YEMMYnisting
Proudly Feminist, Proudly Bisexual, Proudly Atheist.
I love attending Pride. It might have a lot to do with the fact that I come from a country where staging anything close to Pride would get you stoned to death with no remorse from your murderers. In fact, the State would gladly decorate your murderers with state medals, the pastors would declare them worthy warriors for Christ and everyone would blame you for daring to flaunt your evil lifestyle choice! 
I value freedom, I value democracy, I value equality, I believe diversity is the natural spice of life and equality trumps all. It therefore saddens me that in many countries, people would be killed if they dared to stage what is now taken for granted in some parts of the world; Pride.
Pride is a protest; yes some think it has lost a lot of its protest value and now just another avenue for big organizations to make profits. Some say they do not attend pride anymore because it seems it is now all about showing off, getting drunk and strutting on the street half naked. Some are angry that the new generations who now freely participate in pride do not understand or value the price the older generation paid for them to be able to stage a pride.
I think pride should still be enjoyed by the old and new generation. The mere fact that you can freely stage a pride on the street with guaranteed state protection is something to celebrate. It was not always the case. Such diversity, such freedom, such protection needs to be celebrated not boycotted. Bear in mind that it is not yet Uhuru for sexual minorities even in UK. Same-sex couples are still fighting for marriage equality. Homophobia still exists and transsexuals can still get killed on the streets of London. [Read more…]
Many Nigerians were angry (justifiably so) when President Goodluck Jonathan deployed soldiers to disperse peaceful protesters 
across the country. The right to organise peaceful protests was violated by a civilian government; many called it a breach of constitutional rights, with emphasis on the right to freedom of association and freedom of expression.
This violation and highhandedness must be thoroughly condemned, however, while condemning the government; honestly ask yourself the following questions-
It is said that he who comes to equity must come with clean hands. I am aghast at the sheer volume of violent comments and threatening messages that advocates of LGBT rights receive daily. [Read more…]
I do a double take whenever I hear the words “Your coming out is threatening the safety of closeted gays” and the addendum “Protesting ‘Anti Same Sex’ bills and homophobic behavior is a threat to closeted gays, please stop the protests”.
Really, I mean, really?
Recently on a facebook group, an African who identifies as queer recently called me selfish for daring to come out as bisexual and for protesting against oppression of LGBTs. She suggested that African lesbians and gays should be discrete and not flaunt their love-life. Well, she wasn’t the first African to suggest this ‘do not flaunt your same-sex love life’ bit. It really is sad and that is why I have decided to write a blog post about this issue.
What exactly qualifies as flaunting ones’ love-life?
Is it that goodbye kiss at the train station?
The hand-in-hand walk you take with your lover when the weather permits?
Or the dance you have together at that office party?
I see heterosexuals do all these every day and no one ever accused them of flaunting their love life, in fact it is often referred to as ‘celebrating their love’ but when it is a same sex couple, it suddenly becomes ‘flaunting’.
Also, to the best of my knowledge, no lesbian, gay, bisexual or Trans has ever stoned anyone to death for being heterosexual. However many LGBTs risk this possibility in my beloved country, Nigeria, where it is actually legal in the northern part of the country to stone homosexuals to death.
Why should my having a love life and expressing my love openly like every other normal adult, be considered as ‘flaunting’ simply because my lover and I are of the same sex? Why should my being in love with a same-sex adult and celebrating my love lead to 14 years imprisonment or public stoning?
More importantly, why should closeted gays try to stop me from being OUT and PROUD?
Why the censorship? [Read more…]
This land of corrupt politicians
Rubbing bellies of stolen funds
Looting without a care
Killing with no remorse
Stoning gays, jailing Trans
This land full of Hate
Poverty and Ignorance [Read more…]
It is said that followers get the leaders they deserve, so it is not surprising that Nigerians are led by hypocrites.
According to National Mirror: http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/no-going-back-on-anti-same-sex-bill-mark/
“No going back on anti-same sex bill –Mark”
“Senate President David Mark has said the decision of the National Assembly to ban same-sex marriage in the country was irreversible. Mark, according to a statement, said this at a dinner hosted in his honour by the Nigerian Community i
n Prague, Czech Republic, yesterday.”
