The delicate act of calling out Jussie Smollett and still be a pro-LGBTQ voice

On January 29, 2019, Smollett alleged that he was subject of a hate crime in the city of Chicago neighbourhood which allegedly involved a noose and bleach. He claimed that he was attacked by two white men in ski masks, who yelled homophobic slurs at him and yelled “MAGA Country!”

While he was released earlier that morning, it was a case of homophobia and the world normally lends its voice against such. Celebrities like Shonda Rhimes, Ava Duvernay, Viola Davis, Cardi B, Kamala Harris, Corey Booker and others lent their support and spoke against hate crimes.

The Nigerian brothers Jussie Smollett allegedly hired. (The Blast) Pulse Nigeria

Two brothers of Nigerian descent, Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo - one of whom served as an extra on “Empire,” the show Smollett stars on - and the other one; Smollett’s trainer were questioned on the matter but were later released by police as new evidence was found.

It has since been alleged by the Chicago Public Department that Smollett paid the two brothers to fake the attack and had sent himself a fake bigotry letter earlier. He has since been charged with a class 4 felony and is presently out on bail.

Smollett has done a huge disservice to the LGBT community in America which is prone to hate crimes including murder. Genuine victims will now be subjected to intense investigative phases that could further aggravate their already broken minds.

In other ways, Smollett has heightened the cynicism that conservatives have towards the LGBTQ community.

Pro-LGBTQ voices should stop being hypocrites

That said, Smollett’s case should show that is possible to criticise the actor for his alleged hoax and still be pro-LGBT. Calling out the ‘Empire’ actor does not negate the other. If the LGBT community seeks for justice from the powers that be it also shouldn’t be afraid to call out members of its community who run foul of the law.

Pro-LGBTQ voices, should stand up and criticize Jussie Smollett, underlining what is an what isn’t acceptable behaviour.

They should not aggravate the matter further by claiming it has a racial undertone when it’s clear as a Nigerian dry season afternoon that there is something fishy in Jussie Smollett’s story. You cannot create an acceptable standard of behaviour for people and then try to boycott it when it matters.

Nothing should be beyond criticism, not even the most sensitive of movements, that has been subject to violent oppression like the black race or the Native Americans or the LGBTQ community.

Nothing should ever absolve anything of genuine questioning, even if he’s a gay. When things don’t get questioned, they grow too powerful for humanity and such privilege will make these privileged things worse than the wrong they originally sought to eradicate - for example, LGBTQ vs. the purist conservative support for heterosexuality.

It’s just like how in government, separation of powers was created to enable checks and balances of different arms of government so power will not be overly concentrated on one part of such government. Where excessive power is vested, there equally exists an excessive risk of abuse

Smollett’s error should not be used to judge the LGBTQ community in America. His error is an isolated, singular blunder. LGBTQ movement can still call out America’s police system for overlooking the abuse and violence they suffer from bigots and still be critical of Jussie Smollett.