Bisi Alimi
Encyclopedia
Bisi Alimi is a Nigeria
n gay rights activist - currently residing in Britain
- who achieved notoriety in his home country when he became the first Nigerian to come out
on national television.
A former student of the University of Lagos
where he was studying Theatre Arts
, Alimi was outed by student magazine Campus Lifestyle during the institution's student government elections in which he had contested for departmental president in 2003. Despite winning the most votes, his sexuality was regarded a taboo on campus, and he was expelled before graduation.
In 2004, he was chosen as the Nigerian face of homosexuality at the 4th National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Abuja
. That same year, he was a guest on Funmi Iyanda
's New Dawn with Funmi - a talk show on the NTA
; it was here and then that Alimi announced his homosexuality and asked for acceptance from the public. Within days, both love letters and death threats were sent to Alimi, who was thrown out of his home and made redundant at his place of work, while New Dawn 's live format was cancelled and future guests were screened by NTA producers in order to avoid causing offence.
In July 2005, Alimi helped found the Independent Project for Equal Rights-Nigeria, serving as Executive Director of the organization's Nigerian LGBT
Youth Group. He also worked as director of the Alliance Rights, Nigeria's youth programmes. Two years later in December 2007, Alimi lost his partner to a chest infection, which led to him suffering severe mental health issues, but received support from family and friends who helped his recovery.
In 2008, Alimi was granted asylum in the United Kingdom. Now residing in Lewisham
, he pursues a degree in Media
and Journalism
at an undisclosed university, and manages a project for African MSM
in East London
while attempting to change the attitude of Africans towards homosexuality through film. He has worked with organization like AHPN, Terrence Higgins Trust
and Mesmac in the North East of England to set up project for newly arrived African gay immigrants in the United Kingdom. He was elected a member of the IAS
youth organizing member for Mexico 2008 and was a member of AmfAR
review panel for the international grants for African MSM AIDS initiative.
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n gay rights activist - currently residing in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
- who achieved notoriety in his home country when he became the first Nigerian to come out
Come Out
Come Out may refer to:*Come Out , a music piece by Steve Reich*Coming out, disclosing one's homosexuality or bisexuality.*"Come Out", a song by Camper van Beethoven from New Roman Times...
on national television.
A former student of the University of Lagos
University of Lagos
The University of Lagos - popularly known as Unilag - is a federal government university with a main campus located at Akoka, Yaba and a college of medicine located at Idi-Araba, all in Lagos, Lagos State, southern Nigeria...
where he was studying Theatre Arts
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, Alimi was outed by student magazine Campus Lifestyle during the institution's student government elections in which he had contested for departmental president in 2003. Despite winning the most votes, his sexuality was regarded a taboo on campus, and he was expelled before graduation.
In 2004, he was chosen as the Nigerian face of homosexuality at the 4th National Conference on HIV/AIDS in Abuja
Abuja
Abuja is the capital city of Nigeria. It is located in the centre of Nigeria, within the Federal Capital Territory . Abuja is a planned city, and was built mainly in the 1980s. It officially became Nigeria's capital on 12 December 1991, replacing Lagos...
. That same year, he was a guest on Funmi Iyanda
Funmi Iyanda
Olufunmilola Aduke Iyanda , better known as Funmi Iyanda is a multi award winning broadcaster, journalist, columnist and blogger. She produced and hosted Nigeria’s most popular and authoritative talk show New Dawn with Funmi, which aired on the national network for over eight years...
's New Dawn with Funmi - a talk show on the NTA
Nigerian Television Authority
The Nigerian Television Authority - also known as NTA - was inaugurated in 1977 and is the government-owned body in charge of television broadcasting in the country. The NTA claims to run the biggest television network in Africa with stations in several parts of Nigeria...
; it was here and then that Alimi announced his homosexuality and asked for acceptance from the public. Within days, both love letters and death threats were sent to Alimi, who was thrown out of his home and made redundant at his place of work, while New Dawn 's live format was cancelled and future guests were screened by NTA producers in order to avoid causing offence.
In July 2005, Alimi helped found the Independent Project for Equal Rights-Nigeria, serving as Executive Director of the organization's Nigerian LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
Youth Group. He also worked as director of the Alliance Rights, Nigeria's youth programmes. Two years later in December 2007, Alimi lost his partner to a chest infection, which led to him suffering severe mental health issues, but received support from family and friends who helped his recovery.
In 2008, Alimi was granted asylum in the United Kingdom. Now residing in Lewisham
Lewisham
Lewisham is a district in South London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-History:...
, he pursues a degree in Media
Media studies
Media studies is an academic discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history and effects of various media; in particular, the 'mass media'. Media studies may draw on traditions from both the social sciences and the humanities, but mostly from its core disciplines of mass...
and Journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
at an undisclosed university, and manages a project for African MSM
Men who have sex with men
Men who have sex with men are male persons who engage in sexual activity with members of the same sex, regardless of how they identify themselves; many men choose not to accept sexual identities of homosexual or bisexual...
in East London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
while attempting to change the attitude of Africans towards homosexuality through film. He has worked with organization like AHPN, Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust
Terrence Higgins Trust is a British charity that campaigns on various issues related to AIDS and HIV. In particular, the charity aims to reduce the spread of HIV and promote good sexual health ; to provide services on a national and local level to people with, affected by, or at risk of...
and Mesmac in the North East of England to set up project for newly arrived African gay immigrants in the United Kingdom. He was elected a member of the IAS
International AIDS Society
The International AIDS Society is an independent association of HIV professionals, with 14,000 members from 190 countries working at all levels of the global response to AIDS. IAS members include researchers from all disciplines, clinicians, public health and community practitioners on the...
youth organizing member for Mexico 2008 and was a member of AmfAR
AmfAR
amfAR, The Foundation for AIDS Research, is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of AIDS research, HIV prevention, treatment education, and the advocacy of sound AIDS-related public policy.-History:...
review panel for the international grants for African MSM AIDS initiative.