Nigeria’s award winning writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie said yesterday that she was horrified by Nigeria’s anti-gay law signed by President Goodluck Jonathan early this year. She made the comment while answering listeners’ questions on WNYC Radio’s Brian Lehrer Show. She defended the article she wrote in which she called the law unconstitutional and unjust.
The piece, titled, “Why Can’t He Just Be Like Everyone Else?” published by NigerianEYE on February 20th, 2014 received numerous responses from Nigerians, many of which were negative. Speaking to Brian Lehrer, Ms. Adichie said that she wrote the article to start a conversation with Nigerians of her generation. “I think part of it is religion,” she said. “Religion has so clouded the discourse on topics of this sort that very often it is no longer about humanity. It just becomes about the Bible said this is wrong, therefore we should stone them kind of thing.”
Adichie said that despite the negative reaction of some Nigerians to her piece she would write the same piece again if she had to.
The author of the bestselling novel, “Half of A Yellow Sun” also noted that the piece changed some minds. “For every 10 people that said you are possessed by the demons and that sort of things,” she said, “one person has said that I am rethinking this and I am starting to see that it makes no sense at all to criminalize people for being who they are.”
Adichie appeared on the popular New York City radio program few hours before she won the prestigious National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction for her latest novel, “Americanah”. In Americanah, she tells the story of an African immigrant in America as she deals with the issue of race and identity. The paperback version of the book has just been published.
See the full interview here.
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As far as I'm concern, the law would catch up with u soon. We have signed the bill into law and if u continue to speak against it, that means u are promoting same sex marriage which is against the law of our dear conutry, Nigeria. U can be arrested next time you come to Nigeria.
ReplyDeleteChimamanda you are a disgrace to Womanhood.
ReplyDeleteRE: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on Nigeria's Anti-Gay Laws, Proving Again She's The Best...
ReplyDeleteI am tempted to think that Chimamanda has fallen into the trap that most of our celebrities fall into, the fallacy of appealing to a "false authority"
They think because they are popular, they are obliged to tell us, the final word, what they think about crucial national issues no matter how flawed, ignorant or shallow their reasoning is.
That you write good fiction does not mean you think well(where national issues are concerned) , can analyse all relevant issues, understand all concepts or should be allowed to decide what’s right or wrong about a whole nation’s world view on Homosexuality and gay rights.
Does anyone remember the quote by Frank Zappa? He defined Rock Journalism…
“Definition of rock journalism: People who can't write, doing interviews with people who can't think, in order to prepare articles for people who can't read.”
― Frank Zappa, The Real Frank Zappa Book
Madam "writer" is probably not much of a journalist, but she does write well, fiction at least, I don't know how well you think, don’t know if you prepare good articles too, as regards whether or not Nigerians can read, I leave that to your imagination…
Frankly put, you may be more of a fine writer/entertainer with a vivid imagination than a thought leader.
Stick with the fiction, don't get carried away with the fame or confused with the facts and turn yourself into a premature statesman or thought leader…
I have just one question,God forbid it though, but imagine it, if we all turned gay, what will happen to the human race???
But write again all the same…
I wish you were not anonymous I would scream your name and shout 'you stole my thoughts'! I won't spoil this wonderful comment by adding to it ...just let me just ask all people of integrity to beware of what Gbile Akanni calls 'darkness that is enlightened'.
DeleteGood write up...flows with the coffee am sipping now. Am thrilled by your thoughts. You are indeed a "brain"
DeleteChimamanda Ngozi Adichie will always want international recognition as celebrity forgetting the fact that tradition and culture as basis on which constitution premised, we are sovereign as a country. If she feel other about majority of Nigerian want and needed as to same sex married so be it, She should remain mute on the matter. There a lot problem western orientation if do they enslave African to there advantage. I don't believe all there ways, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has gotten what she wanted but Femi Kuti could not because African man, he maintain and sustain this.
DeleteTell her to add to her body guards and if she did not have let her fine
DeleteHmmm chimamanda don fall my hand oooh. Dey don wash ur head finish. But wait a second do u want us to accept dat kind of tin or wat. I wonder if our fathers were gay will u even be here n saying these.
DeleteGod bless u all who promote anti gay law.
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous dear commentator' can I meet you?
ReplyDeleteDear Anonymous dear commentator' can I meet you?
ReplyDeleteI think her sense of reasoning is beclouded by the ephemeral fame-its all vanity young woman!d truth is d truth!and it would not change becos u came on2 d limelight.pls go and sit down!nonsense!!!
ReplyDeleteMs Adichie's is seeking international acceptance from certain groups, maybe the international gay society, or its a sales gimmick to push her books, but whatever the reason is, she has lost touch from the reality of her roots.......... Where would she be if her folks were gay? What would she do if all her children turned out to be gay? She had the gust to refer to the Bible, the thought of that part of her article, just gave me a headache.... She should please just apologize to her "sane" fans and be silent on the matter henceforth!!!
ReplyDeleteFool, you want to impress the west.
ReplyDeleteI thought she was promoting African culture. Fake! First she got married to Oyibo Nigerian man... why didn't she marry a woman.
ReplyDeleteIf I were her I would have remained silent in this matter. Now your reputation is gone.
Your mentor Chinua Achebe got to where he is today because of his love and respect for African culture. We were thinking that you will take over but sorry you are lost.
May all her children turn out gay so that she will be left without a lineage. I know she will have a fiance; may that one leave her for another man. A complete idiot and disgrace to humanity. Western appeal my foot, is Putin a fool for clamping down on gays? Or our informidable Mugabe who calls gays pigs? Doesn't she know other weaker countries accept gays to please US? I believe if her parents are true Nigerians, they should wash there hands off her, they should forget a lineage from her. All her kids will be gay.
ReplyDeleteThere are some things that are wrong in this life and homosexuality is one of them.
ReplyDelete