The United States says it will ensure that the Nigerian government reverse its anti-gay law.
The US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, revealed this during a live-web chat with newsmen in Washington.
Thomas-Greenfield hinted that theUS government will mount and sustain pressure on Nigeria and other countries to reverse their laws against the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual (LGBT) community.
She said: “As a government, it is one of the highest priorities and strongest values that discrimination against anyone based on their sexual orientation and gender identity is wrong. We believe human rights should be available to everybody.”
“As a policy, we will continue to press the government of Nigeria as well as other governments who have provided legislation that discriminate against the LGBT community.”
Acknowledging a fact that Nigeria and Uganda had the hardest legislation on the gay community, she further added: “This is very much a work in progress, but I think you will agree with me that the law in Nigeria really went far in discriminating against this community but also people who associate with them. So we will continue to press the government, to press the legislature to change these laws and provide human rights for all Nigerian people regardless of their sexual orientation.”