Anti-gay bill could hinder AIDS interventions

Proposed legislation to criminalise same-sex relationships in Nigeria could hamper anti-AIDS efforts, rights groups said on Thursday. A joint statement by 16 local and international NGOs said the bill would not only have "destructive consequences" for Nigeria's struggle against AIDS, but also contravened international law and the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, which upheld freedom of expression, association and assembly. There were concerns that populations already suffering stigma for their sexual conduct would be driven further underground, making it more difficult to include them in outreach and education efforts, and potentially criminalising civil society groups engaged in HIV prevention. "We urge President Olusegun Obasanjo to protect the rights and well-being of all Nigerians, and disavow this dangerous bill," said Paula Ettelbrick, executive director of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission.