Nigeria Celebrates Homophobia and Hetero Infidelity

Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
December 12, 2011

The following homophobic and irrational opinion article appeared in the Nigerian Vanguard newspaper today written by Kola Animasaun. This was written in light of the impending passage of a virulent anti-gay statute in the Nigerian senate.

(I quote the first four paragraphs)
"Where do human rights begin and where do they end? I should think they should begin with al God-given rights and end where God's laws naturally "adhere to proper human rights."

"But the British Prime Minister has extended it to include making homosexuality legal. The British have been doing the best for themselves to redraw the natural laws in the last few years. They have made nonsense of the Bible and the Qur'an. And you want to believe that they do not believe in any of them.

"You hear of partners - male and female - living together and making nonsense of the sanctity of marriage. That of course does not seem to be the limit. Now, you have marriage between man and man; woman and woman.

"From time immemorial God warned us against both extremes. And he even demonstrated what would happen if we go against His injunctions. We should not forget the people of Lot - many years and many centuries ago - who were punished by turning them into pillars of salts - both sodomites and lesbians..." (read full story here)

Kola Animasaun is an author; one of his books is entitled 'The Voice of Reason'.

My response to this mindless discrimination follows:
Sirs and Mesdames,
Regarding your writer's words "making nonsense of the sanctity of marriage", instead of blasting a very small minority (of gays) who wish to love in private, I suggest the leaders--political, media and religious--of Nigeria look in the mirror and see how much straight married adults make nonsense of the sanctity of marriage by their infidelity and deceptive attitudes toward their vows.

By the tens of thousands, it is well known that husbands stray far and wide from their spouses--as evidenced by the huge increase of HIV cases among heterosexuals. How many of these men have abandoned their wives and children? How many secretly pursue sex with other women--and men? (It is telling that on today's 12/12/11 front page of the Vanguard there is a joke cartoon that openly suggests infidelity between a husband and his laundrywoman!).

In today's issue of PMNews (Nigeria) the author--a Nigerian woman--has written: "We now live in a civilised world where men carry the Bible and Koran on one hand, while they use the other to commit all sorts of crime. People keep using religious words and titles just to cover up for different atrocities they perpetrate. In fact, the pew is now more sanctified than the pulpit. Why go on preaching against people with two wives when clergy have five girls in his church and two from each church he visits? Why do you claim to be very polished and educated that you can’t imagine yourself with two wives when God knows you have ten already?"

Indeed, these are the people who should be demonized and condemned for their sinful and callous behavior--based on today's reality. Gays who want equality and marriage are a very very small minority of Nigerians who only want to be left alone to love in peace and are much more likely to be faithful than heterosexual husbands.

Reacting hysterically and disproportionately to these few gays--who could never possibly threaten the institution of marriage--today's alleged Christian leaders think they have found the real demons in the moral corruption in Nigerian society, basing their condemnation on ancient Biblical scripture that is unscientific, historically inaccurate, mysterious and factually confusing. (Not to mention prejudicial and selective: recall that the Bible says the greatest abomination is charging interest on borrowed money!)

Gays are not a threat to modern Nigerian society; corruption, greed, theft, infidelity, poverty and religious warfare are far more dangerous than a few homosexuals who simply want to care for each other. Also, be reminded that countess scientific studies have confirmed that (1) homosexuals have always existed in African cultures and (2) people are born with a predisposition toward sexual orientation; they don't suddenly chose it at the age of seven, fifteen or twenty-three as a fun thing to do in order to get beaten up for it!

Tend to your own morals before you condemn others. I think Jesus said something like that.



Protest the anti-gay Nigerian law
Forbes Magazine: Obama's Threat
The Economist Report
Washington Post Warns of HIV Increase


Other Nigerian homophobic rants online:
Business Day Online
Daily Trust
Nigeria Masterweb Daily News

+ much more

Britain Threatens Homophobic Countries with Aid Cuts

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
October 13, 2011

How fine is this: the British government is threatening to cut its foreign aid to homophobic countries because of their laws and treatment against LGBT citizens. If only more wealthy countries got serious about backing up their human rights standards with financial penalties we might see some serious change of policies in places like Malawi, Uganda, Ghana, Cameroon and Jamaica. These and scores of other small states make blood sport and score political points with homophobic rhetoric and organized anti-gay assaults. (photo right, UK Prime Minister David Cameron)

Such barbaric behavior is not just 'simple violence', it is a deep reflection of a society's public health, of their integrity and justice values. To treat any minority with disdain or abuse because of a superficial variation of religion, ethnicity or sexuality is a measure of the core heart of a culture. In the case of many homophobic countries this core is morally corrupt as police stand by and allow violence or blatant discrimination to occur in public, goaded on by goon squads brainwashed by their own leaders.

