INTERNATIONAL POLITICS OF GAY RIGHTS AND NIGERIA-US DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

Abstract

Gay marriage or same sex marriage is a union that allows any two consenting individuals of the same biological sex to form an intimate relationship. The issue of same sex marriage is a controversial discourse in international relations today. The various dimensions of the discourses on the subject of gay marriage show a paradigm shift in the concept of marriage from the traditional and orthodox conception of a male- female consensual relationship to the coming together of any two individuals of any sex - even of the same sex. Using secondary data, analysed through textual and descriptive methods, the paper demonstrates that the politics of gay marriage diplomacy reveals the clash between western civilization, globalization, sovereignty, territorial integrity of states, human right and traditional societal beliefs or norms. Indeed, this was epitomized in the recent strain in NigeriaU.S diplomatic relations. The paper further observes that over an issue of national concern – same sex marriage - the multicultural dimension of the Nigerian state was relegated to the background and new boundaries of loyalty that defiled ethnic sentiments and religious inclinations surfaced in the country amongst the various religious and ethnic groups. It thus, recommends that although Nigeria’s stance on the issue of gay diplomacy not only shook the fabric of her nationhood and caused a diplomatic faceoff between the country and U.S, it is an opportunity for Nigeria to reappraise the nature of her diplomatic relations with the US.