what lgbt representation means to an average nigerian boy

By Nelson John, AFROPUNK contributor

What LGBT representation means to an average Nigerian boy?

A lot, to be conclusive; as a much-needed crack of light, penetrating the engulfing gloom of enclosure and self-denial, in a bid to stay out of the draconian law’s way.

At some minutes past midnight, a Saturday eating quickly away into a Sunday, I stumbled on a Facebook friend’s timeline where Ifeoma Fafunwa’s Radcliffe presentation video was shared via YouTube.

The caption which read with witty sarcasm: WHO WOULD WANT TO BE LGBT AND NIGERIAN? was magnetic enough to earn a click, although my heart palpitated, and had partially concluded that this might be one of the numerous derogatory stands against Nigerian LGBT persons, one which has over the years come in variants ;formal and informal, as a source of mockery and jeering from entertainers and even as a sermon in churches, via social media and street conversations, inspiring self-despise and mental damage to the thoroughly vulnerable, through radio interviews as well as the few Television counterparts that dare to delve into this thoroughly condemned lane, on not so diplomatic motives.

It seems; this conversation which pops up almost every time, in different occasions seeks only to reach a collectively, malevolent, and obsolete conclusion that LGBT persons are demons, and with the flawed institutionalized religion weaved tightly into the Nigerian socio-cultural fabric, we are believed to be fit only for the fires of hell made quicker by physical assault, and legal punishments fit only for seasoned criminals.

It is with such startling simplicity, and a redefined form of resounding and denouncing preposterous myths around LGBT persons that Ifeoma Fafunwa in her presentation as a Mary I. Bunting fellow at Radcliffe Institute for advanced studies, tackles the energy pumped into the hatred, hunting, justification of assault and suppression of the most basic human liberty towards LGBT persons, and wonders how much progress the nation would make if that energy were redirected into tackling the abounding social ills in the country.

This she does with a powerful speech that rummages possible and highly plausible solutions to Nigeria’s fanatical homophobia, a short video of random views by everyday Nigerians as regards queer persons to support her point, with almost all of them against homosexuals from one doctrinal or dictatorial point of view to the other, and with one powerful message of tolerance, and unconditional love expressed by a mother towards her son who comes out to her; a mighty rare feat for most conventional and even contemporaneous parents in the country.

Prior to that video, I have only ever known by heart, Bisi Alimi as a bold Nigerian LGBT and human rights advocate who with his foundation has caused a ripple, positively affecting like-minded persons, like Peter Okeugo, and Cisi Eze, a few social media activists, and advocacy websites such as Kitodairies, The Rustin times, No strings and a few others, that although I can count off of my fingers, are trying their possible best to inspire mental, moral, and conceptual progress amongst not just Nigeians, but the LGBT community as well.

This speaks of a communicable terror, of fear, of subjugation and at most a handicap of many innate sense of the expression, which is different in a host of other marginalized African countries, who keep fighting proactively for their rights.

This is a terror I have come to understand as normal, felt compelled to live with, and have as such, allowed myself hope a fuzzy hope, because only very few people in strategic positions have -for mostly diplomatic and less humanistic reasons- previously said nor done anything with a sea-change towards the movement, the hate no matter how many times I accost it, hits me forcefully with bouts of despair and hopelessness.

In watching this video as an individual sharing from the brunt of the draconian law even before it became formal, I am grateful to be brought under this safely critical aureole, where despite the country’s harmful conservatism, supports like this will begin to change perceptions, and invariably inspire one or two more important voices to spring up and take bold reformative steps, not just for us LGBT persons, but in the interest of the nation’s progress, dissipating structurally by the day.

But it does seem like an awfully long journey, surprisingly, social media which has recently grown into a safe and strategic point for homophobias and their unabashed strutting of hate for a barely understood kind of life, a life so multilayered with simplicities LGBTs are forever discovering, has had nothing to say about it, unlike the status quo of shallow news and politics that can be twisted into memes, literally nobody is saying anything about it.

Nobody is nodding nor disagreeing with the parents and siblings who vowed in the short video made by Ifeoma Fafunwa along with her speech and an announcement to explore homophobia through a stage play project, to kill their blood or hand them over to the police if they found them to be othered.

These declarations they make without remorse, eyes fixed, lips sure in their prejudices, unfounded theories rife, and ridiculous beliefs and conclusions met as regards Queer people.

Nobody is making it trend like a series of other matters not even concerning the Nigerian socio-cultural space, has.

Nobody is reposting the video so it will spread like fire – and hopefully not jeopardize Fafunwa’s career in filmmaking and drama productions.

But then, nobody needs to, soon I believe tongues will inexorably begin to take it up from variegated stands, like a friend- one of the many I have been excitedly referring the video too- said, “There is a surge.” A much-needed one, and better still one that everyone can see, one that everyone will feel.