“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you” Maya Angelou
OutTales: Davis congratulations on your recently published book. You chose as its title “Fiyabo“, which I understand in your native Nigerian language means ‘Survivor’. What made you decide to go with that title?
Davis Mac-Iyalla: I choose that title as a reminder that no matter the persecutions LGBTI Nigerians are facing, we will not give up hope. We are a survivors who will achieve victory in the end.
OutTales: During your time in Nigeria you went through periods of imprisonment, torture, violent attack, and a string of death threats. What stopped you from taking the path that many other same gender loving people have taken, which is to get married to the opposite sex and thereby conform to the expectations of family?
Davis Mac-Iyalla: Those who take those paths do it for social and family acceptability. The reason that people do that does not matter to me, but for me I will never live a lie. Being gay is in my nature, I will never try to pretend to be something that I am not. More
OutTales around the Fire 