The original content of Democracy Now! Headlines appears under the Creative
Commons BY-NC-ND 3.0 License (United States). For more, including their other
shows and media, visit www.democracynow.org.
March 20, 2012

Liberian President Sirleaf Defends Criminalization of Homosexuality 
--------------------------------------------------------------------



Nobel Peace Peace prize winner and Liberian President Ellen Johnson
Sirleaf has defended a Liberian law that criminalizes homosexual acts.
In Liberia so-called "voluntary sodomy" is considered a misdemeanour
punishable by up to one year in prison. Sirleaf made the comment during
an interview with The Guardian newspaper.
bq. Reporter: "At the moment voluntary sodomy is illegal at the moment.
So in essence homosexuality for two gay men under the books is illegal
in Liberia." 
bq. President Sirleaf: "We've got certain traditional values in our
society that we’d like to preserve." 
bq. Reporter: "So you’re saying you wouldn’t decriminalize that
current law?" 
bq. President Sirleaf: "I’ve just said to you we’re going to
maintain our traditional values." 
Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who was taking part in the
joint interview, refused to criticize Sirleaf's stance.
bq. Reporter: "Given that good governance and human rights go had and
hand, what is your advice to Madame President and Liberia on this gay
rights issue?" 
bq. Tony Blair: "One of the advantages of doing what I do now is that I
can choose the issues I get into and the issues I don’t. For us the
priorities are on power, roads, jobs, delivery. I’m not saying these
issues aren’t important, but the President has given her position, and
this is not one for me."



.