» Oldest Profession Shocks!

"A new ‘business’ appears to be taking roots among male students in many universities across [Nigeria]. Investigations by our correspondents show that a number of male students have now joined their female counterparts to engage in prostitution to get more money. However, while many of the female undergraduates involved make their money from dating rich men, more male students appear to be getting involved in same-sex relationship." PS: What are these "investigations" and how do we sign up? [Punch]

  Respond
» Words…

"The vast majority of MSM believe you cannot contract sexually transmitted infections from anal sex. In Nigeria we don't talk about anal sex, and all the [AIDS] interventions are targeted at heterosexuals and vaginal sex. The perception of gay people not using condoms is not because we don't want to, but because we are not well informed." - Gay activist "Oliver Okem" on the trials and tribulations of living gay in Nigeria. [Reuters]

  Respond

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Activist Davis Mac-Iyalla definitely felt gay yesterday. The Nigerian national heard that he has been granted asylum in the United Kingdom.

Mac-Iyalla, who works with Anglican group Changing Attitude Nigeria, released the following statement:

I'm very grateful to the UK government for granting me asylum.

It means I will have an opportunity to continue working for the full inclusion of LGBT people in the Anglican church in Nigeria.

My heart really goes out to my LGBT brothers and sisters still trapped in Nigeria.

They are intimated and threatened by the increasingly hostile and violent environment against them, fuelled by the hostility of Archbishop Akinola and his fellow bishops - who claim that we don't really exist, and if we do then we are the spawn of the devil.

It is impossible to have a rational debate in such a climate of hatred coming from what is supposed to be a loving church.

Mac-Iyalla fled Nigeria earlier this year and received notes saying he'd be killed upon his return. And he didn't want that, obviously.

» Faux!?

"A Winnipeg man who claims he will be persecuted for homosexuality if he returns to his native Nigeria may be ordered to leave Canada after a federal court judge recently upheld a refugee board decision to deny the man's claim based partly on the fact they don't believe he's gay." In addition to the fact that the man called no witnesses, the judge was unmoved by his inability to remember the gay bars he allegedly frequented. [Winnipeg Sun]

  3 Responses
» Tick-Tock.

"Time is running out for a bisexual woman who has been denied refugee status in Canada. Jane Okojie is scheduled to be deported to Nigeria on Thu, Jul 10 where she says she and her two children will face persecution because of her bisexuality." [Xtra]

  Respond
» Akinola A Murderer?

We always knew that anti-gay Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola was a monster, but could he actually take part in anti-Muslim attacks: "Not only did his thugs shoot children, according to the article, they burned mosques, raped pregnant women and forced Muslims to eat pork and drink booze." [The Atlantic via WB]

  1 Response
Actor Not Keen On "Fag Side Of Life."

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Nigeria's about to get its first gay flavored feature film - and, no, that's not necessarily good news.

The film, Sinful Saints, revolves around a mama's boy whose lack of sexual experience leads him into the dark world of homosexuality. Director Dickson Iruegbu says the film will explore whether homosexuality's naturally occurring in Nigerian society of if it's a Western import.

The topic's quite taboo in Nigeria, so it come as no surprise that the actors were a little hesitant to take their roles. Iruegbu says he had to pay three times the amount. Despite the dough, actor Charles Waran doesn't have much love for the homos,

It is a tragedy that young men could find themselves gay and be proud of it. I feel challenged playing this role. It’s a love story on the fag side of life.

Waran sounds like a consummate professional.

Human Rights Abuses Trump Good Old Fashioned Athletics

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Meanwhile, in other Peter Tatchell-related news. The British activist recently spilled some ink to blast Nigeria's 2014 Commonwealth Games nomination:

It would be wrong for the 2014 Commonwealth Games to be held in Nigeria, given the country’s serious human rights abuses, widespread corruption and flawed elections.

I would love an African country to host the games, but not Nigeria. Awarding Abjua the games would reward bad governance, grave social injustices and the denial of civil rights to millions of Nigerians.

The CG Federation will announce tomorrow whether Abjua or Glasgow will host the big event. And, can we just tell you, we're all pins and needles. Really, it's the most exciting thing we've heard since clear Pepsi.

