A week long celebration, Pride In Lagos saw inspiring scenes at Nigeria’s Pride event from 20 to 26 June.
Describing itself as the first of its kind in terms of reach, registrations, impact, and size, from panel discussions to festival stages, celebrations culminated in a closing ball that featured voguing performances and a drag show.
The reported numbers of LGBTQ+ Nigerians have grown in recent years, though they tend to remain behind closed doors due to safety concerns.
Nigeria’s first recorded Pride protest event was in September 2019, which saw a month-long worth of activity kick off in Abuja, and spread all the way to the country’s capital, Lagos by 2 October. Organiser Joel Mordi was inspired by Black History Month, and Nigeria’s first ever IDAHOBIT.
Homosexuality remains illegal in Nigeria and is generally not accepted as the country’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act restricts both same-sex relationships and public affection, with punishments of up to 14 years in prison.
Despite this all Pride in Lagos celebrations went smoothly, with over 40% of the festival programming being virtual, and the remaining spanning physically from the end of the mainland to the islands of Lagos.
The goal of the celebrations were to “continue to reclaim indigenous Queer representation and further societal acceptance for sexual minorities and gender diverse persons in West Africa,” Pride In Lagos says.
Drag Race alum Aja Kween and Nigeria’s very own Bisi Alimi were Grand Marshalls for the celebrations, meanwhile on the Festival Stage, Temmie Ovwasa was the headlining performer on 26 June.
“The success of Pride in Lagos to me, is likened to the joy of birthing a child,” organiser Olaide Kayode Timileyin told GAY TIMES.
“As Lagosians, I’m sure our Queer ancestors would be proud, because the energy at this year’s closing ball was communally felt, and we all healed, got rejuvenated, and strengthened to live our true queer lives regardless of our nation’s harsh laws.”
Take a look at some of the photos below of Pride In Lagos’ last evening of celebrations, its closing ball, where Pride-goers were pictured on the dance floor till 6am.
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