Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Nigerian Gay Rights Advocate Addresses Executive Council

http://www.livingchurch.org/publishertlc/viewarticle.asp?ID=3432

[The Living Church] 13 June 2007--“It is risky to ‘come out’ in Nigeria,” Mr. Mac-Iyalla said. Under existing Nigerian law, the government can imprison individuals for up to 14 years if convicted of engaging in gay sex. A proposed Nigerian law, Mr. Mac-Iyalla said, would also criminalize gay advocacy groups and public speech in favor of decriminalization.

The bill was removed from the Nigerian legislative assembly after the United States joined a number of international human rights groups in criticizing it, but many of the same Nigerian politicians who originally sponsored the bill were recently re-elected and Mr. Mac-Iyalla said it is only a matter of time before another attempt is made to approve the bill unless world attention continues to be focused.

If that bill were approved, Mr. Mac-Iyalla said it would be illegal for The Episcopal Church to plant a rival Anglican church in Nigeria similar to CANA (the Convocation of Anglicans in North America), which Archbishop Akinola has planted in the United States. He urged members of Executive Council to consider sponsoring such an initiative before the Nigerian law could be changed.

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