And not just small countries. Russia, Indonesia, China and Kazakhstan are huge societies with entrenched homophobia. This will indeed be a long culture war--but at least it is a war and not an overwhelming slaughter of helpless sheep. Against these evil forces are the 'good guys' who see cultural diversity as an asset, who see sexuality on a continuum of love. Forces led by the United Nations Human Rights Commisioner Navi Pillay who has openly declared strike-back efforts to oppose discrimination. (photo left UN Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay)

These forces also include Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, America's Human Rights Campaign, Britain's Stonewall Association, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, Brazil's Grupo Gay da Bahia, South Africa's constitution and hundreds of other LGBT organization around the world--including Nepal's Blue Diamond Society. Not to mention the thousands of 'foot soldiers' across the democratic world who advocate daily for equality in marriage, adoption, family rights in their city, state and country. As well, other countries such as Sweden have warned homophobic countries (i.e. Uganda) of aid cuts if homophobic laws are passed.

Now comes Britain with its heavy influence to threaten small anti-gay bullies within its commonwealth consortium with foreign aid cuts. As it should be.

Some are protesting such punitive action claiming aid cuts will hurt poor people. No doubt they will--but no less than currently as huge sums of foreign money are siphoned off by corrupt bureaucrats before they reach intended health or education programs.

If the forces of change and progress do not 'weigh in' with strong corrective measures--and money is certainly one of the strongest motivators for change--then nothing will change and ignorance and brutality will continue to persist at the hands of religious and political bigots who pretend to be leaders.

Three cheers for the Brits!

More Anti-Gay Distortions and Lies From Another Church

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com
July 18, 2011

The following editorial is from 'The Trumpet', an online newsletter of the Church of God, regarding the California law that requires some gay history to be included in public school education curricula:

"Landmark law reveals that the war against family is intensifying"

--"California’s public schools will be required to teach students about the contributions of homosexual Americans beginning on January 1, 2012, after Gov. Jerry Brown (photo right) signed a landmark bill June 16, 2011 requiring the material to be added to social studies textbooks and curricula...

--"The California Family Council said that since the material is not part of a sexual education' class, parents will not have an opting-out option, and will not be told beforehand about classes teaching the new material...

--"Opponents were upset with Brown’s decision to sign the bill, and questioned whether instruction about homosexuals in public schools is necessary. “If children in other countries are learning math and science, and American children are learning about the private lives of historical figures, how will our students compete for jobs in the global economy?” said Sen. Sharon Runner.

--"The most basic building block of a strong and stable civilization is the traditional family structure, and this law represents the latest in a long list of assaults against it...

--"In 1976 Herbert Armstrong (photo right) wrote of a “'widespread and aggressive conspiracy to destroy the institution of marriage... Every subtle method is being employed to capture the minds of those of pre-marriage age'”

--"Clearly, minds back then were captured and attacked. Now they are 35 years older and have raised another generation even more deceived about traditional marriage and family."

My reply:
Show me one scrap of evidence that society is worse off for tolerating homosexuals, offering them equal rights, allowing them to enter loving relationships; show me one scrap that heterosexual marriage is worse off due to gay marriage; show me one scrap that children are really at risk from having a gay teacher or being taught about gay contributors to our great society.

I point to Arnold Schwarzenager, Newt Gingrich, John Edwards, Mark Sanford (gov. of South Carolina), Ted Haggard, Jimmy Swaggert, Paul Barnes, Earl Paulk, Joe Barron, JFK, Rudi Guilliani, Tiger Woods and more than a few others.
The list of heterosexual marriage destroyers goes on into history, not to mention the countless Catholic priests who have defiled families by child abuse.

Cease with these brainless bigoted attacks on respectable gay citizens.

Opposing DODT Repeal is a Moral Evil

By Richard Ammon
GlobalGayz.com

Don't ask don't tell has finally gone down, another act of stupidity repealed by Congress today. After 17 years of blatant prejudice and discrimination the motion to remove the military rule was approved by 65 senators with 31 opposing.

What's remarkable and unnerving is that 31 of the nation's elected leaders voted against the repeal, openly continuing to agree to egregious discrimination against homosexual military personnel in particular and LGBT people in general. Such a bigoted position is essentially an insupportable abhorrent position.

That any modern legislator could hold this unjust, unconstitutional, hateful and narrow-minded view of human nature is immoral and frightening. Yet there they are, in our capitol making speeches and decisions that effect America's social welfare (medical care, taxation, banking/finance, education, criminal justice…) while holding distinct prejudicial views that not all citizens are equal.

Given these crucial and essential matters that effect the daily lives of 350 million people, how is it right that a full third of the US Senate can hold office with such odious prejudices against any minority group of Americans?

