTQIA community is immediate killing under the Northern Sharia Law.

Discriminatory Practices Against the Nigerian LGBTQIA Community members include;

  • Health Care Discrimination: LGBTQAI community members face discrimination in health care, trans genders and intersex especially. Homophobic, sexist and Transphobic health workers can easily identity trans genders and intersex and this allow them to showcase the homophobic, sexist and transphobes character in them by discriminating against the LGBTQIA community member during consultation.
  • Discriminations in Education: LGBTQAI community members are often denied

Admission into college based on their identity. They are also restricted from getting other basic educations like sex education. They are also being discriminated against indirectly in the sense that some of the community members always try to avoid any Anti-LGBTQIA environment and so deny themselves necessities like education even when they can afford it. LGBTQAI member are also denied access to scholarships and bursaries that could aid and make their education easier.

 

Other discriminatory Practices includes:

  1. Gender restriction issue

2.Denial and restrictions to State benefits and palliatives.

3.Family and community denial.

 

Research also made it clear that so many LGBTQAI community members in Nigeria are in the closet and also battling Internalized Homophobia.

Research also made it known that most Nigerian Homophobes would kill any LGBTQAI community member they meet.

Research also has it that there are LGBTQAI community members hunters (Kitos’) disguising to be part of the

LGBTQIA community, thereby luring genuine LGBTQAI community members into visiting them to extort, brutalize and harass them.

 

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION:

This report is based on PrideTV research and it’s an eye-opener for the Nigerian Government to realize how much a minority faction of the country is suffering a recession in Good life. Government should realize that The Nigerian LGBTQIA Community is faced with so many difficulties, some of them are listed above and we recommend that to reduce the problem to the last minimum, the Nigerian government should:

  • Resolve the Same Sex-Marriage (Prohibition) Act.
  • Protect individuals from discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • Prevent torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
  • Protect the right to privacy and against arbitrary detention based on sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Protect the right to life, liberty and security of persons irrespective of sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • Protect the right to freedom of expression, association and assembly in a non-discriminatory manner.