18/01/2014
The Nigerians who dare to speak of love as a tide of anti-gay hatred rises
A new crackdown on gender minorities has led to arrests and fears of mob violence. But a brave few are still fighting for sexual freedom Rights worker Olumide Makanjuola says a gay friend agreed to be flogged in an attempt to ?whip the devil out of him?. Photograph: Sunday Alamba/AP The party had just started when the gunshot pierced the music. Instantly the men scattered, knowing what it meant: a police raid. They had gathered in a hotel in the northern Nigerian state of Bauchi, renting out almost a whole floor for a surprise birthday party. But in the minaret-dotted city, where sharia in theory requires gay men to be stoned to death, such stolen moments are fraught. Someone had tipped off...
