Nigeria’s Senate voted Tuesday to make gay marriage a crime, as well as to be part of a gay advocacy group and for same-sex couples to display affection, reports the Associated Press via NPR.
The bill now must be passed by Nigeria’s House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming law.
“Such elements in society should be killed,” said Sen. Baba-Ahmed Yusuf Datti of the opposition party Congress for Progressive Change.
If the law passes, a gay couple who marries could face up to 14 years in prison. Witnesses and anyone who helps the marriage could be imprisoned for 10 years.
In northern Nigeria, where Islamic Shariah law has been enforced for about a decade, gays and lesbians can face death by stoning.
For NPR’s full article, click here.
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