RantCrush Top 5: July 31, 2017

Being gay is illegal in Nigeria, and punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Over the weekend, the government arrested more than 40 men in Lagos State after raiding a hotel. They were attending a social event that included HIV counseling. While Nigeria has recently cracked down on gay people–the country passed laws in 2013 criminalizing gay sex and gay rights organizations–arrests were relatively rare. Police confirmed to a local outlet that they would be “taken to court soon.”

It does seem like the public’s perception of LGBT individuals in Nigeria may be very slowly warming. A 2017 survey showed a 7 percent increase in acceptance of LGBT people. But the same poll also showed high support for criminalization of LGBT individuals. There are also serious concerns that the criminalization of gay people in Nigeria will make it harder to treat and prevent the spread of HIV–especially given that the men arrested this weekend were at an event specifically aimed at HIV counseling.

Mass arrest of 40 gay men in Nigeria may harm HIV fight, says activist @bisialimi https://t.co/rA51oVz6ta | @AlertNet #LGBT #gayrights pic.twitter.com/zoMlBUeGkN

— Kieran Guilbert (@KieranG77) July 31, 2017

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.