Feb. 14, 2019 at 6:41 am

…I’m happy and thankful to be alive in the U.S where I’m protected by law to have dignity of person as a gay man…Richard Akuson speaks as he Flees Nigeria after Serious Beating

@tribeandelan6 years agono commentgay men in nigeria Richard Akuson richard akuson flees nigeria TRIBE AND ELAN

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– Seeks Asylum in the US

Nigerian lawyer, journalist and publisher Richard Akuson of the gender-nonconforming magazine A Nasty Boy , recently fell victim of a homophobic attack and he has since fled the country for the United States of America for safety .

The creator and stylist of the gender-nonconforming magazine says the incident brought him “even closer to the harsh realities of LGBTQ + people in Nigeria and across the world.” Back in 2017, he said he knew he’d be taking a risk in a country where toxic masculinity is rampant and homosexuality is punishable by law but he did it anyway As the stories of people and ideas that challenged rigid notions of gender and sexuality were too important to go untold—especially in Nigeria.

Recently,he was ambushed and beaten in a targeted attack that he claims was in response to his work. This in-human move led him to spend several months seeking asylum in the US. The publisher decided to share his story publicly in a two-part post on A Nasty Boy’s Instagram page.

Also on a recent interview, he said ….. “I realized recently that as dehumanizing as the experience was it has taught me so much and brought me even closer to the harsh realities of LGBTQ + people in Nigeria and across the world. But I’ve also decided to reclaim the humiliation and brutality, and draw as much fortitude from it as I can as I continue to speak about the brutality of homophobia and the scars it leaves behind.”

See excerpts below