Talking points on social media
After a rather dull first week, January is beginning to heat up with interesting developments here and there. There was the ‘sniper vs APC’ issue in which a serving senator was allegedly shot in a Rivers state rally organised by the APC. Also, the PDP drama took on new twist with the ‘resign-no-resign’ rumours around embattled chairman of the party Bamanga Tukur. But those are not to be compared with the frenzy created by the signing of the anti-gay bill into law which was done by President Goodluck Jonathan, to the chagrin of gay rights activists and some world super powers. Interestingly, most netizens filed up behind the President, but there were dissidents too.
This week, many Facebook status updates were directly or indirectly about the anti-gay billed recently signed into law. Debates were hot, forum topics were hotly discussed and little pockets of fights broke out between those in support and those who felt endangered – majority were, however, in support of the law.
“It really irritates, same sex making love together. Sincerely if my fellow man touches some part of my body I will surely slap him,” Olasupo Kayode wrote in a forum.
For Kunle Omope the arguments of gay rights activist were faulty. He said, “One of the greatest deceptions, that is even backed by some scientists, is the fact that some persons are born gay. And a great majority of our dying world have also deliberately ignored and in some cases tried to suppress other findings that homosexuality is environmentally influenced and can also be inflicted by homosexual paedophiles.”
The vast majority of people concluded that the law was good for the nation. “Every nation uses the law to stem any social behaviour that they deem to be a vice. That is what the law is meant for, to maintain order in the society,” Chris Chidozie Ugorji.
A popular argument was that there would be no procreation if gay relationships were encouraged and this is captured by Kingsley Akam Patrick who wrote, “Same sex marriage by itself is a tool to gradually end humanity... if your folks were gay, you would not even have been alive to question God’s instituted pattern for recreation.”
President Jonathan was commended, by people from all corners of Nigeria.
A pleased Ahmad Sageer Gezawa had this to say, “Kudos to Mr. President, National Assembly and well meaning Nigerians for supporting the anti-same-sex marriage in our country... Thank you Mr. President” while Jessica Kpolugbo Osuere wrote, “This is the best thing l’ve heard so far in this nation! Thank you Mr. President...”
In fact, many people advocated for more severe punishment. Some like Keeby Ishaq Ishaq advocated a longer jail term when he wrote, “Life in prison is beta than 14 years in jail. I support this punishment”
Others like Suleiman Danjuma Isiaka wanted something worse. He wrote, “But the 14 year jail term as provided by the new law is too mild.... they deserve to be summarily executed.”
It wasn’t all support, however. A noticeable number of people defended gay people. One of them was Semiú Femiblaze who wrote, “It’s due to our Homophobia. I have some gay friends and they’re cool. There’s nothing wrong. Our book forbids fornications and heavy drinking yet government legalized hotels, brothels and bars. Forget the book; we make our own law now. The law is harsh, over-conservative and homophobic in my view.”
There were also those who felt the there were other more important things to legislate against other than gay activities.
Acomment by Samuel Ovbigho Omogor captured the sentiment. He said, “The thing is of all the laws that will affect the lives of the ordinary Nigerians begging for attention at the National assembly, how come this one got so much and speedy attention? To show us they are working abi?”
Of course, some folks decide to sit on the fence, as humanists.
“I don’t support gay rights neither do I support the ban by law. It is a morality issue. God made us all and left us with choices and consequences of our choices...” said Chukwuezue Nnabuike
Some of them went ahead to say that being gay was not evil as is being perceived.
“I ask, what makes same sex marriage evil? The Bible says so right? Are we all Christians or believers of the scriptures? Why can’t we allow fellow humans to enjoy their preferences? Let gays be gays. Period!” Oppong Clifford Benjamin asked.
The campaign for an against the law took a dangerous turn with calls for lynching, beheading and torching of exposed gays and this was condemned by many people like Aigbomian Lyzbeth Egehase.
