“You Just Don’t Want To Be Poor And Gay In Nigeria.” – Pa Ikhide

In a Facebook post following the historic decriminalization of gay sex in India, writer Pa Ikhide had this to say.

Check on it.

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The expectation by many that African writers should loudly agitate against Africa’s many injustices is neither misplaced nor unrealistic. They got their fame and fortune from writing tales with such horrors as a backdrop. They should not ignore what has branded them profitably.

On the NGO/writing hustle and human/civil rights in Africa, there’s enough hypocrisy, cowardice and lack of will to go around. Many Nigerian writers and intellectuals for instance only care for their space, as long as it is warm and nurturing. Their advocacy benefits them only.

Thanks to the new Christianity, homophobia is a problem in Nigeria. Anti-gay laws target the vulnerable and the poor whose only crime is that they are born different, but do not have the money to live their lives. Except when it suits them, writers have been silent about this.

Among the elite, the hypocrisy is galling. As long as our spaces are warm and well-funded (by a generous Western benefactor), we don’t much care. If you are gay in Nigeria, and educated and at least middle class, you are good. Your money will protect your right to live your life.

I’ve been to literary events in Africa and my gay/lesbian friends walk around freely holding hands and doing PDA with their lovers, as they should, all of us under police escort. Beyond that space, if you are poor, you are asking to be lynched if you dare express your sexuality.

My point? If you are educated and have money you can do whatever you want in my part of Africa and get away with it as long as you live in a space that mimics the West. Beyond that space, is hell for poor women, children, gays and lesbians. The pastors and the law will lynch you.

Yup, you just don’t want to be poor and gay/lesbian in Nigeria. You are asking to be killed. If you are a star writer and have money, sure, you can make love on the streets and the police will protect your right to be you, as long as you pay them. Even the pastors will bless you.

Our writers, NGO czars and paid talking heads have not worked at expanding that warm space that I speak of. They just like to make woke noises because it is woke and that is how they make a good living. Wail to the West about injustices and your wallet fills up with grant money!

Let this be a call to action for all Nigerian writers and thinkers. I think we should raise the bar and widen the circle of warm spaces we all live in where we say nice things about feminism, gender identity, trans this, cis that, blah blah blah. Who nor like better thing?

On this note, I salute the courageous efforts of India’s judiciary for declaring that gay sex is not a crime. Nigeria should look to India’s example, not to the Bible thumping bigotry of her homophobic leaders.

Written by Pa Ikhide