Gay activists in Nigeria are questioning whether Nigeria should be allowed to host the Commonwealth Games. A delegation led by Davis Mac-Iyalla, founder and leader of the Gay Christian group Changing Attitude Nigeria, an Anglican Church group which campaigns for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) human rights, presented the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) with an 11-page report setting out why it should reject’s Abuja’s 2014 Commonwealth Games bid.
Mac-Iyalla and Mike Hersee, both members of the organization, authored the report called Abuja’s Bid – Sins of Omission.
Mike Hooper, Chief Executive of the Commonwealth Games Federation, agreed to present the report to the President of the Commonwealth Games Federation, Michael Fennell, later this month.
Mac-Iyalla said, “Homophobic discrimination violates one of the CGF’s core values, equality. Unless Nigeria swiftly calls a halt to the victimization of LGBT people, Abuja should be ruled out of the running. In many Nigerian states the maximum penalty for sex between mutually consenting adult men in private is 14 years in prison. In states that have introduced Sharia law it is death by stoning.
“Violence against LGBT people in Nigeria has increased dramatically in the wake of attacks on gay people by the Anglican Church of Nigeria and attempts by the Nigerian government to introduce new anti-gay laws.
“The legislation would have banned same-sex marriage, gay organizations and churches, safer sex advice for gay men, and the advocacy of gay human rights. Backed by the Anglican Archbishop of Nigeria, Peter Akinola, the anti-gay bill only failed because it ran out of legislative time when the general election was called earlier this year.
“We fear the bill may be revived. Nigeria is a very threatening, intimidating place for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people”, said Mac-Iyalla.
Hersee said there will be many lesbian and gay athletes, officials, spectators and reporters at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and he was concerned they could be at risk of arrest and violence if Abuja is the host city.
Gay and lesbian human rights group OutRage! is supporting Changing Attitude Nigeria. Peter Tatchell, spokesman for the group said, “we urge that Abuja is not accepted as the host city for the 2014 Commonwealth Games unless the state and federal government agree to improve Nigeria’s human rights record, including an end to the state-sanctioned persecution of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Nigerians”.
