BBC Pidgin of Thursday, 9 December 2021
Source: BBC
Sauti Sol singer Chimano: "No hiding anymore"- Kenya musician wey say e be gay
Willis Austin Chimano don come out to declare say im be gay
Willis Austin Chimano, wey be member of top Kenyan band Sauti Sol, don come out as gay and tell local media say e no longer want to live a lie.
Sauti Sol na one of Africa biggest male bands and win di 2016 MTV Africa Music Awards.
Chimano public declaration dey come as e explain di idea behind e new song, Friday Feeling, wey e feature members of di LGBT community.
Last week, Chimano release one solo single, Friday Feeling, wey e tell local Standard newspaper say na "true representation of who e be".
"Dis na di first time I dey express myself for song. You really get to know who Chimano be and dat na heavy crown to carry.
"Na just representation of di underground ballroom culture within di queer community... wey I be part of."
Di music star say now e dey live im truth and go use e music to challenge toxic masculinity, prejudices and hypocrisy.
"No hiding anymore," Chimano tell local media.
Chimano neva bin don come out publicly as gay although pipo don bin see an with male partners in di past before.
Dis im public declaration fit be ginger to di fight for LGBT rights inside Kenya, wia gay sex na crime and punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
For 2019, one Kenyan High Court rule against campaigners wey bin want make dem cancel di law wey ban gay sex.
Campaigners wan make dem comot di colonial-era law on top say e don give rise to wetin dem call 'climate of homophobia.'
Although prosecutions under dis law dey serious but attitudes towards gay pipo no too dey bad compare to neighbouring kontries like Uganda and Tanzania.
Chimano join di growing list of ogbonge young Kenyans wey dey come out as gay or lesbian.
"Young pipo dey salute and are see am as icon wey come out to celebrate e life and e sexuality. Dis na good thing, e show our diversity as a kontri," gay activist Kevin Mwachiro tell BBC.
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