REVEALED: Inside Nigeria's secret gay club

This gathering of members of the gay and lesbian community in Lagos is held regularly, albeit discreetly, but it could soon be illegal. The vast majority of gay Nigerians may not be interested in this kind of event but they still have to hide their sexuality in this conservative society.

Whilst already illegal, homosexuality is widely frowned upon across Nigeria and has been the subject of several bills in the National Assembly. The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill specifically outlaws same-sex unions.




It also bans gatherings of homosexuals or any other support for gay clubs, organisations, unions or amorous expressions, whether in secret or in public. The bill has been passed by Nigeria's Senate - the highest chamber - and is now being reviewed by the lower chamber, the House of Representatives.

If approved, it will be sent to the president to sign it into law, after which same-sex couples could face up to 14 years in prison. But Nigerian homosexuals complain that the stigma they face is already enough punishment for their way of life.

Kunle (not his real name), a gay man living in Lagos, is outraged by the proposed law: "How does a government think that sending someone to prison would change his or her intimate orientation? "How logical is that?"


One of Nigeria's few openly gay human rights activists, Rashidi Williams, notes that the bill seeks to ban something which is already illegal and which no-one is publicly advocating. "All we are asking for is to repeal the repressive laws in this country," he says.

The bill has been condemned abroad - most recently by Australian lawmakers - making its proponents see this piece of legislation as a way of protecting Nigerian society from foreign influences.

Friends and family members of gay people could get implicated if they do not report cases of same-sex unions because they could be seen as being in support of them.

Critics of the bill also worry that health workers who provide HIV counselling and treatment to homosexuals could be committing an offence as well. If the bill is passed, same-sex couples could face 14 years in prison