Angel Smith — the reality TV personality many know from Big Brother Naija — recently addressed online speculation about her sexuality after videos and photos of her and another woman circulated widely. Rather than ignoring it, she chose to speak directly, dismissing the idea that being labelled a lesbian is an insult and reminding critics that “this is my life, and I can do whatever I like.”
What’s interesting here is not binary — straight vs. queer — but agency. Angel reminded her audience that her choices and representations are her own. In a society where gender norms and sexual identity are often policed socially, being spoken about loudly by strangers becomes a form of intrusion into private life. Her response didn’t simply defend against a label; it asserted autonomy over narrative.
Yet Angel’s response subtly refuses both shame and simplification. Instead of defining herself first, she pointed to the real problem: why strangers care enough to argue about who she is.
When the noise around identity becomes louder than the person whose life it is.
Why do we think we can decide what someone’s identity “should” be — especially when their lived experience is theirs alone?
When does curiosity cross into entitlement, and when does pronouncement become erasure?
Not every public moment needs a verdict. Some only ask us to reconsider how we talk about other people’s lives.
Jaiyeorie — this is why it matters.
#JaiyeWhyItMatters
✍️
👀 ☝️👆
📎
No comments:
Post a Comment