Entertainment
10 KENYAN CELEBRITIES WHO HAVE COME OUT AS LGBTQ+
Kenyan celebrities and personalities who are Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual and kinks (LGBTIQIAPK) have in the past few years been bold enough to come out. Offensive comments always accompany some of these coming out posts but there is always overwhelming support. Here are some who have openly come out.
Anita Nderu
When she tweeted that she faced discrimination for being LGBTQI+, she inadvertently came out. The media personality and fashionista has always been vocal about LGBTQI+ persons and also refers to herself as an advocate. She parted ways with her then fiancé, Sun Man, last year.
Kenyan Stylista aka Franklin Saiyalel
The designer, Franklin Saiyalel popularly known as Kenyan stylista came out recently on his social media pages. He was clad in a t-shirt with the words, “Let’s get one thing straight, I’m not.” He got support from his followers with the likes of stylist Brian Babu also throwing his support behind Frankie.
ED Wainaina
“I’m bisexual, so now…. Will you accept me? My dp has the colours, I just had to find the right time. Love y’all,” This is what popular illustrator and digital artist Ed Wainaina tweeted earlier this year when he came out. It was a polarizing post, which got a frenzy of hate comments but the likes of Patricia Kihoro, Muthoni Drummer Queen among others came out in support.
Silas Miami
The once profilic news anchor Louis Otieno has a son, Silas Miami who is gay. Silas, who leads a private life, shared online that he’s married to Patrick, though they will maintain an open relationship “I met and married someone just under a year ago. He’s got all the things, kindness, courage, honesty etc, but, while why all this is all fine and great, that is not why I married him.
In fact, neither of us believed in marriage. We still don’t. But after months of us looking at options for what companionship would look like, especially seeing as travel isn’t exactly easy for us, we settled on going for it.
We maintain an ethically polyamorous situation because monogamy gives us both migraines. That being said, Patrick Miami (yes, he took my name) is my primary life partner and I’m proud to be his.
Now this is going to get ugly, but that’s okay. I can take the hit. The next couples of days will a lot. But I’m happy. And I anted to share my happiest with you.”
Binyavanga Wainaina
The late award-winning and profilic writer Binyavanga Wainaina was openly gay. He came out in 2014 when there were a flurry of attacks on the gay community in several parts of Africa. He wrote a memoir titled, “I am a Homosexual, Mum” and then went on to tweet, “I am, for anybody confused or in doubt, a homosexual.” The activist, who also revealed that he was HIV positive, sadly lost his life in May 2019.
Noti Flow
The controversial singer Noti Flow is also part of the LGBTQI+ community, having revealed she’s into women. She confessed to having been in a threesome with her then-boyfriend and another lady and then confirmed that she was in a short-lived relationship with Vanessa Chettle. Noti released a music video, Same Love, in support of the gay community, which received backlash and got banned by KFCB boss Ezekiel Mutua. In an interview with the Nairobian, the female rapper Noti Flow open about being bisexual, “My first encounter was with a girl at 19 years, I have dated girls but also men. Love comes in many ways and it doesn’t necessarily have to be specifically with a man or a woman. Love does not discriminate. I have loved a man and also loved a woman.
A girl broke my virginity which was a lovely experience but my first encounter with a man was painful and hard. It took two weeks for me to heal. I find ladies to be more genuine, when a woman tells you they love you they really mean it, they care about you and it’s not all about sex it more emotional and supportive.
Compared to the men I have dated, love to them is a different definition, it is pegged on sex. When they say they love you but you stop having sex there is no love, the situation changes it’s like love to them means more sex.”
Chimano
Sauti Sol’s Austin Chimano, fondly referred to as “Chimandems” by his fans on social media, caused a stir when a photo was posted, with him paired up with a male partner instead of a woman. The photoshoot, which highlighted the members significant others, opened a can of worms for Chimano who got badly trolled. Chimano sparked even more conversation when he shared a fun short clip with his white partner. There was a lot of hate online, but Savara was among the first to come to Chimano’s defense, writing, “Hapana bembeleza mtu bro.”
Audrey Mbugua
He was one of the first openly gay personalities in Kenya. Formerly Andrew Mbugua, Audrey is a transgander who sent shockwaves to Kenyan conservatives who didn’t understand his reasons for changing his sexuality, and subsequently his name to Audrey Mbugua. She is now living happily as a pre-op woman and even got nominated for her activism for trans persons by the Dutch ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2014.
Makena Njeri
Former Tahidi High actress Christine Njeri Makena has been in the limelight for several reasons; her car once got vandalized which many assumed was because she cheated on her then-girlfriend. She has been open about her sexuality, having been linked to Waitherero, a former Citizen TV actress and even Michelle Ntalami, founder of Marini Naturals, “Michelle darling I don’t know what I did right in my life to make the universe bring such an angel into my life, but I’m definitely going to spend the rest of my life making you as happy as you make me feel,” Makena wrote.
Pastor David Ochar
Pastor David Ochar of Cosmopolitan Affirming Community came out as gay. The father of one says he always knew he was gay, he told the Nairobian, “I always knew I was attracted to men but I thought it was a gay phase and I would outgrow it.
I used to pray for and fast for the emotions to go away but it never did, during that time I was a third-year at the university and I met a beautiful girl and we started a relationship but she got pregnant and we welcomed our handsome son.
I always knew I was gay, right now I am in a committed relationship with my partner of six years though we don’t live together.”
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