The Nigerian state continues to oppose same-sex marriage and the respect for human rights of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexual and Transgendered (LGBT) persons locally and internationally. Africa’s most populous nation has been unrelenting in letting the world know why it deemed it justified treating LGBT persons as criminals, not as citizens. While it is expected that Nigerian state ambassadors defend the country’s positions on various issues, it is pertinent that state agents advance very compelling arguments to justify their stance.

Unfortunately, these compelling reasons are missing when it comes to Nigeria’s rejection of same-sex marriage. Parochial, sentimental, opinionated ideas are the main drivers of the contemporary state position on gay marriage/rights on the world’s stage. This piece urges a rethink of Nigeria’s anti gay marriage laws and homophobic representations at the UN.

For sometime, Nigerian state ambassadors have continued to rehearse worn out narratives, baselessly arguing that the rights of LGBT persons were antithetical to religious and cultural values. At a recent meeting at the UN, it was reported that the Nigerian state representative again was vocal in his opposition to the report of the UN High Commissioner that described Nigeria’s “abhorrence of LGBT rights”.

The Nigerian ambassador noted that Nigeria rejected unreservedly same-sex marriage, lesbians, and gays in its population and that Nigeria had a “duty to protect family values, religious and cultural values which are the bedrock of society”. It is important to ask: What are these family values that the Nigerian state representatives often talk about and how does upholding LGBT rights constitute an affront to these values? In fact, what are these foundational religious and cultural values that Nigerian state agents claim to protect? Read more via Nigerian Observer