Nigerian Gay Activist Bisi Alimi Engaged And Set To Marry His White Boyfriend

Nigerian gay activist, Bisi Alimi has announced that he is engaged to his white boyfriend. According to him, they are getting married next year.

incase you do not know who he is Well Bisi Alimi (born Ademola Iyandade Ojo Kazeem Alimi, 17 January 1975) is a Nigerian gay rights activist, public speaker, blog writer and HIV/LGBT advocate who gained international attention when he became the first Nigerian to come out of the closet on television.

Alimi was born in the Mushin district of Lagos to parents Raski Ipadeola Balogun Alimi (a Nigerian police officer) and Idiatu Alake Alimi (a university clerk). Alimi was raised in Lagos where he attended primary and secondary school. He was the third in a family of five children from his mother and sixth from a family of ten children from his father. He later changed his name to Adebisi Alimi.

Alimi gained notoriety in 2004 when he became the first Nigerian gay man to appear on Nigerian national television as a guest on Funmi Iyanda’s show New Dawn with Funmi, a talk show on the NTA. That same year, Bisi had been diagnosed with HIV, and on the show Alimi confirmed his sexuality as a homosexual and asked for social acceptance from the public. His decision to come out of the closet generated both admiration and death threats. Consequently, Alimi was disowned by his family and most of his friends – including some in the gay community – and ejected from his home. Also, New Dawn ‘s live format was cancelled. Future guests on the pre-recorded version were screened by NTA executive producers to avoid what was considered “causing public offence”.

Now residing in London, Alimi has continued his advocacy on gay rights within Migrant African communities. He has worked for organizations in the UK including Naz Project London, Michael Bell Research and Consultancy and HIV I-Base. He has also worked with AHPN, and he was selected a member of the IAS youth for Mexico 2008 and was a member of AmfAR review panel for the international grants for African MSM AIDS initiative 2009 and 2011 respectively.

Apart from sexual rights advocacy, Alimi has also organised protests against UK policies that are capable of inciting racial prejudice.