For
Immediate Press Release
10th
December 2012,
Statement
on the International Human Rights Day
The
year I948 saw the adoption of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights by the
United Nations, just immediately after the end of the World War II. Since 1950,
the International Human Rights Day has been marked to show solidarity for the
human rights of all persons.
Fifty-two
years after independence and a decade, three years after the return to
democracy, Nigeria as a country is yet to come to the realization of the
potentials of what human rights respect and recognition can do in moving
forward our development agenda. Human Rights they say are inalienable rights that
are entitled to every human being irrespective of sex, gender, race, religion,
tribe and other status.
Since 2006,
there have been propositions from the corridors of power to criminalize the identities
and behaviour of a small section of the population. Queer Alliance uses this
day to call the attention of all Nigerians to human rights issues, especially
those which are deemed controversial and with push for penalization and
criminalization from religious quarters on issues do not conform to hetero-normativity.
We, therefore as an organization stand in the gap for those that we represent
and serve, to call for the respect and recognition or rights in the context of
sexual orientation and gender identity.
Nigeria
is signatory to various international covenants and treaties that protect from
discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Notable amongst these treaties are the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, Convention on
the Elimination of Violence against Women, Covenant against Torture, African
Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. With the exception of the African Charter
on Human and Peoples Rights, every other covenant signed and ratified by the
government of Nigeria in accordance with international jurisprudence protects
from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Just recently, the United Nations also voted to give protection on the ground
of sexual orientation and gender identity in matters of extra-judicial
killings.
Chapter
IV of our constitution provides for the basic human rights of all Nigerians.
Some of these are the rights to the dignity of the human person, health,
security, privacy. It also enshrines the right from discrimination on the
grounds of sex. As a member of the international community, sex has been
interpreted in international law to be inclusive of sexual orientation. This is
evident in the case of Tonen vs. Australia. It may not be explicitly stated in
our constitution but in accordance with international laws and treaties which
our country had ratified, it would mean that our constitution indirectly
protects from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.
As a
secular country with a democratic system of governance, Queer Alliance reminds
government that religious intonation into proposed legislations and rights
issues is a sure sign of derail from the guiding principles of democracy. A
denial of rights to any one group is a denial of rights to the majority. As the
taunted giant of Africa, we must move to rightfully claim that national
identity as the giant of Africa and a country to be reckoned with when it comes
to promoting and protecting the rights of the ordinary man on the streets. This
means that there must be no separation or distinction as to which rights must
be protected under the laws of our nations. Only criminal behaviour and
identities that seeks to or inflict harm on others, deny any person or group of
persons their fundamental human rights need be made illegal and criminal. The
case is not so for persons who continue to suffer stigma, discrimination and
violence on the grounds of the sexual orientation and gender identity; which in
no way inflict harm on anyone neither deny rights to any person or group of
persons.
There
is far no time for now for participatory democracy and an all-inclusive society
devoid of discrimination than now. Sexual minorities’ need be supported to
contribute their quota to national development. This we have done even with
existing legislation that criminalizes us. Our community abounds with skills
and talent, if which recognized can stimulate growth in some, if not all
sectors of the nation’s economy for the benefit of all Nigerians.
We
call on all citizens of this country, home and abroad to call on the government
to be accountable for the human rights of everyone that lives on the Nigerian
soil. The respect and recognition of the rights of everyone is at the sole of
the development that we all yearn for as individuals and as a nation. For
instance we all need to call on the government to pay attention to the right to
health by improving healthcare delivery throughout the country. Call on the
government to pay attention to the spate of the bad roads in our country as
part of our right to safety and movement. The list is inexhaustible.
Queer
Alliance therefore uses today, the International Day on Human Rights to call the
attention of the government, legislators and policy makers and civil societies
organizations to shun the proposed bill to criminalize sexual minorities of
this country on the notion of Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill. There are
no evidence of gay marriages in this country, thus the need to criminalize
sexual minorities is unwarranted. It is not the needed change that the Nigerian
masses want to see.
As
sexual minorities our vision for this country is not of a homosexual agenda but
a country free of corruption and bad leadership. A country where the very poor
can access healthcare without impediments; a country with good road network; a
country where premium is placed on education, a country where unemployment is
brought to the barest minimum, a country where violence is criminalized in all
its form, regardless of who the victim of the violence is; a country safe and
secure for all citizens no matter their religion, belief or faith. We want to
see a country where everyone can get involved in the building of the nation in
a supportive, creative, dynamic and encouraging atmosphere. This we believe
starts with the respect and recognition of the fundamental human rights of citizens.
Long
Live Human Rights.
In solidarity,
Peace and Progress, Unity and
Faith for the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
