1. The struggle don tey. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in Israel in 1988, long before many Nigerians were born. Pro same-sex marriage groups in Israel have been shouting for recognition as far back as 1963 when Nigeria just became a republic. And to think that Israel fought a war in 1967 o. In 1992, discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was prohibited.
2. Same-sex marriage is already recognized in Israel as long as it is done outside Israel. In fact, right now in Israel, you can have your same-sex marriage on Israeli soil but the marriage certificate as to come from another country & gays have been wedding since August 2009. Israel is the first and only in Asia to do this. Israel is also the first in Asia to recognize unregistered cohabitation between same-sex couples.
3. Israel’s greatest ally & partner, USA, just legalized it. If you think that does not matter, you must have forgotten that in May 2012 when Obama endorsed same-sex marriage, almost all the prominent politicians in Israel, including the ministers & lawmakers, from both the coalition government & opposition announced that they agreed.
4. Israel’s society is very open to LGBTQ communities and this is seen in the increasing number of Israeli celebs & public figures who now openly & proudly declare their sexual orientation. Many homes in Israel are now headed by LGBTQ parents. Gay pride parades are now celebrated massively as if they are national holidays. In the military, openly gay, lesbian and bisexual soldiers serve without any issue, they are allowed to even take part in gay pride parades, harassment is prohibited and even widows and widowers of the same sex are recognized by the Israeli military. In 2013, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) agreed for the first time to allow a transgender woman serve as a female soldier. Discrimination by employers based on sexual orientation is prohibited in Israel.
Israel
is now marketing itself internationally as welcoming to the gay
community. Participants in the annual gay pride parade in Jerusalem are
shown here on July 29, 2010.
6. Senior political figures like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Moshe Ya’alon who is the Vice Prime Minister of the ruling Likud party (and now the defense minister now calling on Israel to do the same, see HERE) and Miri Regev all either support gay rights or their parties are in full support. In fact, these three national figures always speak out against homophobia & call for equal rights for all. If you think nothing is happening then you are not observant enough. Labor, Yesh Atid, Hatnuah, Meretz, Hadash, Kulanu and other parties in the Knesset (Israel’s parliament) fully support same-sex rights. Shimon Peres is in support. Even opposition parties are in support. And gays are serving in the Israeli parliament e.g Uzi Even and Nitzan Horowitz.
7. Even the Israeli religious community is changing as many conservative rabbis have supported gay rights. Right now, only group in Israel that is like extremely vocal against gay rights are the ultra Orthodox Jews. So my question, how did this happen in ‘conservative’ Israel? And who says it cannot happen in Nigeria? Or have we all been in a bubble of illusion?
8. As at August 2009, 61% of Israelis were in support of equal marriage rights for same-sex couples.9. Many prominent voices in Israel are asking for the legalization of gay marriages. In February 2013, the Mayor of Tel Aviv, Ron Huldai, expressed his support of same-sex marriage and after Ireland’s legalization of same-sex marriage through popular vote just last month, Huldai echoed his support, calling on the Israeli government to do the needful.
10. Israel will be gaining a lot more from the USA and other allies who have also legalized it. In June 2013, a new law to get rid of gender markers on National Identity Cards was introduced within the Knesset.
11. Tel Aviv aka “the gay capital of the Middle East” is regularly called one of the most gay friendly cities in the world, known for its annual Pride Parade and gay beach.
12. In 2014, a monument in honour of the gay victims in the Holocaust was erected in Tel Aviv.
Why am I raising this? I think the world is presently experiencing a massive change in order but instead of thinking of pragmatic ways to cope in the new world that is coming, many people are simply denying or punching the air with rage. Who is behind such a large-scale shift in ideas I really don’t know but the world is changing so fast at a pace that is terrifying to many. There is a huge transformation in the perception of social issues, so fast that it is all happening in less than a decade. In observing these changes in the countries that have legalized same-sex marriages, I ask the same question over and over again, how did the minority activists of same-sex marriage overwhelm the religious majority in all these democratic nations? I used the USA as example as it has the largest Christian population on earth. Someone said the minority hijacked the majority but I still don’t understand how that happened.
Okay, let’s assume this is the case, how will Nigeria ensure that as a society, we will offer a more sophisticated resistance to this new global trend. Although some people like to stay on Facebook and become warriors shouting this is Africa & it is not our culture but that is funny because there is nothing like African or even Nigerian culture per se, cultures on this continent follow tribal lines. Two, in this same Africa, same-sex marriage is legal in 21 countries, out of 57. You can look it up yourself HERE.
For those who may not understand, I am simply asking how will Nigeria cope in a fast-evolving world? If a new social order is imposed on Nigerians by rewriting the laws by the National Assembly, what are we going to do? Protest? Fight? What is the Nigerian way of life? Are we ready to die protecting it? Can we really resist this global movement or we will just make noise as usual and keep quiet? Or you think Nigeria is immune from what happens in the West? If Israel eventually legalizes same-sex marriage, don’t you think that will have its impact on the Nigerian populace? Many Nigerians especially those who proudly carry JP and mother-in-Israel titles still believe that Israelis are the chosen favourites of God but everyone pretends to see gays mingling freely in Jerusalem where gay parades have been organized since 1998. Nigeria’s role as an ally of Israel was cemented by former President Goodluck Jonathan. What I am saying in essence is that millions of Nigerians see Israel as their holiest land (even if the State of Israel formed by imperialist British forces in 1948 is not the same as Kingdom of Israel where King Solomon had his 1,000 kokolettes) and if Nigerians will not spend billions on holy pilgrimages to ‘sinful’ America, will they do the same to an Israel where gay marriage is allowed and celebrated? Think about it.
Anyway, me just dey watch the drama that will soon happen as it is all getting funkier and interesting day by day. Some people dey call me names for making my own observations and they also refuse to answer my many questions but that one ehn, na KOKANAYE. Some who cannot wrap their heads and minds around the whole issue transfer their aggression on me but no lele, food still grows on earth. If Nigerians do not understand how the world got to this stage, then we may be helpless in stopping the tide. Like my Papa in the Lord whom I will not mention will say, you cannot feature in a future you don’t picture. Belle dey turn me, I wan go chop.
THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.
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