Emmanuel, who runs the “For Fags Sake” YouTube channel about Nigerian LGBTQ+ issues. “Pride month means a month to celebrate my queerness because most of the I’m fighting, struggling, and pushing back at society,” said Mr. This month, however, he will be joining LGBTQ+ Pride events in Lagos as campaigners band together to party and share stories in defiance against laws and conservative societal norms that limit their rights and self-expression. Emmanuel, who dropped out of university after the attack.

You are constantly having to explain your existence,” said Mr. “It is living with the fear of possible killing or incarceration for who I literally am. Last year, he was kidnapped by seven men who blackmailed, extorted, and tortured him for two days in an attack that has since left him constantly looking over his shoulder. YouTuber Victor Emmanuel knows first-hand how tough life is for people who are openly gay in Nigeria, where LGBTQ+ relationships and even same-sex displays of affection are illegal.