When we look at gay issues as political correctedness then we are closing our eyes to the issue of human rights, which are fundamental basis for peaceful coexistence and tolerance of those that have alternative views to ours.
Most times we tend to think that the morality of the world depends on our standard and that will determine what the world must do at any particular time, based on the fact that we have limited knowledge about the topic in question or that we hold a strong view about it.
The personal view of Mr. Phillip Amiola on the issue of homosexuality must be viewed in the same context of having the world view of issues from our prism. His article about not keeping quiet about gays and lesbian is quite interesting, because everyone deserves to shout, it is their right, but such right should not infringe upon the rights of others, as where your rights stop that of the other begin.
In his opinion, he asserted that same sex relations is an anomaly, that is quite interesting, what forms an anomaly, on whose standard, his own or nature’s?, that man and woman relations is the natural means of procreation, but please what about intro-fertilization is that too an anomaly? Surrogate motherhood, is that too an anomaly? It is best to put issues in perspectives.
Advocating for righteous fury and radical action, is the same as advocating for gay bashing, and all what you have against sexual minorities, of which is against the law. Please how many times have you advocated for righteous fury against poverty, youth unemployment and other social vices.
He also asserted that ‘gays distort fundamental values and topple foundational structures’, please, our societal values and foundation is built on our cultural and traditional belief system, which is tolerant of sexual minorities. Remember that cultures and value system are never static
In the Yoruba culture of which I think you belong to, there are references to treatment and tolerance of sexual minorities, or have you not heard about the people referred to as “ENI-ORISA” in Yoruba mythology, or rather the Alaafin Jayin who was described as ‘effeminate and dissolute ‘ or the trans gender princess Omosun, who was also describe as ‘a masculine character, who considered the rank and the privilege of the Aremo her own, even resented the adoption of the of a cousin as an Aremo’. So who is toppling our foundational structures, is it minorities or those promoting homophobic attacks.
When we look at gay issues as political correctedness then we are closing our eyes to the issue of human rights, which are fundamental basis for peaceful coexistence and tolerance of those that have alternative views to ours.
The erroneous belief that homosexuals are rapists and they bully males/females into having sex with them is wrong, we are only trying to transfer the male chauvinism that is prevalent with some discordant heterosexuals into the clime of the minorities, like the homosexuals just can’t seem to be able to put their panties on when they see either a male or a female, it is like calling a dog a bad name in other to hang it.
Mr. Phillip actually sounded to me like a prophet that tries to foresee tomorrow, so that he can also shape it, so he wrote “I foresee a time where bestiality, voyeurism and other forms of sexual pervasion will become and alternative lifestyle”, well Mr., please there is need for you to do some researches before putting pen to paper, that you do not need a PhD for, but just a little knowledge of computing, that bestiality is already an alternative lifestyle that acceptable in Yoruba culture and mythology, or have you forgotten about the hunters of great fame in your primary school Yoruba stories, that got married to antelopes, and they gave them powers unimaginable, or rather D.O Fagunwa’s book “Ogboju Ode Ninu Igbo Irunmole” or the translated one “A forest of a thousand demons”. They are not in the future, but those are realities in our past, and if we are not able to reconcile our past with our present, we might lose our track.
So, Mr Amiola really needs to be open minded, and be tolerant of other people’s lifestyle, at least to thy tents O! Israel, and what two consenting adults does behind closed doors is private and that can’t be legislated upon, just like no one can legislate on how many times a man can have sex with his woman.
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Being a reply sent in by The Initiative for Equal Rights
Op-ed pieces and contributions are the opinions of the writers only and do not represent the opinions of Y!/YNaija.
Cool comments to read here. Just concerned why no one is taking about human rights. Let remove same sex issues away, and talk about human rights. I will rather see this from human rights point of view. This doesn’t mean I support same sex relationship, am still not sure where I stand on the matter yet but as a lawyer, the constitution protect human rights for all and that is what we should ensure. I will like to talk more about this from a human rights space.
One person just used different names to defend gay rights in this comments section. I wonder if this writer understands what MAJORITY means. You used folk tales and myths to justify gay marriage. If you want to stay in the privacy of your bedroom and do whatever you want, that’s your own cup of tea.
The Nigerian government is saying “It’s Illegal for you to get married”. Why? Marriage is not a private matter, it is not conducted in the privacy of your bedroom, neither is it just between 2 people. There are witnesses and families are involved. Marriage also has purposes: the most important of which is to bear children. Men and Women are different physically, emotionally, psychologically in many ways and would perform better in a partnership to raise kids more than “2 men”, or “2 women” married to the same sex.
Sorry for your loss, but MINORITY does not win elections, nor do they win arguments. You also talked about “intro-fertilization”. IF 2 MEN ARE MARRIED, WHO ARE YOU “INTRO-FERTILIZING”? IF TWO WOMEN ARE MARRIED, WHOSE SPERM, AND WHICH WOMAN? BOTH?.
NWOKEM, MIND YOURSELF.
IF YOU ARE GAY, DO YOUR THING IN “THE PRIVACY OF YOUR BEDROOM”. THAT’S WHAT Y’ALL SAY RIGHT. IF NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT SAYS NO TO YOU GETTING MARRIED, PLEASE MOVE TO AMERICA OR EUROPE WHERE YOU’LL BE WELCOMED WITH BOTH HANDS.
I APOLOGIZE FOR YOUR “ABNORMALITY”. LET’S CALL A SPADE A SPADE.
Thank you John Peters. Good to know there are still some sane and right-thinking people around. And as you rightly observed,it is easy to see that the same person is using different names to push the gay agenda by posting non-persuasive comments.
