Nigerian singer Simi apologises to LGBT Nigerians, receives mixed reactions

Nigerian singer Simisola Kosoko, popularly known as Simi, has apologized to the Nigerian LGBTQ+ community for her previous homophobic comments.

By Mike Daemon

The singer, who made the comments in March on her YouTube show “Stoopid Sessions”, has now retracted her words, but members of the community are not letting it slide just yet.

Simi. Photo: Google Images,

On the show, Simi said homosexuality is unnatural and went further to shame LGBTQ+ folks. However, her comments met with a lot of backlash after it went viral.

The singer now seems to have realized that she was absolutely wrong and has tendered an apology, taking back her homophobic comments, but many still doubt her sincerity, especially as it came a few hours before her husband’s photo appeared on the cover of a queer-based magazine.

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— Simi (@SympLySimi) August 3, 2020

Nigerian LGBTQ activist and feminist Matthew Blaise is still very unhappy with Simi’s previous behavior and has rejected her apology.

Stop compelling LGBTQ+ folks to just accept Simi’s apology and behave as if she never said anything awful.

The depth of the hurt differs. Let everyone take time to process the apology and forgive whenever they want.

LGBTQ+ community isn’t a cult.

— Son of the Rainbow AKA LGBTQ+ CLASS CAPTAIN?️‍? (@Blaise_21) August 3, 2020

However, a few others seem to have accepted her apology. The openly lesbian Nigerian LGBTQ+ activist Pamela Adie is one of them. She wrote:

Dear @SympLySimi , thank you issuing an apology to us. I personally welcome the apology because it was well written, and it shows reflection, which many people are incapable of doing. I only wish it didn’t take a near-death experience for you to realize the gravity of your words

— Pamela Adie (@biwomdz) August 3, 2020

But the fact remains that everyone felt and is still hurt about Simi’s harmful and derogatory comments especially if one looks at the current situation in the country and everywhere else where LGBTIQ+ folks are struggling to survive and navigate their lives through the hardship imposed on them by the majority who feel that they should not exist.

Healing will come to different people at different times and whether or not anyone chooses to accept Simi’s apology is entirely personal. But overall, this is a good step forward.