NIGERIA: Persecuted gay community cautiously seeks a voice
©  UNAIDS

ABUJA, 7 May 2004 (IRIN) - Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Nigeria, but gay rights groups made their first ever appearance at the country's fourth national AIDS conference in the capital Abuja this week.

They called on their fellow countrymen to recognise and protect Nigeria's gay community, pointing out that it has been hit hard by the AIDS pandemic.

In Nigeria, homosexual practice can carry a 14-year jail sentence under federal law. In 12 northern states that have adopted Islamic Shari'ah law, adults who are found to have engaged in homosexual intercourse can be stoned to death.

However, most of the time, people deny the existence of "MSM’s" - men who have sex with men - as male homosexuals are generally known in Nigeria.



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Gay woman named to review anti-discrimination proposal
The Associated Press  
BEND - An openly gay woman has been appointed to a Bend committee that's charged with reviewing the city's proposed anti-discrimination ordinance.

If adopted, the ordinance would make it illegal to deny a gay, lesbian or transgender person a job, housing or other accommodations, such as a seat at a restaurant.

``It wasn't so much that I wanted to serve, but I knew gay people had to be represented. If I didn't offer who was going to?'' Bend business owner Sara Wiener said during a break in the meeting.

Other committee members include another member of the Human Dignity Coalition, a Bend-based equal rights advocacy group that helped craft the ordinance, business owners, a Bend Chamber of Commerce board member, two attorneys and a college president.