To the seekers of rationale and justification, to Bisi Alimi

Though it seems I have been resting but my brain has been working, my phone has been my companion while in bed; surfing the net for news and hilarious happenings in the world, this has been the only reason I laugh to stupor alone in my room. I tell myself every day that the drama in Nigeria alone is enough reason to laugh not to mention the world as a whole.

I was on my bed few days ago when I received a beep on my phone; I didn't want to get distracted as I was engrossed in Nnedi Okorafor's novel Akata Witch. I was called back from the realms of the novel by the sudden ping from my phone; it was an instagram notification informing me of an upload from one prominent personality who I follow on instagram by the name Bisi Alimi; a Nigerian gay rights activist, public speaker, blog writer and HIV/LGBT advocate who gained international attention when he became the first Nigerian to come out of the closet on television (i.e. he openly declared his identity as gay).

The notification was on a long essay he wrote to a concerned individual or seemingly uneducated individual as Bisi tends to see it. He wrote a response or an answer to the question of what his rationale, reasoning and justification is for his gay identity and advocacy.

I was so interested in knowing what Bisi’s response would be, I went straight to his website to read the complete essay which he wrote, I paid apt attention to his use of words, read through his reactions. The essay was a patient and adequately thought out reaction to this curious individual.

But some things struck me in his essay; they are the crux of my bleeding pen.

Bisi wrote in his essay

"My rationale is simple and it is just that “I should not be a victim of your half baked, confused education that is built on sexism, homophobic and misogynistic arrogant ego built on a borrowed culture”."

My question is what is culture? Who defines a culture? A culture is a set of beliefs, norms and definitely a way of life. But there is something we need to understand and that is the fact that culture is first invented, and its invention is not without the people subject to it, a culture is an AGREED set of beliefs, a generally recognized and accepted way of life that has been set up by citizens of the same society who created it, so what does this mean?

This simply means that a culture should not be a tool for enslavement and domination. You're subject to a culture only if you choose to and only if that culture supports your person. If your personality does not support a culture or vice versa, you leave! Quite critical right?

I am not flagging support or otherwise for gayism, lesbianism or the likes but my advocacy is for FREEDOM OF EXISTENCE!

Bisi also wrote;

"You are lucky not to be like me."

This was where I stopped to think, why will Bisi regard being straight as "luck"? Does he consider himself otherwise?

The simple truth is Bisi Alimi has no rationale for being gay or for advocating the same, no gay, lesbian, queer etc. person has a rationale for being who he or she is. One simple question I will ask my straight fellows is “what is your rationale for being straight”?

What is your rationale for being either a Christian, Muslim or whatever religion you decide to accept and be subject to? I believe the creation story according to the Bible but do you think non-straight individuals chose the life they are living right from inception? I am a free thinker, unapologetic for my thoughts and way of reasoning.

And like I said, I am not for or against any of these personalities, be it gay, lesbian, straight or whatsoever. My advocacy is that no man interferes in another’s existence. Let there be freedom of existence and being.