UN intervenes in African anti-gay laws

With things slowly getting worse in Africa for LGBT people, the UN is stepping in to make a point. Basically two points; that people will be put in danger by the drumming up of homophobia, and that efforts to reduce HIV/AIDS will be undermined. They have entered the fray in Malawi, and specifically mention Nigeria's recent criminalisation of gays.

The United Nations' AIDS taskforce and human rights groups will launch a court battle against Malawi's laws criminalizing homosexuality, in a rare challenge to rising anti-gay legislation in Africa.

The legislation has strained relations between President Joyce Banda's government and international donors, whose aid is desperately needed in the impoverished country. 

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Anti-gay sentiment and the persecution of homosexuals is rife in much of sub-Saharan Africa. Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan this month provoked ire from the United States and the U.N. after signing a bill criminalizing same-sex relationships. 

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said the Nigerian law could fuel prejudice and violence and risks obstructing an effective HIV/AIDS response. more

It's interesting that it's the UN AIDS taskforce front and centre in this. This isn't just about the human rights of people to have the freedom to love who they will, but it's also about the AIDS epidemic in Africa. People will not seek help if they fear disclosing their sexuality could land them in jail.

It's the height of stupidity to make these anti-gay laws in the face of HIV alone. If Africa keeps going like this then in ten years HIV in those anti-gay countries will explode. And yep, you guessed it, they'll need western aid to get the virus under some sort of control again. Stupid. Really bloody stupid.