By Cathy Kristofferson, June 28, 2013

Today, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, condemned the so-called same-sex marriage prohibition bill just passed by the Nigerian Parliament last month. The bill, which in reality has more to do with criminalizing homosexuality rather than stopping same gender marriages in a country where homosexual acts are already criminal, sets prison terms of up to 14 years.

Speaking on the BBC, Pillay said:

“I am very concerned that the rights of LGBT people that’s.. ah.. the sexual orientation right.. are being violated that they are subject to discrimination and I condemn this law of Nigeria because it violates the equality clause both in Nigerian law as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which speaks of equality for all.”

As we reported here on OBLOGDEE, the bill now only awaits Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan’s signature to become law. If signed, the law also criminalizes any person involved in gay clubs or organizations will be at risk of 10 years imprisonment as well as criminalizing the “public show of same-sex amorous relationships directly or indirectly.”

Today, the High Commissioner took questions live on the BBC, such as the one we are always asking here on OBLOGDEE of what is the UN doing to ensure that Nigeria is held in compliance with the international treaties supporting non-discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity that they have signed?

See the BBC video here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-23106690

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