Administrators FlyJ Posted August 12, 2017 Administrators Share Posted August 12, 2017 Splashed on the front page of the dailies, he’s the first in a queue of 42 gay men who were arrested by the police in Nigeria last week. White singlet – white, like the long white garment that flowed to his ankles when I saw him, almost ten years ago. It was the uniform of the Aladura Church, a Nigerian sect of Christians well known for their frenetic and frenzied approach to prayer. Prayer to heal the sick. Maybe cast out devils. Maybe cure same sex attractions too. That sunny Sunday morning, his face subdued with a nervous smile, Michael sat with me by the soccer field along Awolowo Avenue in Ibadan. His big eyes, like saucers, were filled with watery innocence as he talked about his grandmother. He was staying at her house. She was very fond of him. “I like staying with her, instead of at my parents’ house. In fact, I’m going to go to university in Lagos or Abeokuta,” he said, “just to get away from home.” I understood. He had the air of some kind of geeky professor-in-the-making, even when he wasn’t saying much. When I asked about his parents, his reply felt strained, and his gaze – and the conversation – was dropped. Ten short years, an unethical law and a frivolous arrest later, it turns out Michael was right to be skeptical about his family. He now needs two sureties, family or neighbor, to be granted bail before his trial. Yet the same law by which Michael was arrested can also incriminate anyone else by association. Parents must choose between affirming their children and risking public ridicule, or turning their backs and sacrificing their own blood. Many often choose the latter. In this sordid scandal, money in the millions will have exchanged hands, from the vulnerable, desperate and desolate victims of this brutish witch-hunt, to their captors: oppressive police, corrupt court administrators, and other agents of the Nigerian pseudo-theocratic state. Even if any of the 42 men meet bail conditions, they may no longer be able to return home. Even if they are judged not guilty, which is unlikely, they have already been tried in the courts of public opinion. By unethically displaying Michael’s photograph, the Nigerian Media entertains a bloodthirsty cult of pseudo-moral savages who shall feast on the still-breathing carcass of his sullied reputation. It is a worrisome plight, not just for Michael and the other 42 men. It is a fearful omen for the perhaps twenty million more homosexual men and women hiding in Nigeria’s shadows.The repression of some of us by the rest of us makes life a collective prison sentence for all of us, in which the dignity of being otherwise human is undermined by inhumane laws. Source 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny1403 Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 This is heart wrenching. However, wen i see things like dis happen, I am reminded again of the need to grow strong LGBT fundamentalists in our society. ..We have peepol, but everyone is hiding in Nigeria's shadows just like d article did say. We need peepol to be bold enough to speak up for what we feel we want. We need lawyers...patriachs and men of influence . ..We need to raise peepol in government who can implement and uphold the gay law in Nigeria in about 5-6years. We have such peepol right in our society. ...but everyone is hiding in shadows...For fear of society. "The world has changed and they say freedom has come...its time to be free, love who u wann love, be who u wann be, Smile" - Gloria carter #4:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators kimi Posted August 12, 2017 Moderators Share Posted August 12, 2017 *Sighs* Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teewhy Posted August 12, 2017 Share Posted August 12, 2017 This one just weak me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suavity Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Too bad Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dequeen Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 We need guts to fight this thing , unfortunately most of us are weaklings, pussies (sorry to use this word), lily-livered. That's why i love forums like Naijalez, if only we can look beyond the pettiness, beyond who is fvcking who and who broke up with who and who we should bang next, we will realize the potential that this forum holds. We could build an army from here, we could collaborate here, make things happen, starting on this forum, we can bring it all offline, the word becoming flesh, afterall a lot of people here have met others offline. We need a strategy, we need a plan, we need guts, we need each other. Today, it's Michael. Tomorrow, it could be you. Next tomorrow, it could be your own kid. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny1403 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 5 minutes ago, dequeen said: We need guts to fight this thing , unfortunately most of us are weaklings, pussies (sorry to use this word), lily-livered. That's why i love forums like Naijalez, if only we can look beyond the pettiness, beyond who is fvcking who and who broke up with who and who we should bang next, we will realize the potential that this forum holds. We could build an army from here, we could collaborate here, make things happen, starting on this forum, we can bring it all offline, the word becoming flesh, afterall a lot of people here have met others offline. We need a strategy, we need a plan, we need guts, we need each other. Today, it's Michael. Tomorrow, it could be you. Next tomorrow, it could be your own kid. my dearrrrrrrr....u dey talk my mind pata pata Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny1403 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 sad thing is...as a community,if we continue with this trend of hiding in shadows and chickening out from societal challenges , the result would be that the Gay law would never see the light of day in Nigeria even in the next 1 decade. we need to fight for it...Nothing Good comes easy...and dats d bare fact. Inquire from American archives...Approval of the Gay law didnt just fall on them like the Banana in Davidos' song it took some men of courage who stood up ...came out boldly and demanded for what they wanted, It wasnt easy at all...they fought for it for soooo many years up until the law got its approval few years ago. if u Read up about germany...u will observe same trend - so many years of fights by men of resilience men who werent hiding in shadows...men who dared to face the consequences of being condemned by society. Well...they got wat they wanted at last and thats what matters. We need some guts and boldness here in nigeria. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dequeen Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 15 minutes ago, Jenny1403 said: sad thing is...as a community,if we continue with this trend of hiding in shadows and chickening out from societal challenges , the result would be that the Gay law would never see the light of day in Nigeria even in the next 1 decade. we need to fight for it...Nothing Good comes easy...and dats d bare fact. Inquire from American archives...Approval of the Gay law didnt just fall on them like the Banana in Davidos' song it took some men of courage who stood up ...came out boldly and demanded for what they wanted, It wasnt easy at all...they fought for it for soooo many years up until the law got its approval few years ago. if u Read up about germany...u will observe same trend - so many years of fights by men of resilience men who werent hiding in shadows...men who dared to face the consequences of being condemned by society. Well...they got wat they wanted at last and thats what matters. We need some guts and boldness here in nigeria. I couldn't agree more. I see people leaving the country, i see those seeking asylum but i can't help thinking of all the millions or hundreds of thousands of queer people in this country who won't have that priviledge. I mean this is a country where people go to church to give testimonies because they got a visa. People give testimonies because they travelled to Togo. People are in the desert trying to find their way out of this country. I remember the day i was in a group of queers and one of them said if the police apprehend you, just pray that you have money on you like N20,000 to bribe and i remember screaming in my mind "Some people don't even have up to N5000 in their bank account!" . We can't all seek asylum, we can't all leave. We need to fight for those who won't have these priviledges. It's not just about us, it's about generations behind us too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators kimi Posted August 13, 2017 Moderators Share Posted August 13, 2017 51 minutes ago, dequeen said: We need to fight for those who won't have these priviledges. It's not just about us, it's about generations behind us too. I AGREE. However, words are cheap... the question should be "in our little corners, what are we doing differently to effect change?" 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny1403 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 1 hour ago, kimi said: I AGREE. However, words are cheap... the question should be "in our little corners, what are we doing differently to effect change?" allllrrriiiiggghhhhhttttt ...so from my own little corner, Tomorrow being Monday, I will show up at work wearing my rainbow shirt proudly. and i will make sure i gallivant every where and be seen by all who care to see me including my enemies i weeee rub it in their faces...and of course when i get those silly ques, u can just trust my sarcasm to come in boldly. Tomorrow it is...Lets go pepper them . Who else is with me on this...Hello De-Queen ! #PepperDemGang 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.