Igwe alerted me to news that was trending yesterday about three allegedly gay men in Imo who were stripped naked, beaten, and paraded around for everyone to see. You know, there is a lot of crazy shit that goes on in Nigeria and I don’t blog about it, not because of lack of interest, but because of frustration and extreme pissitivity (not a real word). But now that I think of it, I think I need to be more vocal. Not being vocal definitely isn’t helping anyone.
We, Nigerians – and I am speaking generally, of course – have a knack for ignoring the real problem and focusing instead on everything that does not actually affect us. Tell me, how does a person’s sexuality affect someone else? When two consenting adults decide they want to have sex with each other, tell me, how does it affect you?
Oh, wait, let me guess: it’s a sin? You’re a Christian? It’s unnatural? It’s western? It’s devilish? It’s against our culture? Against our beliefs? Against our morals? It’s ungodly? It’s the reason why God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah? Sure.
While this would be a good time for me to tell you to remove the plank from your eye before removing the speck from your neighbor’s eye, I will not say it. Now, take a good look at the people who are around these allegedly gay men (including the guy in the red shirt); look at the people who are parading them and “shaming” them, and tell me which one of them looks like he has his life together?
What I see is a bunch of poor people with misguided and misplaced priorities. Instead of trying to do epic things, instead of trying to make a name in this big, bad world, and instead of trying to make some money to make tomorrow better, they are busy running after men sleeping with men – allegedly.
Even if you caught these men in a threesome … so bloody what? Is it your asshole getting drilled? Or is it your penis doing the drilling? Or is it your husband doing it? No? Then back the fuck off. Leave people to live their lives. Let adults do what they want to do with each other and to each other, as long as they are not hurting anyone. I am stressing the word “adult” here because letting people sleep with who they want to sleep with does not include grown ass men sleeping with kids. That’s a damn shame.
In a country like Nigeria where there are only rich and poor people – no middle men – we should be worried about our lives, our greedy government, and our completely failed system. How can we be worried about men sleeping with men? Off the top of my head, I can list ten things we should be thinking about instead:
1. Most of the people who have appointed themselves as our leaders are not fit to lead themselves.
2. There are people who live under the bridge.
3. Our uncles and aunties are sleeping with our children.
4. People are so desperate for money that they are killing their friends and family.
5. There are people who make N6,000 a month. And they are considered rich by those who make nothing.
6. Our policemen are our enemies. They are glorified gate men.
7. Our teachers are getting dumber. Or maybe they are just reacting to being underpaid and overworked.
8. Our roads are death traps endorsed by the government.
9. There is no law and order, and our constitution is a fairy tale novel.
10. There are now only two jobs to have if you want to make it big very fast: you can either work for government or become a pastor.
These problems are only a tip of the iceberg. So tell me, what do we call it, if not that people are taking Tylenol for other people’s headache? I ask again, if your asshole is not the one being drilled (and your penis is not the one doing the drilling, and hopefully, not your husband’s either), then why do you care who is fucking who?
P.S. Beating a person and parading them naked around town does not undo their gayness – if they are gay.
Vera,
This is probably my second time commenting on your blog. You took the words right out of my mouths. The hypocrisy and self-righteous tendecies of a lot of Nigerians disgusts me! Why aren’t adulterous men paraded in the streets? Why aren’t our corrupt, greedy politicians accorded the same level of disgrace? This persecution and humiliation of homosexuals needs stop! It strikes me as being contradictory when people quote the bible and spew hateful rhetoric against gays in the same breath! Live out the principles of your religions! Jesus did not go around humiliating people who he considered sinners!!!
Nonsense!! Stuff like this irritates me to no end.
Blame it on African Pride and the lack of proper education . We have a nation of uneducated people with no job prosperity, no stable growth and nowhere to go but down. These are the same people like you said with no future trying to decide someone’s future and thats the crazy part. As africans we act like our shit dont stink and only in countries like America do these things exist. The crazy fucked up part is that their ignorance of what a real functioning community looks like is whats fueling their actions. The govt is not helping either by treating homosexuality as a crime. the whole purpose of that I think is to give people other things to worry about besides corruption, lack of infrastructure, and a fucked up goverment . Its time to wake up from a drunken stupor and realize the govt is leading us straight to the toilet. I pray for 9ja
Vera,
This actually happened in my village and you are so right in your analysis…. we all have to stand up against this misplaced priority of ours and stand up or for a use of better word ‘naija spring’ on issues that matter most to the development of the country…..
My sentiments exactly. Am beginning to think it is a type of coping mechanism for them against all the misery they like in.
