“Love Your Child Irrespective Of Their Sexuality.” Twitter User Weighs In On Bolu Okupe’s Coming Out And His Father’s Homophobic Reaction
On Wednesday, January 20, Bolu Okupe, son of former presidential aide, Doyin Okupe, took the internet by the storm when he came out with a simple caption: “Yes, I’m Gay AF.” The caption accompanies a photo of the Paris-based body builder clad in rainbow-coloured shorts and holding up the rainbow flag.
Bolu’s coming out caused quite the stir on social media, as it got reblogged across the Nigerian blogosphere. But the real storm began to happen when his father, Doyin Okupe, took to social media to react to his son’s coming out.
Posting a screenshot of Bolu’s coming out post, Doyin Okupe addressed his religious stance against homosexuality. “[My son] knows that as a Christian and a witness for Christ (an evangelist), I am vehemently opposed to homosexuality as it runs contrary to the avowed precepts of my Christian faith.” He went on to dismiss the meaningfulness of Bolu’s coming out and the validity of his identity by preaching that he sees “a major spiritual challenge ahead but I know as my God liveth, this whole saga will end up in praise to the Almighty Jehovah who I serve day and night.”
Following his post, there was a torrent of commiseration from fellow homophobic Nigerians for the father, with some people targeting Bolu with their hate.
There have also been queer Nigerians and allies reacting with censure for the father who chose to weaponize his Christian faith against his homosexual son, instead of extending his acceptance to him. Pamela Adie posted a flurry of tweets, where she reminded Nigerians that Doyin Okupe, while serving as a senior aide to President Goodluck Jonathan, was in support of the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act when it was signed into law.
Support for the younger Okupe also came from others on Twitter, including Western media outlets who recognised the courage of his coming out and the ridiculousness of a father who believes that in spite of his son’s accomplishments, his being gay is a “saga” and a “major spiritual challenge.”
But perhaps, the most insightful take on Doyin Okupe’s reaction to his son’s coming out is this Twitter user’s, who called out the former presidential aide for exhibiting an example of selfish parenting.
“The selfish parent does not pause for a second to put themselves in the child’s shoes. I mean, you raised the young man or woman into the independent person they are now. How can they not have empathy for their own child?” he tweeted, denouncing the famous scriptural parenting quote “Train up a child in the way he should go, when he is old he would not depart from it” as not being applicable to a child’s sexuality.
He finished by expressing his hope for his own parenting, asserting that he would like to be “intentional with my kids, hope they grow to find their own voice and not the one I want them to find.”
Meanwhile, a very unbothered Bolu is on social media owning his truth and letting you know what he’d do to your man. 😂 
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Mafiaso
January 24, 11:02Doyin Okupe encouraged making same sex relationship a criminal offense with 14years jail term in Nigeria, during President Goodluck Jonathan’s regime. Today, he is defending his son that, he is not a criminal, because France allows homosexuality. Well, what goes around cones around. For starters, I am so happy that Bolu was courageous enough to come out, maybe his father may have a rethink when reality sets in. They say, don’t throw stone in the market, because it may hit your mother. Who knows when the children of the high and mighty start opening up like this, they will repel the obnoxious law. Thank you so much Bolu, this is a big win for us .