But the negative reactions in this tread are of a similar tone. Nigeria has changed a lot since the 90’s with regards to corruption and crime. In fact a lot of things have changed. And to say you’ll never visit the country is a shame. I wouldn’t recommend it as a tourist destination at the moment. Not because of the crime or potential danger; you can visit similar Sub-Saharan countries with less trouble and for less money. But the landscape is beautiful and most of the people are extremely friendly.
My source? I live in Lagos and have so for the past 2,5 years and also frequently visited the country during the 90’s. And to confirm my objectivity; no family of mine is Nigerian or African for that matter.
Is the country messed up? Yes. Is it getting worse? No. So re-think you’re 20th century notions and come and visit. You can even stay at my place, provided you’re 20-something and hot
I appreciate the information and someday maybe. As it stands though, I’d rather not be in a place where I could risk imprisonment for forgetting where I am and doing something as horrific as kissing my husband. (I guess I’ll have to forgo the place to stay offer seeing as I’m almost 40, but still hot) I do find it amusing that so many people have taking the ‘travel destination’ bit so seriously. That really was a small joke to use as a thread title to introduce a serious topic. Maybe I need my joke meter recalibrated.
I got the joke, don’t think it was in poor taste and would find it strange if people thought it was serious. I actually would probably have made the same joke.
The law is a setback and won’t help with the already negative view most Nigerians have of homosexuals. Most of the younger generation, who studied abroad, couldn’t care less about same sex relationships. But the majority of my colleagues who are in their 30’s still think it is disgusting. They have some very strange opinions on many things.
I live in a EU country where poly marriages from several other countries are recognized as part of treaties with those countries: all spouses and children can give SS benefits to each other (not the children to each other except in special cases, the same ones as for chldren of two-people marriages), all spouses of a deceased one can get widowhood benefits, all children orphan benefits; they’re all considered next-of-kin for the same legal purposes as any other family group.
If Nigeria wants the poly marriages entered in Nigeria to have the same recognition, all they have to do is ask; mind you, as we have SSM, the negotiation might be a bitch.
I note that burunduk34 considers the imposition of Western values on Nigeria as a bad thing when it comes to being more tolerant of homosexuals, but is quite silent when the imposition of Western values is about being less tolerant of homosexuals, given the concerted efforts of US evangelical groups to get African countries to pass anti-gay laws.
I wonder what Nigerian cultural norms are like with regard to the goring of oxen?
I would say that this law doesn’t negate progression on other issues in the country.
Moreover, since sodomy is already punishable by death in 12 states in Nigeria this law is a drop in an otherwise overflowing bucket of intolerance towards LBGTs.
So, if I keep pointing out how false your claims are then it’s go from “whole” to “pretty much whole” to “I don’t know what the fuck I’m talking about”?
Since you don’t know what you’re talking about, which is obvious, here’s a hand:
“The European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights is an intergroup of the European Parliament’s legislators which focuses upon the right of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people both inside and outside the European Union.”
"Intergroups are formed of Members of the European Parliament from any political group and any committee, with a view to holding informal exchanges of views on particular subjects and promoting contact between Members and civil society.
Intergroups are not Parliament bodies and may not express Parliament’s opinion."
So is it still the whole west? Or just pretty much some but not whole?
If you’re sure, then pull a source. We deal in facts, now opinions here.
What a rich culture it is. From your previous link: “Nigeria is enduring an Islamic uprising in the northeast that has killed thousands of people, deadly ethnic-religious clashes in the centre of the country, and renewed militancy in the oil-rich south, where activists are demanding a bigger share of oil wealth, which is now being squandered by widespread corruption.”
Amusingly, high-status African shamans have no compunctions against foisting their brand of colonialism on those who, despite living in civilized countries, still respect and/or fear witch doctors.
burunduk34, MPSIMS is for sharing info and shooting the shit. You are imposing an unrelated debate (international relations/foreign policy) here and hijacking the thread. If you (or another else) want to debate the matter, open a thread in Great Debates.
IMO, this is the highest recommendation a country can get. Visiting such a country invariably turns out more fan than your average tourist destination, overrun by…well, tourists…
There’re less and less countries like that in the world and we’re losing them at a rapid pace. The latest one is Myanmar–it was a blast of fun all through the late 90-s and 2000-s, an hour flight from BKK to RGN, but ever since Hillary visited a few years ago, it’s steady becoming more and more touristy…
Well, it looks like Nigeria just plain out refuses to ask–it seems perfectly content to allow other countries to have whatever laws (no matter how much they differ from those in Nigeria–see polygamy) they desire.
