By Saliu Hananat Ometere
Beyond the realm of common sense, the familiar territory shaped by the circumstances our minds are wired by, what we term normal or abnormal, there are facts and views often spiraled into silence. Some angles remain untouched, and many situations are never analyzed beyond social norms or emotions. From data and analyses arising from connecting the dots and adopting a critical bird’s eye view, homosexuality falls into this category. It is a social construct we talk about, even as we avoid truly talking about it.
Homosexuality belongs under the term LGBTQ+, meaning Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer. It describes romantic or sexual attraction to people of the same sex or gender. Yet debate continues over whether homosexuality is a choice or a natural occurrence in human biology.
Across the world, countries have taken different positions. Nations like Belgium, Spain, Austria, Ireland, and South Africa have legalized same sex relationships. Meanwhile, many countries in Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, including Mali, Algeria, Senegal, Iran, Iraq, Kiribati, Tonga, Jamaica, and Nigeria, hold firm against it with strict laws.
In 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan signed a law banning same sex marriage in Nigeria, which some say contributed to his defeat in the 2015 elections. The law also prohibits any portrayal of same sex relationships in films, carrying a penalty of up to 14 years in prison.
In 2015, President Muhammadu Buhari rejected calls from then United States President Barack Obama to repeal Nigeria’s anti sodomy laws, saying such practices went against Nigerian culture and laws.
In 2023, rumors spread that the federal government planned to legalize homosexuality, but these reports were quickly denied. By January 2025, even stricter laws emerged, banning homosexuality, tattoos, and cross dressing in the Nigerian military.
Despite these laws, pro-homosexual activists like Bisi Alimi, Adejoke Aderonke, Davis Mac Iyalla, and Richard Akuson continue to speak out. Through social media, art, and advocacy, they condemn anti homosexuality laws and discrimination as inhumane.
Richard Akuson faced rejection at university after friends exposed his sexual identity and was later disowned by his parents. He eventually sought refuge abroad, as have many other homosexual Nigerians, contributing to the country’s brain drain. The strict legal climate has also discouraged foreign investment, and some individuals are denied jobs simply because of their sexual orientation.
Beyond legal and activist battles, opinions about homosexuality in Nigeria remain varied and intense. In homes and on the streets, people often ask the same question. What could possibly attract someone to a fellow man or woman when there are so many beautiful women and handsome men around?
Social media has become a loud arena for debate, and focus groups often echo similar views. Many Nigerians dismiss homosexuality outrightly as madness, without even considering religious arguments. According to a 2020 Pew research, 97% of Nigerians remain firmly homophobic and intolerant of homosexual practices.
Yet homosexuality is neither rare nor invisible in Nigeria. It is present in campuses, social media spaces, and everyday life. As a friend once said, the law may just be as silent as everyone else. Despite legal risks, homosexuality has been portrayed in Nigerian movies such as Ife, Complicated, and Veil of Silence.
On campuses, the conversation continues. Bella (pseudonym) said, “They’re plenty in hostels. They’re not even hiding it… in a bid to tolerate them, they try to influence you. Many are not originally homo, they were influencd.”
Steph (pseudonym) also aversed, “we are not even safe at night, that was why I left the hostel. We fear being raped by men and now we are not safe around fellow women too.”
An article published by Minority Africa in 2024 reported that a group of queer students in Ibadan formed an association called Love House, creating a safe space for LGBTQ Nigerian students.
Homosexuality is no longer entirely hidden. TikTok and online platforms host countless conversations and videos about same sex relationships. A simple search for homosexuals in Nigeria brings up many results, showing how reality often contradicts the law. Nigeria remains one of the countries where homosexuality is illegal but widely practiced. In theory, society rejects it, but in practice, acceptance is slowly growing.
Religion weighs heavily on the issue. Christianity and Islam, Nigeria’s dominant faiths, both condemn homosexuality. Biblical accounts like that of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis speak of punishment for homosexual acts and condemned it as sinful. In the words of Ustaz Audu Haroun, an Islamic cleric, homosexuality is a great sin, weighed more greater than fornication which Islam condemned blatantly.
He added that in a society where homosexuality is being embraced slowly, such thoughts will creep into our minds and the responsibility is ours to wade it off as our desires have tendencies to lead us astray if we are controlled by it.
Cultural and religious values teach that men are for women and women for men, like opposite poles of a magnet. Yet science has offered new insights. Researchers like Byne and Parsons at the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University in New York challenged the idea that homosexuality is a mental disorder or merely a choice. Others argue it might be biological, as natural as heterosexual attraction.
Debates continue. Wardell Pomeroy in 1972 asserts that, Alfred Kinsey, an American Sexologist and Biologist despite his controversial stand regarding human sexuality, after studying over 450 cases, suggested that psychologists made things worse by claiming homosexuality is inherited and cannot be changed. In contrast, studies by Allen and Gorski in 1991, with data obtained from Southern California hospitals, found differences in brain structures between homosexual and heterosexual men. This leads to the question, if it is rooted in the brain, does that make it a disorder?
Dean Hamer in 1992 along with other researchers at US National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, claimed to find a so-called gay gene, present in nearly everyone, though not as proof that people are born gay. His research connects with an idea that circulated on social media last year, suggesting we all have some element of gayness in us, just like the urge to steal, but acting on it depends on discipline and consequences.
Some homosexual individuals have tried conversion therapy. Some claim success, while others later reject it as unnecessary. As Falzorano said, “I’m living proof that you can change.” Yet ex-ex-gay activist John Smid countered, “I have never seen a man experience a change from homosexuality to heterosexuality.”
Other researchers suggest homosexual attraction sometimes begins with curiosity or an indisciplined mind. Some people online admit to same sex experiences simply because their preferred gender was unavailable. From this view, whether one stays gay or straight becomes a question of discipline.
In African societies like Nigeria, homosexuality is often seen as a sign of moral decay or the end times. Yet history tells another story. Ancient Greece, the Roman Empire, and parts of Asia accepted homosexual practices without even giving them names. Back then, it was simply a matter of personal choice. Well end time is not quite a fixed time.
From religious doctrine to societal norms and scientific theories, homosexuality continues to stir debate. Many still view it as a sin, crime, or madness. Yet some scientists believe that everyone carries the potential for same sex attraction, leaving each person to answer for themselves. Is this in line with my values? Is it in line with discipline? Is it in line with my faith? And is it in line with the law?
Because while it is important to consider ourselves, giving in to every desire can sometimes lead astray. As the saying goes, the desire to steal exists in many people, but acting on it depends on consequences and discipline.
So here we are: politics, faith, science, economy, and personal discipline all collide, each carrying its truths, each shaping how Nigeria confronts homosexuality, and each leaving consequences that ripple far beyond private choices and private bedrooms.
