Crossdresser James Brown, others in HBO documentary on gay persecution in Nigeria
Legends of the Underground, a new documentary which premiered on HBO yesterday, offers a powerful window into the challenges LGBTQ+ people in Nigeria continue to face.
The documentary opens with a group of young Nigerians sequestered in a bathroom. They change out of men’s clothing into heels and what is traditionally considered women’s garb. By the light of their cellphones, they hastily apply each other’s make-up.
What follows is a montage offering a stark reminder of what state-sanctioned homophobia looks like: In one clip, a Nigerian religious leader is railing against the “spirit of homosexuality”; in another, CNN’s chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour laments the country’s draconian anti-gay policy. Known as the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Bill, the legislation was signed into law by former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014. “A population is being driven underground,” Amanpour says.
Amid this tumultuous landscape, two personalities emerge as the heroes: the first is Micheal Ighodaro, a queer activist, whose life is changed when he is outed without his permission after participating in the 2012 International AIDS Conference. As a result, Ighodaro becomes the subject of a violent crime that leaves him with a broken arm. In 2013, he flees the country in fear of his life. Through him, we see the challenges that LGTBQ+ asylum seekers face in the US. Despite it all, Ighodaro continues to advocate for the rights of queer Nigerians from afar.
‘‘When I look at the film in general, it’s a story of people who have been so broken. Who is not allowed to speak the way they want to speak, dress the way they want to dress, act the way they want to act,’’ says Ighodaro, speaking to Vogue magazine from his apartment in New York. ‘‘It’s more than a story of LGBTQ+ people, I think it’s a story of young people who say enough to oppression.’’
An equally compelling figure in the documentary is James Brown, a young man catapulted to fame in 2019 after being arrested on charges of homosexuality when a party he attended in Lagos was raided. His story is one of exceptional resistance and resilience. Tied up and subsequently paraded in front of cameras and members of the press, Brown makes it clear that the police have no case against him. A clip of the incident finds its way online and goes viral almost immediately, earning him a social media following into the hundreds of thousands.
‘‘I have concerns about my security, oh yes, I have concerns,’’ says Brown, né Obialor, who says he lives under the threat of violence, both from his family and the community at large, even though the case was ultimately thrown out of court. ‘‘Nigeria is very dangerous, especially if you are like me and aren’t the way people want you to be.’’
For the New York-based filmmakers behind the film, Nneka Onuorah and Giselle Bailey, Brown’s exemplary courage proved to be a guiding force. ‘‘We saw 50 Cent repost James on Instagram and we were like ‘Who is this kid?’,’’ says Onuorah. ‘‘We had been focused on what was happening for the boys who are seeking asylum in the US initially, but when we saw James, we thought to ourselves:
“Something is happening in Nigeria right now that needs attention and support. He had this fearlessness and that was a part of the story that we wanted to tell. He represented confidence and power.’’
Some of the most moving scenes in Legends play out with James Brown’s chosen family, a group of like-minded creatives from the country’s burgeoning ballroom scene known as “The Royal House of Allure.” Despite their financially challenging circumstances, members of this house find strength in each other. Within the aged walls of their modest home, the fierce love and loyalty they have for one another is abundantly clear. Later, we’re introduced to another such group simply known as “The Elites.” Slightly older and more established, the activists, fashion designers, and dancers of this group take a different approach furthering the cause of queer Nigerians. They’re wary of the social media attention garnered by the likes of James Brown. Is this new captive audience truly supportive of their marginalized community or merely here for the spectacle?
The Legend of the Underground may offer a powerful interrogation of the generational divide between older activists and the new crop of social media-savvy queer Nigerians like Brown. But more than that, it reveals the deeply human stories and people—audacious, irrepressible, courageous, and yes, flawed—behind the country’s ongoing fight for gay rights.
“’My hope for this film is that people see us and they see where we are coming from, and be able to be part of the movement,” Ighodaro says. “I think the film is larger than just an individual. It’s about a community, about people who are struggling and who are fighting but at the same time still finding ways to celebrate to be themselves. If you look at the film, it’s not just about sadness, we are oppressed, but we are beyond that. We are also people who like to go to parties and dance and be with our friends and be beautiful.”