I’m sorry what exactly US evangelical groups have to do with a debate, that became, in essense, one of a foreign policy?
There exists separation of state and church in the US, yes?
Don’t know myself, but it’s a safe guess that whatever those norms are, Nigeria will resolutely continue to refuse to impose those norms on other countries.
In order to “keep pointing” something false out, you must’ve started, at some point, pointing out something false. You haven’t started so far.
I openly admitted that I don’t (and have no desire to) know what “The European Parliament Intergroup on LGBT Rights” is. However, the information you provided precisely matches the guess that I ventured earlier, namely that:
You proved my point, thank you.
It’s pretty much the whole west…The usual suspects are all here: the Europeans, Canadians… the US State department must’ve already issued some ridiculous statement…
Dude, do you really want me to find a source where some US State Department official issues some ridiculous statement, “raising concern about the recently discussed Nigerian law…”, “being worried about the situation of gay rights in Nigeria…”? You do know it’ll take me 2 seconds flat to find it, right?
It certainly wasn’t me. What I was complaining about is , as I like to put it, Barack Hussein Obama, professing to have “no patience for countries that try to treat gays or lesbians or transgender persons in a way that intimidate them or are harmful to them”. Which is, of course, a blatant lie, since anyone who even remotely follows US foreign politics knows that Obama has loads and loads of patience, for, say, one of the closest US allies–Saudi Arabia (where homosexuality is illegal and can be punished with up to and including death penalty), In fact, when meeting the King of Saudi Arabia, Barack Hussesin Obama never fails to bow to His Majesty (maybe to show how pissed off and running out of patience he really is?)
So, what I was complaining about is that Barack Hussein Obama might find that his homogoebbels-like propangda (woo-hoo, I’m on a roll here! Another nice zinger I just came up with) is met with adulation for someone who’s ignorant of the facts, but for any thinking person it’s just another bunch of the lies from the liar-in-chief. “You can keep your insurance”, my ass…
Nigeria, as much of the Africa, is a shithole. I can’t vouch for it personally (having never been there) but all accounts agree on that. But is there anyone here who claims otherwise? Should I just keep pointing out distortions, sleight of hand, and outright lies in your posts?
There exists separation of state and church in Nigeria, so whatever cacamamie nonsense (by the way, providing link to random google pages isn’t very helpful when trying to decipher the meaning of your post) the church in Nigeria might spew out, you have to be very confused indeed to confuse it with the offical policy of Nigerian government.
Oh, snap…Well…um…I guess thinking about it, Ellen Cherry, one could say I did stray from the original OP’s topic and did, indeed, venture in international relations/foreign policy debate (hijack is a bit of a strong word, IMO). So, you’re quite correct on that account…yeah…Apologies all around about that.
Well, I see no choice here but to refrain forthwith from posting herein in this thread ( since I pretty much said all I wanted to say about the premise of the thread itself: the OP’s absolute, final and quite brave refusal to go to Nigeria and the utter, unimaginable desperation that the said Nigerians must feel over this)
Please, allow me just to keep the promise I made a bit earlier: to find the proof of US State Department trying to continue its course of homocolonization of Nigeria… Shouldn’t take long, gimme 2 seconds…
…The State Department and human rights advocates are voicing concerns…
…Secretary of State John Kerry said the U.S. is “deeply concerned”…
…the U.S. will continue to raise concerns with Nigeria over the law…
…blah, blah, blah…
Could you ask those isolationist, inward-looking Nigerians to kindly stop popping in to Cameroon to kidnap Frenchies, then? I am pretty sure it’s not going to convince Cameroon to embrace radical Islam, and that actually is ruining travel plans.
You’ve been told to stop and you haven’t. This is now a warning for you.
Make your own topic if you wish to debate it or continue the hijack…but do not post in this thread again unless you can drop it.
Hmm, will Jamaica and Haiti throw us in prison? Or maybe just get beat up for a while. I say we go to those two, then Nigeria. After we get out of prison, then maybe we can go to Saudi Arabia to get stoned. (and not in the good way)
I do find it amusing that so many people have taking the ‘travel destination’ bit so seriously. That really was a small joke to use as a thread title to introduce a serious topic. Maybe I need my joke meter recalibrated.