In the context of a completely different setup in Nigeria (Africa), the speaker shares the story of his life across four dimensions: the struggle to accept and normalize his sexual orientation, his involvement and advocacy in IDNOWA (Interfaith Diversity Network of West Africa), his marriage experience in connection with his sexual orientation, and the situation of the Nigerian Catholic Church. The path toward normalizing his sexual orientation reveals the deep social exclusion faced by the community of sexual and gender diversity in Nigeria, as well as the impact of this lack of normalization on the mental health of many young adults—leading to cases of suicide, poor academic performance, and depression. His inability to share his story with anyone while experiencing same-sex feelings (even outside sexual relations), and the inner battle to combat the negative, “evil” perception of himself, provide insight into the situation in Nigeria. The turning point in this story comes through a person of reference: a Nigerian priest who is an expert on sexual orientation. This priest performed a kind of miracle in him by simply listening and providing a positive Christian vision. This encounter allowed the speaker to deepen his relationship with the God of Jesus. The speaker also shares his experience of separation from his first marriage in connection with his sexual orientation, offering an internal view of the Catholic Church in Nigeria. His experience during the marriage crisis caused him deep depression and nearly made him lose faith in the Church. However, he was counselled and encouraged by another Nigerian priest who is currently doing his doctoral studies in theology in Belgium. This became another turning point in his life. After this second “miracle”, the speaker talks about IDNOWA, a community whose mission is building bridges across all religions/faiths and transforming attitudes toward LGBTQI people. He shares his involvement in this community since 2017—counselling many other young adults, offering spiritual, psychological/emotional, and medical support, and advocating for the rights of sexual minorities.
Lenny (he is not be visible person) is a Catholic lay faithful from Nigeria (Africa), self-identified as bisexual, married to a woman, and father of one daughter. He has graduated from university and is currently working as an auditor in Lagos. He was a Church leader during his school years and volunteered in the university chaplaincy where he studied. He joined IDNOWA in 2017 and has been collaborating as an informal counsellor and activist ever since. He is also an active member of GNRC West Africa.