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Why Niger explicitly criminalising asexuality is significant to everyone, regardless of identity (www.wearequeeraf.com)

submitted 2 weeks ago by floofloof@lemmy.ca to c/world@lemmy.world

68 comments fedilink hide all child comments

cross-posted from: https://quokk.au/c/lgbtq_plus/p/1184160/why-niger-explicitly-criminalising-asexuality-is-significant-to-everyone-regardless-of-ident

To understand Nigers asexuality criminalisation, we should see this law as part of a bigger – and growing – global trend among conservatives about 'traditional families'

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[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 48 points 2 weeks ago

What does that even mean, in practice? Mandatory government sex?

[-] hansolo@lemmy.today 33 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

It's a proxy for "why aren't you married and having kids?" Niger usually has one of the highest fertility rates per woman, which is a troubling way to measure that.

Source: lived there for years. People take "be fruitful and multiply" very literally.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 12 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Neat, a first-hand source! What else should we know about Niger, beyond the statistics?

[-] hansolo@lemmy.today 20 points 2 weeks ago

Rice and beans slap.

[-] BeMoreCareful@lemmy.world 5 points 2 weeks ago

This checks out.

[-] Padit@feddit.org 4 points 2 weeks ago

How do you guys pronounce Niger? Does it sound French, or is there an other pronounciation to it?

[-] hansolo@lemmy.today 7 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

In Niger, everyone says "nee-zhair." That's how I've always said it. There's a Niger state in Nigeria, and that one always pronounced "nay-jer"

FWIW, in Nigeria, shorthand for "Nigerian" is Naija, pronounced "nay-ja" as one would expect.

[-] faintwhenfree@lemmus.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

Can you do Nigeria? It's basically the same without the ia. If not try, ni like bi in bisexual + ger like Germany.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

The ger in Nigeria is more like "jeer". Exact vowels vary a lot across the language, but Germany isn't exactly the same as Jeermany in American English or Nigerian English, and I'm pretty sure not in RP either.

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 4 points 2 weeks ago

The article links to an irrelevant source. What's the actual law?

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 2 points 2 weeks ago

I would have to go looking too. But, the article makes it clear it's an umbrella anti-gay law.

The actual answer to that question, is that they're going to just ignore the parts that don't make sense, because there's no rule of law anyway. Written laws serve as something more like campaign promises, in an authoritarian state.

[-] LodeMike@lemmy.today 1 points 2 weeks ago

I think it's just illegal to "be" asexual.

Under common law in the U.S. that type of law is illegal.

[-] cloudshouter@lemmy.zip 1 points 2 weeks ago

It seems, by itself, people within the target group need to have an opposite sex alibi. In practice, and if anyone can find out what the law says exactly, it’s probably targeting people over a certain age who are not married with kids.

[-] jnod4@lemmy.ca -1 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

Edit: y'all getting mixed up I'm out

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 6 points 2 weeks ago

Besides having nothing to do with Niger, which is a totally different situation, the first bit is understandable. A kid needs a house and stability much more than an adult does. Here, there's not really council houses for kids, either.

And no, it's not migrant's fault. Stop reading the Sun or the Daily Mail or whatever.

[-] Ilovethebomb@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 weeks ago

Nobody mentioned migrants.

[-] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 weeks ago

OP did, then edited it out.

And now edited the rest out, too.

[-] partofthevoice@lemmy.zip 2 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago)

But that’s not how you treat criminals. You’re describing a mix of positive and negative incentives, which are just policy effects. Criminalization means a particular action or belief has been made criminal, for which a person may be criminally suspect of having committed. There are consequences to be satisfied, such as prison time or community service, not passive burdens for not conforming. Is that not correct or am I overreading the word “criminalizing” here?

this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2026

242 points (97.6% liked)

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