– Bisi Alimi is a gay Nigerian activist – He posted an article about homosexuality being part of African culture, contrary to what peopl...
– Bisi Alimi is a gay Nigerian activist
– He posted an article about homosexuality being part of African culture, contrary to what people think
Bisi Alimi is an outspoken gay Nigerian who is an activist for gay rights. He is currently engaged to be be engaged to a white man. He posted an atirticle on the Guardian talking about how homosexuality is part of our culture.
Some excepts as as follows: “The idea that homosexuality is ‘western’ is based on another western import – Christianity. True African culture celebrates diversity and promotes acceptance.”
“In digging up facts I found that, while many Africans say that homosexuality is un-African, African culture is no stranger to homosexual behaviours and acts.”
“For example, in my local language (Yoruba), the word for “homosexual” isadofuro, a colloquialism for someone who has anal sex. It might sound insulting and derogatory, however, the point is there is a word for the behaviour. Moreover, this is not a new word; it is as old as the Yoruba culture itself.”
“In the northern part of Nigeria, yan daudu is a Hausa term to described effeminate men who are considered to be wives to men. While the Yoruba word might be more about behaviour than identity, this Hausa term is more about identity. You have to look and act like a yan daudu to be called one. It is not an identity you can just carry. These words are neutral; they are not infused with hate or disgust.”
Bisi Alimi and his husband-to-be
“When I have challenged people who are anti-gay, many have said that it is not our culture. However, when you probe further, they argue that homosexuality is not in the Bible. But the Bible is not our historical culture. This shows there is real confusion about Africa’s past.”
“As a Nigerian gay man, these myths about homosexuality create a dark cloud over my head. They leave me trying to navigate my way through self-denial, rejection, love and the burden of guilt. While to many people the assertion “homosexuality is un-African” might just be words, to all African LGBT people it puts our lives in imminent danger.”
“It is used in South Africa to rape lesbians. It is used to pass laws and to jail, threaten or kill gay rights activists. It is used to dehumanise LGBT people across Africa and legitimise the hate that we face. It is the reason I receive death threats, which ultimately drove me into exile from my home in Nigeria.”“To stop all this, we need to start by re-telling our history and remembering our true African culture, one that celebrates diversity, promotes equality and acceptance, and recognises the contribution of everyone, whatever their sexuality.”
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