Everyone is on and on about religion and culture, the same religion over half the population defy on a daily basis, and the same culture you disregard when certain instances occur. Nigeria has over 160 million people living and existing in this space,and literally all adults in the number are sexually active most of which their acts or modes of sexual practice is unknown to all, so who is fooling who when you talk about passing into law a bill that seeks to invades privacy of all and in-dept scrutiny of all. before delving into issues like this its best to do a research on terms relating to this issue, the human mind and body is complex in so many ways that it would be unfair to restrict anyone’s choice of lifestyle. really human rights isnt complete when the rights of just one human being is been deprived regardless that individual’s age, sex , race or class.
yinka, send in your article if u feel this is trash, would love to hear frm u
This writer is a joker. Imagine the manner with which he presents folktales and ancient mythology as if they were scientific facts! I have read Mr Philip Amiola’s article and he has very valid points which even some gay rights activist have acknowledged in their rejoinder. Apart from other ambiguities, I observed that this writer deliberately misquoted the article to which he refers. The writer’s obviously a fake. Does YNaija screen articles for authenticity before publication? Big question, I must say!
This article is nothing but trash. So bad that the writer was not even bold enough to associate themselves with it. “The Initiative for Equal Rights” is obviously one of the phony names under which proponents of the homosexual agenda have decided to push their agenda. A good and genuine writer will include their real name, means of contact (Twitter handle will do) and maybe a short bio. Once again, this article is simply trash!
Now this prove you need a check an d balance! An organization replied to an article and you trying to attach this to an individual? If you need contact, do yourself a favour, google!!!!
i find it appalling when supposed intellectuals after much exposure to knowledge still view sensitive issues from a religious point of view? among the religious fundamentalists are homosexuals, thieves, lairs, cheats, murderers, hypocrites, and it is funny how u compare the human mentality with an animal, the human mind is complex and complicated, it seeks other byways or alternative forms of sexual gratification, so comparison btw man and animal on the basis of his homosexual nature is just unreasonable, there are many routes to the market. so if i find my self attracted to a guy, so long as the feeling is mutual and consensual and its not between a minor and an adult as a rape case, then i see no crime in it…. so please focus on the person and not his sexual life, after it is just a component of his whole persona.
Gosh! I hate this attitude of always relating all discussion with the bible or Quran is extremely annoying and irritating. When we talk of corruption, we must connect it to religion, we talk of bad governance, we must connect it to religion, what can we talk about in this our dear land without pushing the judgment through religion??? We have totally made religion the problem and it true sense, religion is not the problem, we made it appear to be the problem. First, I seriously don’t understand why we condemns homosexual act or maybe, I should say I don’t understand why we make same sex look like it a different sexual activity when this is not. From the pull of comments here, most are very shallow and blank from the discussion and they could have done themselves a good by not bothering to comment, especially when they have no idea or knowledge what sexuality means. Please take a hold for a second, why don’t we condemn men who engage in anal sex with their wife? In as much as I will want to engage in discussion like this, I will rather do this with people who at least protract some level of knowledge to the issues and who are going to speak from logical point of view not what the bible or Quran say! Till then, you all can continue to live in your hypocrisy
why is gay and lesbian practice such a topic.we should face issues crumbling our economy.at least they are not violent….http://www.unn.edu.ng/.
What is your understanding of morality?
Gay right? Who is deceiving who? Legalising abnormality is not an intelligent way of cutting corners for bad deed! Equal right you call it…the more you agitate for this, the more you’ll be rejected! This issue was put to vote in those societies where this anomaly is approved! If you follow suit here, you’ll be greatly disappointed…stop redressing lies, Nigerians are not fools! Very soon, you’ll graduate to immoral activity with animal and you stand to fight for your right in that regard because it is your right…mshew!
Please just SHUT UP!
Philip Amiola, I don't know where u are coming from and I don't know ur religion, so I won't condemn u or ur artcle! Pls don't criticise a man or woman dat will marry an animal or having sexual intercourse wit animal, its there fundamental human right to do so! Logically. D creation is man and woman right from inception does gays if there parents didn't mary d won't be alive 2 practice their demonic and evil practice of homosexual, dats my opinion and a very gud muslim or christian will believe on my opinion cos is fully stated in d Qur'an and d Bible, by destroying certain ppl 4 indulging on dat. Tell me a gud account of homosexual in african culture and tradition in any part of africa not only in Nigeria, not giving us one isolation case in one part of yoruba land, not all yoruba land, if u belueve is been practice in d whole yoruba land tell us! Western world feed u fat wit there satanic idea of been gays as human right is evil! Poverty, corruption killing etc are all our way of neglecting d fear of d almighty and being gay is one of them! God will definetly punish us as a soceity and country until we abandon our evil ways!
"Or the trans gender princess Omosun, who was also describe as ‘a masculine character, who considered the rank and the privilege of the Aremo her own, even resented the adoption of the of a cousin as an Aremo’." @ Ob Are these the sort of examples you refer to as fact? One would have expected a logical mind to ask why she was sidelined by the decision makers or why she had to resent any thing at all if the community at that point in time found her orientation normal. The facts available as at today signifies gay relationship as abnormal. So my honest advise for the gay mafia is to understand and accept that not a few people find their activities strange, hence the need to allow free expression of these views.
compare the pro-gay and the anti-gay write up and see which is more evident based.. Well, organised religions have a way of keeping us from digging deep (scientific research) and succumbing to some realities about life. Pieces like this could serve as an eye opener. Nice one!
Excellent. Well put together and more evident based. Homosexuality has actually been part of human since the world started. History can proof this so well. Yoruba history and history from south east are clear evident. What still of much concern to people like is why we attached much issue to private issues and give less attention to public issues. Sex between two person is private, as long as it consent by both party.