‘The Senate president explained that the bill, which has been approved by both chambers of the National Assembly, would not in any way infringe on the rights of Nigerians.’
He said: “The law against same-sex marriage is an approval of the wishes of the generality of Nigerians who are desirous of living within our cultural bounds. “The law is not designed to infringe on the human rights of Nigerians in any way.
Hmm.. he probably does not consider Nigerian Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Trans as Nigerians or even Humans.
“Also, wherever you go in our country today, our people are completely in support of the National Assembly because the practice of same-sex, as you all know, is alien to us.”
I wonder if the famed orgies with his wives and mistresses are not alien to Africa. [Read more…]
ORIGINAL INTERVIEW LINK- http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/our-senators-are-hypocrites/104344/
(BTW, you totally should read the wacky comments on the original interview link)
Yemisi Ilesanmi describes herself as ‘proudly bisexual’. After gaining her LL.B from the Obafemi Awolowo University in 2004 (four years after she should have qualified and 10 years after she was initially admitted as a student), she was admitted to the Nigerian Bar in 2005. Asked about the time gap, she chuckles in recollection, ‘Well I had some issues with the university authorities’. Pressed further she says, ‘Weeell, we ‘kidnapped the then Vice-Chancellor, Professor Omole! We had only dirty, brown water coming out of our taps in the halls of residence and we were expected to drink that?!’ her voice rising an octave. ‘Well, we thought we should just give him a dose of his own medicine so we “took” him to spend quality time with us!’
If by now it has not been clear that the interviewer is speaking with a non-conformist, it is now.
Ilesanmi worked with the Nigeria Labour Congress in Abuja from 2002 until recently. Aged 36, she holds a Masters of Law Degree from the University of Keele, UK in Gender, Sexuality and Human Rights. Now resident in the United Kingdom, this trade unionist, human rights activist and poet sent in a position paper to the Senate hearing last October on the anti-same sex marriage bill. She was however unable to come down to Nigeria to make her presentation personally but says she now plans to do so for the House of Representatives public hearing.
The coordinator of the campaign group Nigerian LGBTI in Diaspora Against Anti-Same Sex Laws, she has travelled extensively as guest speaker to promote gender and youth issues, labour rights, sexuality rights and international human rights. [Read more…]
I often receive some very ignorant comments from believers, mostly Nigerian Christians who pompously inform me that I am going to burn in hell for not accepting Jesus Christ as my personal saviour. They claim if I do not stop campaigning for equal rights for all, which basically mean, I should stop the ‘gay agenda’ of promoting lesbians, gays , bisexuals and transsexuals as PERSONS entitled to human rights, I will feel the wrath of their all merciful, all loving but obviously vengeful and insecure in his sexuality God. Oh, how they love calling me a fool because their precious bible claims anyone one who says there is no God is a fool. However, I must say, this comment on my fb wall by a deluded Christian is a prime example of just how senseless many Nigerian Christians are.
Yemisi Ilesanmi the anti Christ. I am sure that you are a vessel of the devil in this end time but we are specially annoited and commissioned to frustrate and fail you.
OK, let’s forget that he got the spelling of ‘anointed’ wrong, although that is quite funny because that word is always on the lips of Nigerian Christians, e.g. “I am anointed” , “Anointing fall on me” and the very popular “Buy your anointing oil!”
I will proceed to critically scrutinize this comment as it shows the level of religious ignorance the average Nigerian Christian suffers from.
My interview with SaharaTV on Nigeria’s ‘Jail The Gays’ bill.
Laughing and shaking my head at the homophobic, ignorant comments of Nigerians on this Sahara Reporters facebook post featuring my Interview with SaharaTV on the Nigeria’s Jail the Gays bill.
It is said that fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering and violence.
Already a few are calling for me to be stoned to death.
