27-year-old Bolu Okupe, the son of a former anti-LGBTQ+ Nigerian presidential aide, Dr Doyin Okupe, came out as gay in a social media post showing a photo of him holding a rainbow flag, captioned “Yes I’m gay AF”.
Doyin Okupe, known for his controversial views about the LGBTQ+ community, was an assistant to the country’s ex president, Olusegun Obasanjo. He previously dubbed being gay “un-biblical and un-African”, and condemned his son’s sexuality, tweeting: “I have been aware of this his new orientation for a while now. He knows that as a Christian and a witness for Christ. I am vehemently opposed to homosexuality as it runs contrary to the avowed precepts of my Christian faith.”
In Nigeria, LGBTQ+ people face 14 years imprisonment and the death penalty. Bolu Okupe now lives in France as a fitness specialist. After coming out, Okupe also faced criticism online, with one Instagram user saying that if he were in Kenya he would “be a corpse”. Okupe responded: “Your whole mentality is tragic. I feel sorry for you…You are delusional. I hope one day you will educate yourself. If not, I don’t care – you will die ignorant and on the wrong side of history.”
However, many were supportive of Okupe, with one social media user responding to his post saying: “I love your confidence”, and another wishing him a “happy coming out”.
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