As
President Muhammadu Buhari prepares to meet with his United States counterpart,
Barack Obama, in the White House next Monday, the US government is expected to
make another case asking the Nigerian government to repeal its law against
same-sex unions.
Making
this known Monday, the US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs,
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, stated that the US would continue to pressure Nigeria
until it legalises same-sex marriage.
According
to the Nigerian Pilot, Thomas-Greenfield revealed America’s plans yesterday
during a live-web chat with journalists in Washington DC.
US
recently legalised gay marriage, a development, which sparked off mixed
reactions across the globe.
Thomas-Greenfield, who said the US had adopted the protection of the
rights of same-sex people as part of its foreign policies, vowed that
Washington would continue to mount and sustain pressure on Nigeria and other
countries to reverse their laws against lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender
(LGBT) community.
She said:
“As a government, it is one of the highest priorities and strongest values that
discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation and gender
identity is wrong. We believe human rights should be available to everybody.
“As a
policy, we will continue to press the government of Nigeria, as well as other
governments which have provided legislation that discriminate against the LGBT
community.”
Thomas-Greenfield, who did not agree that pressuring Nigeria to reverse
the anti-gay law amounted to interference, said Nigeria and Uganda have the
hardest legislation on the gay community.
She said:
“This is very much a work in progress, but I think you will agree with me that
the law in Nigeria really went far in discriminating against this community but
also people who associate with them. So, we will continue to press the
government, to press the legislature to change these laws and provide human
rights for all Nigerian people regardless of their sexual orientation.”
Thomas-Greenfield was optimistic that the US would win the fight to
protect the LGBT community.
She
continued: “With what is happening in the US, you can determine how far we are
willing to go. We strongly believe human rights for all people and we are
particularly opposed to legislation that actually targets the gay community for
discrimination.
“So we are
prepared to push this as a policy, not just in Africa but across the world.”
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