Group in Liberia ‘issues hit list’ against gays
A group in Liberia is reportedly threatening seven men it has publicly named as part of an anti-gay campaign.
The group, calling itself the Movement Against Gays in Liberia, put up the lists over the weekend, AP reports.
The list reportedly names two men who tried to legalise gay marriages in the west African state as part of a number who would be targeted in turn.
The fliers read: “Having conducted a comprehensive investigation, we are convinced that the below listed individuals are gays or supporters of the club who don’t mean well for our country.
“Therefore, we have agreed to go after them using all means in life.”
The flier advised the men to “begin saying their Lord’s prayers” and a member of the Movement confirmed to AP they would be prepared to kill the men.
According to a 2008 ILGA report, gay sex acts are currently classified as first degree misdemeanors in Liberia, punishable by up to a year in prison.
The Liberian senate was presented with bills this year which would strengthen the country’s laws criminalising homosexuality.
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, said she would not sign the bill strengthening the anti-gay laws, but would similarly not sign a bill repealing them.
In that interview, President Sirleaf said: “We’ve got certain traditional values in our society that we would like to preserve. We’re going to keep to our traditional values.”
