For what I can tag a long time (at least judging from my birth certificate and thanks to history books), there has largely been scarce push for change that has united people regardless of their races, skin colors, religious preferences or whatsoever. This, in fact, is a one-time validation that the entire conglomerate of SARS is one hideous monster that should be wiped off the surface and corners of the earth, unapologetically. However, things seem to have blown off the roof overnight following the tweet of Feminist Coalition on the night of October 18, as to the inclusion of the LGBT community in the struggle to erase SARS. Judging from the reaction of tweeps, it is evident that a large number of people fear the division tendency that might emanate from such update. In the words of tweeps, Feminist Coalition was losing “focus”!
Save your Google search for something else, LGBT as an initialism represents Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender as a unified community and jointly push the queer; same-sex agenda. Despite the 14 years imprisonment law passed under the administration of former President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan; the queer ones have managed to stand defiantly and raise their voices so loudly that claiming not to know of their existence within the country would be top cult hypocrisy. The recently screened movie "Ife" by Pamela Adie, which further enacts this moment as the perfect time for the lesbians to come out of their hiding place, further validates the fact that rebellion has become the order of the day.
Away from the law stated above, it's important to study the root cause of homophobia in Nigeria and what constantly fuels this hate from people of different religions cum races. Safe for very few liberals who claim not to feel comfortable around the queer ones, the greater percentage of homophobes would definitely be from the angle of religion and culture. The cultural systems, noteworthy Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa, from time immemorial have proven not to be involved in any direct advocacy for same-sex marriage, but that might as well not invalidate the statement that the queer ones have been existing since the days of Bashorun Gaa. Perhaps, in the Yoruba post-colonial system, they were referred to as outcasts or even risked facing exile at times. Whatever it is, we cannot always trust undocumented history that already seems altered to provide us adequate information but, from the inclinations and theories of our parents who actually belonged to those early generations, we can very well tell the stance of culture.
That asides, the religious stance has never been favorable to the queer ones. Picking the very two major beliefs - Islam and Christianity - we can very well tell that both the already written books and even the managers of the religions cannot be convinced otherwise to subscribe to the ideas of LGBT (take for instance, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah). The sinners' tag is automatically pinned against them and spot on, they are termed to be candidates of hell. According to them, homosexuality is a defiance against societal laws and natural ordinance.
This age long harassment and mob persecution of the queer ones have no doubt extended to the social media world. And the mob attack was exactly what came down upon Feminist Coalition, following their tweet to involve all sects of people, including the homosexuals, in the struggle. Perhaps, the tweet might not have come alive, save for the reports of beating certain queer protesters at protest grounds, most of which is perpetrated by cishet protesters. Is it not weird to fight oppression while oppressing others?
Regardless of the rooted homophobia that seems to want to invalidate every other form of argument, we cannot deny the fact that the menace of SARS or police brutality exempts no one at all. I can still vividly remember how a man was raped to death sometimes back by SARS officers. This brings us to the question - would Nigerians have reacted this much if the oppression from SARS was targeted at just the queer ones only? I presume the idea of humanity is non-segregational — in an attempt to be segregational as such, are we stirring towards a whole new divergent conversation? I've always been one to state that the attack at SARS is but a struggle that would unearth tonnes of cankerworms and will lead to many other solemn wars breaking out. Is this the foretelling of a looming protest from the LGBT community, anytime soon, to be allowed adequate freedom and enjoyment of rights over here, like the cishet men and women? Does the oppression of the queer ones inadvertently make their assailants another SARS officers, without uniform? If we push the hashtag that All Lives Matter and still do not want the inclusion of the queer ones, can it be translated as homophobia disguised as fear of treason or serdition?
Whatever it is, time has a way of sorting itself out. However, every time I come across a tweet stating that the Feminist Coalition's update about the queer ones was accurate but dropped at the wrong time, it makes me wonder if the time has arrived in human history when basic human rights and push to actualise that freedom is termed as inconvenient or, better still, a distraction. Can there be a reformation, when a segment of the nation is left out? Or should we be on the lookout for a Biafra nation, Oduduwa Republic and ... LGBT Nation?
I am not allowed to have opinions but, eventually, everyone evidently needs closure. Every other evil might as well melt at the presence of love. Perhaps, perhaps — these days, nothing seems to be certain anymore. However it is, #EndSARS is a preamble of what it's like to be sitting on gunpowder, as a nation. This conversation is long overdue and, now, we must have it.
I love how well written this is. Awesome.