She wrote, “Lynching? No way! Come on am not in support of homosexuality but i don’t think lynching them is the best option... we don’t have the right to destroy what we did not and cannot create...”
Gays were, to some, just sick people needing help. Dinee Isah said, “Gays, lesbians are mad. Sorry to say, I don’t mean to offend anyone but what they do is beyond understanding, just ask [a] psychologist.”
Nigerians were particularly happy that the law was passed against the advice of world superpowers like America. The defiance thrilled many.
A proud Nigerian, Kenneth Nwaekeoma wrote, “I am proud of my country! For the first time we could do our own thing without looking up to America or Britain.”
As Nigerians took to Twitter to debate the new Anti-gay law, the servers at Twitter Inc.’s headquarters in San Francisco certainly must have shuddered, even as the #gay tag trended almost throughout the week. There was a lot to say and several angles to poke – Twitterville was afire.
Old Navy (@bukars1)’s tweet was a simple question, “Why should there be gay?”
For Moh’d Kabir Pharm. (@ MOHD_Ks) it was a travesty, “... Why on earth would you choose to be a gay? God naturally creates man to have feeling for a woman and vice versa.”
Twitterzens massively supported President Jonathan.
“On this law, GEJ spoke the minds of Nigerians. Let the foreign AID stop if it will. We have more than enough to care for us” KoloKK SocialGood (@KoloKennethK) tweeted.
Also, La Blaugrana (@ ademolasawyer) posted, “And that settles it, GEJ just won me over simply by signing the anti gay bill into law...”
The law, they argued, was to protect society captured by TheActivists (@Okisam)’s, “The anti-gay laws are a welcome development to check a now sleeping monster, which if it wakes up, threatens our faiths and even traditions.”
Like on Facebook, Twitterzens were happy for the defiance of America and its allies.
“Is the Nigerian government an appendage of US and UK governments?” AGB (@abenibo), asked while Ahmed Olumuyiwa (@OsaiworldEmpire) tweeted, “America threatens Nigeria because of gay rights law. America can’t do anything to us; it’s against our culture and against God’s law.”
Gay rights not human rights as far as folks like Yaseer Waziri (@yaseerwaziri) are concerened. He tweetd, “It’s really perplexing how some gay rights activists seem to equate deviant sexual behaviours to human rights. Even human rights have limits.”
They also played the procreation card with Mark101 (@ MarkHirnyam) asking, “Seriously, would they have been alive if their parents were gay?”
Shockingly, many people openly advocated for summary execution of gay people in tweets like that posted by Mustaphamohammed (@Musty_ sheva84), “Gays should be burnt alive not jailed. Its inhuman. I’ve never seen a gay dog.”
But dissident voices said the law was not a good one, citing injustice.
John James (@johnjames_cfc) tweeted, “Not saying being gay is good [but] putting someone in jail because of his/her sexuality is injustice.”
It was also an opinion on Twitterville that gay people were just sick.
“To be Gay is not a choice, it’s a self inflicted sickness and God has provided a cure back then in Sodom and Gomorra. Jailing them is not even a cure,” tweeted Sani Shaibu (@SaniShaibu) while Ubani Samuel (@UbaniSamuel)’s tweet read, “Our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters need psychological help and rehabilitation. Not detention.”
Even still, many argued that President Jonathan played politics with the anti-gay bill. Ronald Ike Nzimora (@ronaldnzimora) tweeted, “A realist is what I am. If I was a President angling for an election and canvassing for votes in Nigeria, I will sign the Anti-Gay bill into law.”
Some Twitterzens asked why corruption and other ills were not strongly legislated against.
One of them, True Conscience (@PHEMY37) tweeted, “In as much as I’m in support of this Anti-gay law, I won’t give a backing until Antirigging and Anti-corruption laws are passed!”
“Now that the Anti-Gay bill has been passed can we have AntiCorruption bill in such a way that those formerly culpable return 2/3 of Loots?” said Mr. Dave (@dosinclair).