f you’ve lived in Abuja long enough you will see them everywhere. Those ones who wear baggy jeans, face caps or hoodies with knapsacks. Most times they walk in twos, holding each other as if telling themselves; it’s us against the world.

I see them most times along Wuse II but not at Wuse Market; maybe they are not brave enough to tread that part yet.

On this fateful day, I needed to get pizza. I had just heard about the quality of AJ’s pizza and wanted to try it out. I hailed a taxi and after we had negotiated and agreed on a price, navigated my way there. Finally the sweet aroma…….mmmmmmmmmmm!

The Caucasian at the counter kept notifying the customers that only cash payments were acceptable- no ATM cards or POS payments in a not too familiar accent. ‘What country is that guy from sef?’ I whispered in my head.

There they were, two of them cuddled up in corner, I would have thought they were just friends hanging out but something gave them away – the eyes don’t lie.



I have always tried not to hate what I don’t understand, so I concentrated on getting my pizza. Ah! Out of the corner of my eye I noticed one of them crying, and then pleading, she was practically bawling her eyes out. Nigerians are a diverse people, some by sympathy, others by curiosity or plain old boredom were attracted to this commotion and little by little the drama began to unfold.

The heart-wrenching tears pouring from her eyes caught my attention. I thought to myself, this was more than physical, it transcended sex. What on earth would make a lady cry that much just because she broke up with another lady?

I have always thought lesbianism was just about girls doing stuff to one other, nothing more. This experience changed my thought process and all my previous beliefs took a back seat as I started to think. Whatever your background is, whatever your prejudices may be, these women actually feel the same thing heterosexual couples feel- LOVE.

Call it sick love, call it psycho or unholy, but at the end of the day, love is love! The truth is ‘love’ is subjective and it does not have a clear definition. So people are left to put meaning to what love is.

In Nigeria we frown at these kinds of people, we tag them gays and use other derogatory names to describe them. In fact, if you were such a person your parents will take you to church for special deliverance and may perform all sorts of dehumanizing acts to you just to get rid of this ‘evil spirit’. It is treated as an abomination, it is forbidden to speak about it, and ‘a true Nigerian’ condemns every form of lesbianism or homosexuality.



The reality however is much different. Like a cankerworm it has eaten very deep into our society. Right from secondary school and in some cases earlier, some children have been exposed to these acts. From a ‘school mother’ who touches her ‘school daughter’ indiscriminately every night to a ‘school darling’ who gives her ‘school love’ an ‘I love you card’.

One of the problems we have as a people is that when we hate something we tag it wrong and go into denial mode. We pretend it doesn’t exist and turn a blind eye to it and the possible scenarios that may encourage such behaviour. When these things we have ignored manifest down the road, we become hateful and violent and rain down curses on these people in moments of righteous indignation.

Are we going to pretend that male prostitutes (homosexuals in this case) do not line up the dark corners of Abuja City? Are we going to act as if some of us do not know active homosexuals and lesbians?

The greatest hypocrisy is exclusively held by the men who say, they can tolerate lesbians but cannot tolerate homosexual men. When I ask them why they don’t hate both acts equally since they are on a crusade to hate, the answer always gets me shaking my head. ‘It’s nice when ladies touch each other na’, it’s stirring. ‘Perverts!’ That’s me talking, ‘hypocrites!’ Is it not selfish, when you expect people to live according to your rules?

If we are realists, we would agree that this phenomenon has come to stay. It is probably one of those things my generation would be remembered for. Unless you think you can actually reverse the influence the Western World has on us Nigerians. If we act like the whole gay and lesbian epistle is just a Western thing, then we are not being truthful to ourselves and our culture.



We all have something to say, but should our opinion dictate someone else’s life?

Do not over estimate your power to change others. Live and let live.
Read more @https://dailynaija.com/post/the-gender-neutrals-homosexuality-and-abuja-streets
cc

Unnecessarily long stories like this should henceforth be summarised...this is 2018 please...

Summary: Homosexuals should be encouraged, loved and made to feel normal.


Pls don't waste ya time reading dat bullshii

God bless you for this epistle

You saw a lady crying and by looking at her with another lady, you knew they were lesbians

No buy pizza wey carry you go there!
There are one million and one reasons why a crying lady could be with another lady and stuffs, tatafo should end with 2017 bruh

Pretty soon you lot will start advocating love (sex) with animals. It's only a matter of time.

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