Caitlyn Jenner
“I am Cait”, an American television documentary series which chronicles the life of Caitlyn Jenner after her supposed gender transition was removed by MultiChoice Nigeria from its DSTV channel 124 and GOtv channel 24.
This isn’t the first time MultiChoice is reviewing its programme list to meet customers desires. Last year October, “I Am Jazz”, another reality series on a transgender teen, Jazz Jennings, was also removed.
This is coming weeks after Kenya Film Classification Board (KFCB) also banned some clips which go against family values.
This move wasn’t primarily because the regulatory body wanted it, it was because of the numerous complaints from the Nigerian market and the company had no other option than to succumb to the desires of their customers. In doing this the company assured viewers that they review client’s complaints and ensure that their interests were given priority. The company also reminded their subscribers that Dstv and Gotv decoders are encrypted with the parental control feature that empowers parents with ultimate control over what young viewers can watch. The company also encourages parents to make use of this feature as much as possible to ensure that their children only watch what their parents deem appropriate.
This move has gone down well with many Nigerians who believe that their rights as consumers are being respected but in South Africa, there are claims that because of Nigeria, this series has been banned throughout the African Continent. As of the time of writing and publication, great effort was made to confirm from Multi Choice Nigeria the correct position. They confirmed that it was banned in Nigeria but they could not confirm if it was banned throughout Africa.
Although not confirmed, I doubt if the series was banned in Africa because of an objection raised only by Nigeria. I think it’s a ploy to exaggerate the matter and get public sympathy to their side, already a petition has been started asking Multi Choice to overturn their decision.
Bisi Alimi, a Nigerian-born LGBT activist who is currently based in the United Kingdom, said in a phone interview that the company’s decision is just one example of the daily obstacles facing LGBT Nigerians. “This just shows how close-minded and ignorant some Nigerians are,” Alimi said. “If they can be this aggressive towards a TV show, imagine how aggressive they are toward LGBT people who they see everyday.”
The LGBT community while they call for tolerance are very intolerable; they are quick to label anyone with a contrary view as homophobic, close-minded, aggressive and ignorant. In fact, with recent happenings in the US, more importantly as it relates to religious freedom, the LGBT “community” which has now become a “mutiny” lacks the foundation to talk of tolerance.
While Alimi may call us close minded and ignorant, we will not be cowed by such appellation no matter how loud it is shouted to change our stance on it. Homosexuality is currently illegal in Nigeria and in many African countries. Series like this, are an affront to the stance of Nigeria on LGBT issues. It is not in doubt that there are some persons in Nigeria who have same sex attraction( they may even be in million, just the same way we have numerous persons who enjoy corruption yet we haven’t made corruption legal) and who would get inspired from watching such shows, but we are not so ignorant to know that that these shows are there to strengthen even those with shaky same sex attraction and also to change the mind-set of Nigerians towards LGBT; with regards to young people who are easily gullible and impressionable, these shows are geared towards changing their consciousness thereby building a generation of people who in the future will be confused as to what marriage and sexuality is really about, its like the crocodile and the boiling water illustration. If you put a frog in boiling water, it’ll jump straight out. If you put it in cold water and gradually bring it to the boil, it’ll sit right there until it dies. This is the LGBT tactic; it involves infiltrating the world(mostly the young ones) through novels, cartoons, films, shows which portrays the LGBT ideas and they want us to think that being open minded means taking in everything even when it can lead to harm, that is not being open-minded or knowledgeable ,its being suicidal and uncritical.
We have always insisted that homosexuality isn’t one of Nigerians current problems, we would continue to protect the genuine human rights of all Nigerian’s including homosexuals, if an homosexual is assaulted, we always insist the culprits be brought to justice not solely because the victim is a homosexual but because he is a human being and moreover the whole debacle in the United States since the Supreme Court judgment 26th June 2015 is not a precedent we are in a hurry to emulate.
Insisting that “I am Cait” be removed does not mean that we are aggressive towards the LGBT’s, it only means that we are trying to abide by the laws and also respect our cultural and religious heritage.
The complacency of the Silent Majority must end, and it must end now. Time is not on our side. If persons like Timi are allowed to continue their propaganda unchecked, the resulting erosion of our society and of morality will be irreversible.
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