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For the fourth time, I would leave and return to an IG live session hosted by The Amarion and Mathew Blaise where they shared stories about their lives as queer individuals in Nigeria and the homophobia they have faced, and every time, my heart will break.
For context, the Amarion is lesbian and Blaise is a gay man. And of all the many lessons from that discourse, one stuck with me. I was again reminded by that conversation of the disregard for queer bodies in Nigeria and in several other places across Africa, a disregard that is manifested in violent homophobia and an eclipsing of voices.
This IG live was happening on a quite symbolic week too, a week that was Lesbian Visibility Week. It made me ponder even further on the general concept of visibility and what it means to me as a woman.
When the topic of visibility is brought up, it is easy to condense what is a complex subject solely into a fight to be seen. While it is indeed a fight to be seen, it’s necessary that we realize that visibility is more than just seeing. A lot because you can see something and still choose to disrespect, you can see something and not have regard for it.
Visibility, I believe, is recognition, celebration, and solidarity. It extends beyond the mere act of settling your eyes on something. It is recognizing the fullness of that thing, celebrating it, and then standing with it.
So lesbian visibility is more than just a week or a day to see lesbians, the seeing is important of course, but more than it is a time for you to acknowledge their existence, it is a time for you to acknowledge their humanity.
Factoring a person’s humanity should be a fundamental approach in human interaction but we now well know that this is not the case.
If anything, oppression, and oppressors flourish on designating parameters for humanity and classify as “inhumane” anyone who functions outside of this framework. Homophobia, for instance, believes that a person is human only if, they are heterosexual.
Dear lesbian, I want you to know, however, that I see you, that we see you. And we more than just see you, we celebrate you, and we stand with you. Not just for a week but every day, we acknowledge your humanity every single day.
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