Brilliantly written Vera! It’s highly barbaric and irrational to intrude into other people’s privacy. In journalism, permission to invade one’s privacy is to have a story that has a positive or negative affect on others. The yorubas will say “the owner of the milk spilt is not angered but the owner of the milk-tin is enraged”. You have said it all Vera. If two consenting adults decide to stay in the private confines of their house and practice homosexuality, it is non of your F**king business! As long as they didnt bring their asses to your doorstep for some screwing!
# Just as Vera has said, EXPOSURE OF THEIR “PRIVATE-PARTS” TO THE SUN DOES NOT ELIMINATE THE HOMOSEXUALITY IN AN INDIVIDUAL.
the people parading them that are enjoying the free show, are they not gay themselves then. I bet you some of them got erections from the parade
I have a different view Vera! Like the senate and house of assembly I ask ‘which one of you all supporting the gay men are product of gay relationships/marriage?? I don’t support d beating and parading but this is not USA! We still got morals!
@ Chizzie, I respect your views, but I don’t think Vera or any of the other people who commented said anything about supporting homosexuality. If 9ja is not US, what ‘punishment’ do you propose as being adequate? Imprisonment as opposed to beating? The truth of the matter is that SIN is punishable by God, not man. For men (in all of our imperfection) to be the judge and jury for homosexuality becuase it is against our ‘morals’ while we sit comfortably and do nothing about corruption, adultery and crime smacks of double standards. I don’t support homosexuality, neither do I support adultery but I definitely will not be the one to judge/punish another person! After all if a man/woman is guilty of adultery, the ‘punishment’ is divorce. If morals are the measure of comparison, then there’s no distinction between homosexuality and adultery. This isn’t about politicizing any issue or sounding politically correct, the truth of the matter is that we have our priorities in Nigeria severely twisted, you can take that statement to the bank. Imagine the criminals in the senate and house of assembly developing ‘morals’ all of a sudden when it comes to sexual conduct!
I like that u pointed out that joblessness, that’s how they found out these men were having sex.
No I do not endorse being gay, in fact I don’t endorse any sin, including all the ones am guilty of and still begging God to continue to have mercy on me.
However, putting upon ur self is d right to punish them is just crap. Medisome interlopers.
Oh should they discuss this gay issue at d senate or house of reps? Sure! Right after the homos, adulterers, ritualists, patrons of prostitutes, thieves and peudophies amongst them have come out publicly. Wait, will there be anyone left? Sure. They just won’t form quorum.
It dawns on me every time I tell the smallest lie such as “sorry ntwk was bad thats why I didn’t call u” that hell is meant for petty liars and murderers and as such I lose interest in condemning others.
I can see this touched a nerve and rightly so! First, we behave like savages, parading people naked, assaulting and dehumanizing them. We are in the bloody 21st century. Second, like you rightly said, let he who has not ‘sinned’ cast the first stone. If being ‘gay’ is a crime, and the so-called ‘righteous’ would refer to the Bible, surely adultery, fornication are too. I don’t see anyone being bloodied in the streets for those. Sad, the state of things in this country. Plain pathetic.
it’s pathetic that in this modern era we’re in, this sort of barbaric act is still being committed. It just makes you ashamed of being a nigerian because you will begin to wonder what other people are gonna think of us. Even more annoying is the fact that those behind this dastard act will go scot-free, after all, homosexuality is frowned upon by the government. But while we go about proclaiming our self-righteousness, using the bible in basing our arguement against homosexuality, we must also remember that same bible even though it doesn’t explicitly promote homosexuality did not instruct us to strip-naked and humiliate homosexuals. The sooner we realise that being gay is neither absurd nor crazy but life styles of some the better for all of us.
Valid points!!!! I also believe religious sentiments should totaly be alienated from this issue. HOWEVER, I think we/the FG should only be worried IF and WHEN the sexual exploits of these “willing” individuals negatively affect personal/public health and/or standard and quality of living…… As indicated in several researches/reports on HOMOSEXUALITY
I see where you’re coming from, Onajide, but everyone has a responsibility to be careful. In whatever way that homosexual sex can affect personal/public health, I’m sure that heterosexual sex can do the same thing, too. Think about it.
But really, in retrospect, Nigerians can be Ignorant, Naïve and misguided-Amebos!!!! Of all the pressing need in this country!!!! In reality, this is indeed a subtle reflection of our social-economic decay! So much that the citizenry has accepted oppression and has turned to the most Insignificant for excitement… Or how else do you explain a situation where hungry men have resigned to fate and resorted to “shaming” *with great delight* a fellow ordinary citizen for his/her sexual orientation? When such aggression can be collectively/strategically aimed at getting an overall improved standard of living! The Joke is indeed on us!!!
I bet the international community will get a good laff out of stories like this!
Na today? That’s why I said it’s poverty and idleness that is inspiring them cause no one with a job and bills to pay will have time for this. Per the international community, well, that’s why they don’t take us seriously.