It really is easy to hate, it takes courage to Love. If only these ignoramuses conquer their fear by opening their mind to logic and love, Nigeria, nay, the world would be a better place for all.
Kindly sign the petition against the jail the gay bill
How is it a democracy if you discriminate against your citizens because of their sexual orientation?
How is it a secular state if you quote your Skydaddy when enacting state laws and policies?
I did not fight for democracy to clear the way for a bunch of clueless ignoramuses to enact laws that violate my fundamental human rights.
Get educated, tame your ignorance, stop the hate.
When I read the story of the 4 students of University of Port Harcourt that were lynched on allegation of theft, I wept for my country one more time. I have not watched the video and I do not ever intend to watch it. It is very difficult getting an online report of the story without graphic images of the victims being burnt alive. Nigerian bloggers and news reporters need to understand that such violent graphics should come with a trigger warning. I am already tormented at the thought of a human being burnt alive by a sick mob; I can do without the pictures and violent video, please.
Following the breaking of this horrible news, most Nigerians expressed shock that such barbaric acts could still so wantonly be carried out in Nigeria and with the tacit cooperation of members of the police force too. State security men were said to be present at the scene of the lynching but chose not to intervene. Also, there were a few Nigerians who actually tried to justify the murders, they felt if these students actually stole mobile phones and laptops as alleged, they deserved to be lynched, and some even cited their religious books to justify this atrocious mindset. [Read more…]
Kindly sign Nigerian LGBTIs in Diaspora Against Anti Same Sex Laws’ petition to urge President Goodluck Jonathan not to sign the Jail the Gays bill into law.
PRESS STATEMENT- http://wp.me/p1YdPM-9f
Nigeria LGBTIs in Diaspora Against Anti Same-Sex Laws unequivocally condemns the passing of the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition bill by the Nigerian House of Representatives.
The draconian bill was passed in a voice vote on Thursday 30 May, 2013 by members of the House of Representatives. The bill stipulates a 14 years jail term for same-sex marriage and 10 years imprisonment for public show of same-sex affection. The approved bill also stipulates a 10 year imprisonment for anyone who abets a gay person, witnesses a same sex marriage or advocates for LGBT rights.
Nigerian LGBTIs in diaspora against anti same sex laws believes that the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition bill is a blatant violation of human rights of Nigerian gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. It is a shame that such draconian bill was passed unanimously in both Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives. [Read more…]
There are ongoing legislative attempts in Nigeria and Uganda to further restrict sexuality rights. There is a clamour for the removal and also the strengthening of sodomy laws inherited by Commonwealth countries in Africa. However, the call for sexuality rights in Africa by the international community is seen as another colonial invasion by many Africans.
Research on sexuality rights is a relatively new developing area in Africa. There is a strong coalition spreading across Africa by Africans advocating for sexuality rights and claiming it as not just any right but as fundamental human rights.
Sexuality rights remain a silent but controversial issue in many parts of Africa; it is not just a controversial issue but also a taboo subject. One of the most efficient ways patriarchy uses sexuality as a tool to create and sustain gender hierarchy in African societies is by enshrouding it in secrecy and taboos.
Many countries in Africa still criminalize homosexuality; sodomy laws are still part of the criminal laws thereby making it ‘legally’ possible to persecute people with different sexual orientation, for example Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, Tanzania and Ghana all have laws under which homosexuality can be prosecuted. In South Africa, where the constitution recognizes same sex relationships, gays and lesbians are often attacked, molested and persecuted for their sexual orientation.
Many African societies do not provide enabling environments to discuss sexual orientation issues. Homosexuality has been condemned by many African leaders as immoral, unafrican and a ‘white man’s disease’.
Africa is a large continent with diverse cultures and ethnicities, however homophobia fueled by religious intolerance and oppressive laws are remarkably similar issues many have in common. It seems however that black homophobia has replaced white racism as the newest form of intolerance to sweep across the African continent. This is not to imply that homophobia is a ‘black African’ phenomenon. In conservative societies including western societies, any challenge to heterosexual norms always provokes moral condemnation, exclusion and violence. [Read more…]
