Nigeria’s ‘Anti-Gay’ Bill: Celebs register their views

By Ngozi Akums

Celebrities have taken to the social media to register their views on the purported signing into law the new ‘Anti-Gay’ Bill by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Our celebs are obviously divided as they are those that fall into the category of people who are either sympathetic to the LGBT Movement or enlightened about Gay Rights while there are those that are in total support of the new bill.

On Air Personality (OAP) Tosyn Bucknor took to twitter to express her anger at the new development;

‘There is no way I am not relocating from Nigeria sha. Even if I have braved through no power, bad roads, insecurity and all, this bill against consenting adult sexual behaviour is just pathetic, discrimanatory and hypocritical. And to make it worse they even criminalize Gay Rights Groups. Congrats Nigeria, You always make me ashamed of you’.

Rapper Ruggedman feels that the whole Gay Bill issue is just a distraction and that the government should be more concerned with the nation’s problems instead of dabbling into what he refers to as ‘sexual matters’. He said this through his Twitter handle ‘What is it with this present govt n sexual matters? Now it is Gay Bill rights?, Fix the infrastructure, develop the oncoming generation jare’.

Transgender Nigerian Iris Sahhara Henson, also took to her Facebook page to express her anger on the ‘Gay Bill’ and even called the president ‘dumb’.

‘Nigerians are so stupid, they rejoice at this foolish law. Yet keep shut on corruption, poverty and spiral down low on morality in Nigerian politics/society’. She also said ‘So all you stupid religious bigots, you hail your dumb president now, how will you feel if your daughter/sister/you(female) marry one of those gay men you chased into closet with hate…….You and that man will live the rest of your life unhappy. . . . Silly people!’.

Ace producer/director Charles Novia seems to be one of the strongest supporters of the ‘Anti-Gay Bill’. He gave examples of countries that are currently under anti-gay laws and strongly believes that Africans should only live as heterosexuals. Writing on his blog, the director said ‘I have nothing against Gays. I believe in tolerance. But I do not in any way support the notion that a Same-sex marital environment should thrive in Nigeria’.

Singer Jodie also lent her support to the ‘Anti-Gay Bill’ when she took to her Facebook page to express her view. She said ‘Everyone decided to be gay …and their children …and their children’s children etc.. Then, I wonder if human beings will still exist talk less of fighting for gay rights’.

Egyptian/Sudanese born Kola Boof (who’s becoming more Nigerian these days) also took to her Twitter account to express her opinion on the ‘Gay Bill’ in Nigeria. The novelist who is a well-known commentator on issues concerning Africa compares the Nigerian law with the Nazi Germans. She said ‘Like  Nazi Germany…the random arrest of Gays in Nigeria started 1 day after new law banning gay couples. Rounding them up. No 1 cares. SAD’.

Seun Kuti, who seems to never agree with the FG wrote on his Facebook page; ‘One man fuck another man, 14years in prison but one man fuck all of us, 6 Months in prison or 250000 fine max and u are jubilating because u are religious and African. A man can not as much change his race as he can his sexuality so why blame the whites and Arab for criminalizing the black skin. We don’t choose how we are!‘

Beat FM OAP Gbemi Olateru-Olagbegi saw it from a different angle as she is more concerned with the security of Nigerians. ‘All it takes is for someone to be set up and accused of being gay and then the person gets jailed for 14 years . Just watch. May it not be you or your loved one(s)‘.

More and more Nigerians have become quite vocal over the bill but the ‘situation’ hasn’t escalated from social media. It should also be noted that there have been no rallies, protests or stands offs so far.