Tatchell: "Williams Has Betrayed His Own Principles"

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Anglican leader Rowan Williams has a message for America's Episcopal branch: toss the gays.

CONTINUED »

Nigeria's Anglican Archbishop, Peter Akinola just got some anti-gay back up from Isaac Orama, Bishop of Uyo, Nigeria. Here's what Orama had to say about gay people during a September 2nd interview: "Homosexuality and lesbianism are inhuman. Those who practice them are insane, satanic and are not fit to live because they are rebels to God's purpose for man."

Insane and satanic? No wonder we can't get a date.

Read what Nigerian gay activist Davis Mac-Iyalla of Changing Attitudes Nigeria had to say in response, after the jump…

CONTINUED »

Shake Fists, Stop Traffic To Prove It...

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Some Nigerians are getting worked into a frenzy over the recent arrest of eighteen allegedly gay men. The group were nabbed last month during a so-called "gay wedding" during which they were dressed as women.

Though originally charged with sodomy, a Bauchi judge reduced the charges to "vagrancy" and "cross-dressing," which carries a one-year or 30-lash sentence. He also released five of the men.

While the so-called criminals were no doubt thrilled to avoid a potential - yet rarely enacted - death sentence, conservative Muslims really weren't feeling it…

CONTINUED »

It's The Communion's Party, But Akinola's Already Crying "Gay"

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Peter Akinola will not rest until he's destroyed the Anglican Communion. The Nigerian archbishop and his pals in the conservative "Global South" movement gave North American "brothers" until the end of September to cease and desist in ordaining queer clergy.

If American Episcopals refuse, Akinola and his anti-gay comrades will refuse to attend next year's Lambeth Conference, thus striking another blow to the already tenuous, 44-million "strong" Christian movement.

CONTINUED »

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Nigerian coppers crashed an alleged "gay wedding" and carted 18 guests to jail this week. The men had gathered at a hotel in the Bauchi state, which follows Sharia law. As many of you know, the conservative Islamic law prohibits sexual or gender deviation and the party goers are no exception.

The Sharia punishment for sodomy is death by stoning.

The men, reportedly wearing women's clothes, are said to have gone to Bauchi town from neighbouring states to celebrate a "gay wedding".

Sharia judge Malam Tanimu ordered that the 18 be remanded in prison after they were arraigned before him on Wednesday.

No word on whether prosecutors will try and attempt to murder the men. Most anti-gay cases, BBC points out, are either thrown out after appeals or exchanged for prison sentence.

If only all the cases against tossers were tossed.

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Wackjob conservatives ruminate on AIDS. Example:

It is known that a laboratory of CIA developed a HIV-virus in order to wipe out Persian population. Due to the usual knowledge in geography, the officers of CIA landed in Central Africa and injected the virus in Bono-apes, gorillas and chimpanzees, well knowing that some gays there would have sex with them.

Actually, maybe it's not that wacky: our last lover turned out to be a real monkey.

• Is Don't Ask, Don't Tell melting?

Ari Gold has a new single: a cover of Human League's "human. And Arjan Writes has got the goods.

CONTINUED »

"Hopeful" Anglicans Will Avoid Schism

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Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams remains "hopeful" the International Communion can survive their protracted culture wars, he says in Time's new issue, which hits streets on Friday.

As we all know, the Anglicans have been duking it out over the ever-contentious place of the queer. Tensions have become increasingly thick since the 2004 ascension of New Hampshire Bishop and professed gay, Gene Robinson's. Robinson's religious rise led Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola and his conservative comrades to take on the American Anglican branch, The Episcopal Church.

Akinola's gone so far as to defy Anglican laws to lure a number of American churches to the dark side. The holy war's led some people to wonder if the Anglicans can survive. While Williams acknowledges these are difficult times, he's confident they'll survive:

I don't think schism is inevitable. The task I've got is to try and maintain as long as possible the space in which people can have constructive disagreements, learn from each other, and try and hold that within an agreed framework of discipline and practice… I'm hopeful.

He went on to describe "hopeful" as a "safer" word than "optimistic". Safer, huh? How about "desperate"?

CONTINUED »



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