(CCL Les Chiquitos)
You’d think America’s first African American president would be respectful of traditional African culture.
But no.
He’s too busy bringing the Light of Civilization to Africa’s savage and benighted masses.
The Nigerian Senate passed a bill last fall prohibiting same-sex civil unions and marriages in the country. (Here’s a copy of the bill. It’s fascinating to see a bill only four pages long–and that includes the cover page and table of contents!)
The bill would have little practical effect, since Nigerian law already prohibits “carnal knowledge against natural order.” And, according to Forbes, the bill enjoys overwhelming support from most Nigerians, who consider homosexual practice taboo.
But it turns out that 19th-century colonialism and paternalism are alive and well in Obama’s Washington. And The Great White Father still knows what’s best for his black children. President Obama has threatened to cut off aid to Nigeria if President Goodluck Jonathan signs the bill into law.
In addition, the U.S. State Department has announced that LGBT issues will henceforth be a central point in our foreign policy, and Obama has issued a memo ordering American diplomats to “advance the rights” of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in other countries.
The predictable result has been outrage in Nigeria.
Speaker of the House Beni Lar said that the National Assembly is “strongly opposed” to same-sex marriage, despite “threats” by some Western nations.
Senate President David Mark:
No country has the right to interfere in the way we make our own laws because we don’t interfere in the way others make their own laws.
Minister of Information Labaran Maku:
Between Europe, America and Africa there is a huge culture gap. Some of the things that are considered fundamental rights abroad also can be very offensive to African culture and tradition and to the way we live our lives here.
Rep. Zakari Mohammed:
We have a culture. We have religious beliefs and we have a tradition. We are black people. We are not white, and so the U.S cannot impose its culture on us. Same sex marriage is alien to our culture and we can never give it a chance. So if [Western nations] withhold their aid to us, to hell with them.
So now we support the coercion of a traditional culture that refuses to roll over and remake itself in our image?
Whatever happened to respecting and celebrating cultural diversity?
I am amused at your continuing inability to understand why gay marriage or civil unions should be a right for all who desire to be united in such a bond. As a reader of history the pat 40 years I can pull countless writings such as yours about a whole series of rights that were being denied others, and all for the most laughable of reasons. You might note that one of those rights at one time denied was the one allowing women to vote.
In Nigeria at one time, in some of the tribes, it was thought twins were evil children. I offer that tidbit because at some point in the future there will be those who look at your views and offer the same conclusion as we now view the idea that twins are evil.
You seem to love to write about freedoms and yet….and yet….you seem more than willing to accept the criminalizing of Nigerian citizens while denying them basic fundamental human rights. When the U.S. stands up for the rights of others around the globe you should be find pride in such an act. Any honorable person would.
You also have written from time to time about the dangers of Sharia Law, and yet you seem to champion it in Nigeria. With your vast amount of background on gay sex you must also know that homosexuality can land men up to 14 years in prison in the South of that nation, and capital punishment for men in areas under Sharia Islamic Law.
I also am deeply concerned about your continued zeal to allow for the bullying of the minority–in this case gay people. Does not that run counter to your view of how an established government should operate. Failing that does not such an act of bullying the minority run counter to any moral code you might have.
Hi, Gregory–good to hear from you again. Sorry to be so long in getting back to you. I have two kids and one grandchild with birthdays this week, a son graduating from high school next week, and family coming from out-of-town. So, on top of all the usual, I’m just a tiny bit (ha!) behind.
1) If we’re going to talk about my continued inability to understand why gay marriage should be a right, we’re going to have to talk as well about your continued inability to rebut my arguments against it–because they’re related. (I don’t believe I mentioned civil unions one way or the other, btw.)
Here’s my post, “Same-sex marriage: a threat to children”, a detailed discussion of why same-sex marriage is bad for our kids. You offered no rebuttal.
Here’s my post, “Same-sex marriage: Is religious liberty a ‘straw man’?”, a detailed discussion of how the government is fining, firing and jailing people of faith opposed to same-sex marriage wherever it’s legal. Again, you offered no rebuttal.
You can label my reasons “laughable,” but the label lacks all conviction when it’s the only rebuttal you present.
2) Archimedes said about his lever, “Give me a place to stand, and I will move the earth.” In order to advance your argument you, too, need to find a place to stand. You say that same-sex marriage is a “basic fundamental human right.” Nigerians say it’s not. Why should we listen to you rather than to them? On what basis do you assert that your valuation is better than theirs? You can call same-sex marriage a basic fundamental right all day long, and they can call it “very offensive” all day long. Then you and they are at an impasse, yelling “is not,” “is so,” “is not,” “is so,” back and forth at each other. You can go on doing that until the cows come home, and not get anywhere, or you can explain on what basis your worldview is superior to theirs.
3) Yes, I’m well aware that homosexuality can be punished with death under sharia law. I’m not championing sharia. But Nigeria isn’t my country. Nor, I suspect, is it yours. In our country, we can, as citizen rulers, attempt to change laws we believe to be wrong. The issue here is, what basis do we have for trying to dictate *their* (not our own) internal affairs? Again, there’s this whole impasse thing. You can say we have a right, they can say we don’t, and you can yell “do so,” “do not,” “do so,” back and forth ad nauseum. But if you want to win the argument, you have to explain on what basis your fondness for (I’m guessing here) international law trumps their fondness for national sovereignty. What makes your point-of-view superior to theirs?
We’ve spent years lambasting the whole Great White Father mentality of our forebears, but it consisted of assuming that the developed world’s worldview was superior to the worldviews of people in developing countries. So if we’re going to avoid falling into that same mistake, we’re going to have to be very, very careful to do a rigorous self-examination and to be able to articulate a cogent reason for preferring our point-of-view to theirs. I have not heard the President (or you) do that here.
4) >> I also am deeply concerned about your continued zeal to allow for the bullying of the minority.
How do you distinguish between Nigeria coming down on the LGBT minority and the world coming down on Nigeria? If the strong imposing their will on the minority is wrong one place (Nigeria and her LGBT minority), isn’t it wrong another place (the U.S. and 15 other nations threatening Nigeria)?
Carolyn: Well-said, well-reasoned, articulate, not stooping to polemic, engaging. I hope he rises to the challenge. Vigorous conversation is so stimulating. Mud-slinging is just plain icky.
…And yet we continue to pour money into Pakistan.