How To Come Out With Style In Nigeria

In 2004 Bisi Alimi, a recent university graduate and activist came out on the national TV talk show “New Dawn” in Nigeria. He had been outed in the university by a magazine and this made the rest of his stay in school difficult and led to some difficulty in getting his certificate on account of “moral issues” even though he had completed all the coursework required. However coming out on live national television at a time when many people still thought gay men and women only existed outside the country pushed the issue to the fore-front and led to him being ostracized by friends and family but especially by other gay men who didn’t want to be seen with him for fear that others may suspect that they were gay too. Also he began to receive death threats and finally an attempt was made on his life after which he left Nigeria in 2007 and moved to the United Kingdom where he now lives and works.

 

Can You Give Up A Sin For Lent?

On one of my YouTube days (where I set out to watch one video and end up watching 50+), I came across this video about the science of pornography addiction. I’m not one to believe in ‘pop’ science explanations but there was this odd ring of truth in the video, especially when it talked about porn addiction being detrimental to regular sexual relations. I have been watching porn for years and occasionally I find that I think about scenes I’ve seen at a time I should be concentrating on the person in front of me. I’m not sure if I really have a problem with porn but when a friend asked me if I feel guilty about the amount of porn I watch or if I have ever blown off something important to watch porn and I answered yes to both, she said I definitely do. The idea that this pastime could lead to permanent brain changes was pretty alarming.

For some reason, I remembered a sermon I heard years ago during Lent. The reverend basically said that  that if anyone ever wanted to give up an activity/habit that was not furthering his/her life goals and they could avoid engaging in that activity for forty days (the entire period of Lent), they would be capable to giving up that habit for good. Again I’m not sure if 40 days is all it takes but here I find myself with an addiction and it is Lent, so I decided to keep away from porn for forty days.

So far it’s been a few weeks already and it’s been a challenge. I had no idea that sexually suggestive themes were everywhere. Even food seasoning commercials on TV seem so sexual. I don’t know if I can make it to the end but time will tell.