What is your favorite memory together?
Our favorite memory together was during Winter Storm Uri when Davids’s home was unfortunately deemed uninhabitable after the severe weather left most pipes broken and electricity was intermittent. So David moved all his things to my house on Valentine’s day. This was the first day we began living together. We were stuck in the house for the whole day due to the extreme weather, and the experience brought us closer by allowing us to have more one-on-one time and giving us a glimpse of what our future might look like.
What has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome together?
Olalekan: The biggest challenge has been getting my family to accept our marriage fully. When I came out to my parents and family, they were not approving of our relationship. This put a little strain on our relationship. David was there for me throughout the whole process. I am from Nigeria, and anti-LGBTQ+ laws and ideologies are still present in the country. I still speak to my mum and other family members, but we hope we can all come together in the future.
What would you say if you could give your younger selves a pep talk for the future?
Olalekan: I would tell him to be himself, tell him not to worry or care about fitting in. I would tell him to take life easy and not worry too much about the future. Everything will be fine.
David: I would tell him that no one is paying attention to all the things you’re insecure about and to enjoy your teen years, don’t sweat the small stuff, and stay focused on your craft.
Tell us your favorite thing about one another.
Olalekan: My favorite thing about David is his ability always to make me and everyone around him happy. His ability to make everyone, including me, feel safe enough to be our authentic selves around him.
David: My favorite thing about him is his calm nature, he’s very gentle, and he always knows exactly how to brighten up my day. I can talk for hours to him because he makes me feel so comfortable just by being around.
What does the future hold for you?
For the future, we plan to have a large wedding ceremony somewhere tropical with both of our families and friends in attendance. Also to purchase a home to continue building our life as one and nurturing our relationship. We also plan to take multiple trips and see the world.
Is there anything else that you would like to add?
We want to bring awareness to the harsh laws facing members of the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria and other similar countries facing similar laws. Hoping that these laws become something of the past because all LGBTQ+ members deserve the same rights as any other individual, and denying them the same rights as everyone else is a clear violation of basic human rights. We all deserve to live in our truths. No human or entity has any right to dictate how we should live our lives.
