Freedom fighter

After leading a protest against Nigeria’s anti-gay laws, Joel Mordi fled to the UK. It proved to be no safe haven, but after a rocky start, he continues to support LGBTQ+s back home

Words Dale Fox

IT WAS SOON AFTER Joel Mordi had organised Nigeria’s first mass LGBTQ+ Pride protest at the end of 2019 that his mother told him he needed to leave the country for his own safety. Days later, he was on a flight to London. “I was looking out of the window bawling my eyes out. The song came into my head, ‘I’m leavin’ on a jet plane / Don’t know when I’ll be back again’.” Just weeks earlier, Joel and a small contingent of allies had entered the Lagos State House of Assembly, using his connections as the adopted son of a high-ranking Nigerian politician to enter unchallenged. Armed with some notes and an iPhone, Joel made his way to the upper chamber of the state legislature. There, he addressed the smartphone camera to…

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Attitude (Digital) - 1 Issue, No. 353 - July/August 2023

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