The Nigerian government’s Federal Executive Council approved a measure banning same-sex marriage Jan. 17 and sent it to the National Assembly for consideration.

The proposal would punish anyone entering into a same-sex relationship or marriage with five years in prison. The same penalty would apply “if you aid or support in any way anybody of the same sex to contract a relationship or marriage,” said Justice Minister Bayo Ojo.

The measure also calls for a ban on gay organizations and rallies.

“In most cultures in Nigeria, same-sex relationships, sodomy and the likes of that is regarded as abominable,” Minister for Information and National Orientation Frank Nweke told the BBC.

Gay sex is already illegal nationwide – and in several northern states ruled by Islamic Sharia law, it is punished with stoning.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) has rejected the applications for consultative status submitted by the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA) and Denmark’s National Association for Gays and Lesbians (LBL).

The council’s Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations dismissed the requests Jan. 23 without holding the customary hearing.

The applications were opposed by Cameroon, China, Cuba, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Senegal, Sudan, the United States and Zimbabwe. Voting not to dismiss the applications were Chile, France, Germany, Peru and Romania. Abstaining were Colombia, India and Turkey. Côte d’Ivoire was not present for the vote.

“It is an absolute outrage that the United States has chosen to align itself with tyrants – all in a sickening effort to smother the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people around the world,” said Matt Foreman, executive director of the U.S. National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. “Apparently, Iran, which President Bush has deemed part of the ‘Axis of Evil,’ is a suitable partner when it comes to discriminating against gay people.”

ILGA’s co-secretary general, Rosanna Flamer-Caldera, said the council’s refusal to hold a hearing was “a clear violation of due process and an attempt to discriminate against LGBT NGOs on procedural grounds.”

On Jan. 25, a coalition of 40 organizations – led by the Human Rights Campaign, Human Rights Watch, the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force – wrote to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calling “for an explanation of the vote which aligned the United States with governments that have long repressed the rights of sexual minorities.”

ILGA had ECOSOC status from 1993 to 1994 but was stripped of it following a scandal, orchestrated by the U.S. right wing, in which a small number of ILGA’s member organizations were accused of not taking a strong enough stance against pedophilia.

Achieving consultative status is the only way non-governmental organizations can participate in discussions among member states at the U.N. Nearly 3,000 groups have the status.

Gay men in New Zealand cannot donate to sperm banks, local media reported in mid-January.

The policy persists even though the nation has a sperm shortage that forces women to wait up to two years for artificial insemination.

The Reproductive Technology Accredita-tion Committee uses a lifestyle declaration to reject men who have had sex with men, arguing that they are at higher risk for infection with HIV and other diseases.

South Africa’s Human Rights Comm-ission said Jan. 20 that gay men should not be automatically barred from donating blood.

“Everybody practicing unsafe, high-risk sex should be excluded from donating blood and a special emphasis should not be placed on the sexual activities of gay men,” said Commissioner Leon Wessels.

He said the South African National Blood Services should be taken to court if it refuses to change the policy.

According to several reports, black South African women may have a higher rate of HIV infection than white South African gay men.

An official of Britain’s opposition Liberal Democrats party resigned Jan. 21 after the News of the World tabloid reported that he had a relationship with a male prostitute in 2004.

Mark Oaten, who is married to a woman, said: “I have stood down as home affairs spokesman for the party. I would like to apologize for errors of judgment in personal behavior and for the embarrassment caused, firstly to my family, but also to my friends, my constituents and my party.”

The newspaper said Oaten, 41, was a hypocrite because last year he spoke out against a male judge who was sacked for hiring so-called “rent boys.”

Australia’s most accomplished women’s doubles tennis player came out in the Australian gay newspaper Melbourne Community Voice Jan. 16.

Rennae Stubbs, 34, who has won the Australian Open and Wimbledon, said she was inspired by U.S. basketball player Sheryl Swoopes’ coming out.

“When I read that I remember thinking, wow – it would just be great to be out in the public eye just so I didn’t have to answer any questions carefully or worry about it any more; that I could do my job,” she told MCV.

“I thought maybe I can make a bit of a difference here and try and get the general public to think that their kids can look up to me and aspire to be me – but I’m gay and it’s not a big deal.”