It is now well beyond simple science that human sexual orientation is a deeply inherent trait that forms in the psyche virtually from birth and inevitably becomes manifest in the second decade of a person's life. In countless research studies homosexuality has been shown to have biological, genetic and social components that lift it far beyond simplistic religious, political or cultural opinions and personal points of view. Way beyond 'choice'.

But with a dismissive wave of a hand toward such studied research, a politician can ignore all these in-depth analyses and all the personal testimonies of LGBT people who felt they were gay at a very young age. Such a callous attitude is a moral evil, a violation of oath to defend the constitution, a spiritually violent act, a step into ignorance and blindness. Nothing less than a social evil.

This prejudice is commonly sourced in the religious background of each senator who claws his way into Congress. Manipulating money, people and media to get elected into a position of power, a successful member is revealed for what he is when it comes to voting on the core issue of human rights.

"Human rights are international norms that help to protect all people everywhere from severe political, legal, and social abuses." Are those 31 Senators listening to this? Obviously not, and they should be fired from their jobs.

Being Gay is Political--Like It or Not

Richard Ammon. GlobalGayz.com
January 11, 2010

Someone recently reviewed my website, GlobalGayz.com, and thought it was not focused well. Was it a gay site? A travel site? A human rights advocacy site? A political site? A news reports site?

My reply was short: being openly gay at the turn of the 21st is a political act that invokes human rights activity and generates much news around the world.

I wish it were not so but so be it. Being born with a certain hormonal/genetic propensity—that has nothing to do with behavior or environment--toward same-sex attraction has always been a physiological occurrence within the humanoid species, like it or not. Just as left-handers or gregariousness or mental brilliance or genital endowment arise out of the mysterious ooze of prenatal fluids, tissues and embryos.

As these few ‘different’ people (aren’t we all different?) get to be five or nine or thirteen or twenty-seven and start to feel distinct from most others and realize their sexuality is askance they quickly realize that this is not just another difference, like freckles or red hair. This one comes with a lot of opinions and attitudes from others. This is a difference you are not supposed to have because it’s "sinful or illegal or diseased", so naturally we learn to hide it—until we can’t.

Homo or heterosexual desire (sexual orientation) is not like desire for dark chocolate that’s controlled with willing choice, prayer, medicine or threat of jail time or threat of getting hit or rejected or fired from work or killed.

Coming out as gay or lesbian is not the same ‘ripening’ that happens to heterosexual youth where a guy or girl catches your eye and you giggle or gossip with friends about it hoping for a date and then reviewing it afterwards (maybe including the intimacy that ‘just happened’, or didn’t).

Coming out is a political issue like it or not. It brings a lot of baggage such as social discrimination (rejection), unconstitutional inequality (no marital rights) and violation of privacy (i.e., mockery, presumptuous jokes about sex positions or gender roles) and unfair treatment under national laws. Sexual differences polarize people into attitudes that lead to very different behaviors, some of which are against the law (aggression and assault) but justified by religious or social conditioning. Witness the fierce stigma against people with AIDS which is still considered a gay disease by those committed to homophobia.

Gay travelers, domestic or abroad, face social problems if they show even a modicum of affection in public or aboard a non-gay cruise ship or at a straight resort. They are told not to ‘flaunt’ it or be ‘out’ in front of others.

Hence the development of the gay travel industry (ships, resorts, websites, booking and tour agencies, guidebooks) that 'protect' LGBT people from such ostracism as well as help them to enjoy world sites.

GlobalGayz is a member of this industry. It is a travel website. It is, necessarily, a political travel website. And to prove it, on this site are thousands of News articles and Reports that chronicle the worldwide political circumstances--the good, bad, ugly and brave, in which LGBT tourists often travel and negotiate around or through in order to avoid hostility or injury.

As this is being written, gay, lesbian and trans travelers, some knowing, others not, are weaving their way among countries and states that criminalize homosexuality and would be happy to deport or incarcerate those same travelers. Fortunately, in most cases, one’s sexual orientation is not outwardly visible so most return home safely from such gay-toxic places as Jamaica, Iran, Serbia or Uganda.

Christian Africa and the ‘mid-global’ Islamic countries are the most virulently anti-gay regions in the world. Fundamentalist religions in these areas have spread poisonous misinformation about gay people and nurtured exaggerated distortions and false witness about sexual orientation. Some LGBT activists as well as non-gay citizens in these places have been arrested, attacked or killed for being gay—or being suspected of such.

The most recent crime was the murder of Honduran gay activist Walter Trochez in December 2009. (photo right)

Yes, being gay is very much political and so is gay travel. So is GlobalGayz--gladly.