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My life, as you will listen, has taken me from one place to another. Bed 26 is the story of how I fought my way out of constant persecution and reclaimed my freedom. It is my hope that by sharing my experience and my pain, you will begin to understand why people are forced to immigrate.
This is a revealing memoir and empowering manifesto, with contributions from other asylees, refugees, and Nigerian LGBTQ persons. Nong Richie was born in Nigeria and came of age in another United States. Nigeria, his home country, became an estrange world. He was continually persecuted by mob, and living in Nigeria soon became a personal nightmare of constant mob attacks and deaths of his friends to HIV. Nong escaped into the world of his mind from the expository details of the war he suffered as a child and high-profile attacks against himself and other gay Nigerians. Every detail of his personal life became public, and the realities of an inherently unlawful society emerged with every script of this book. The detention center packaged his trauma as a bombshell, hijacking his image and identity, and making profit from every night he spent in it. Bed 26 is his raw, honest, and poignant account - a no-holds-barred, pull-no-punches account for the persecution of him and his community. He continues to be a fearless activist and an unstoppable force for change, who is determined to expose the truth. |
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Edojah is a play about Edafe Okporo and his special relationship with his grandmother.
“There are several things that go unspoken between us, but in the silences, I feel that she gets me and believes in my ability. But if I flee Nigeria what will be the price I pay to save myself?” This play takes us beyond "Bed 26" to experience how Edafe risked it all to seek asylum in the United States. |
Edafe Okporo, is a human rights activist from Nigeria, displaced in 2016 due to persecution he faced in his home country based on his sexual orientation and work as an activist.
Now living in Manhattan New York, the Founder of the Pont LLC, LGBTQ writer and Activist. His work has been featured in NBC, CNN GREAT BIG STORY, NOWTHIS, CBC, The Advocate et, al. Edafe is the Director of RDJ Refugee Shelter in Harlem New York City. He consider himself a bridge. He teaches leaders and organizations how to inspire people in growing a meaningful community. From government officials to educational institutions. Find him on Twitter and Instagram (@edafeokporo) and visit his website edafeokporo.com to sign up for upcoming events and listen to the Pont Podcast on Itunes, Spotify and anywhere you get your podcast. 
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Book Club
OUR PRIDE READS is our virtual book club where you can join authors on reading journeys through fascinating and inspiring literature.
Join Edafe Okporo as he lead us on his journey to asylum from Nigeria to the United States. Edafe takes us beyond his "Bed 26" memoir to explore important issues and topics, such as persecution, violence, human rights, immigration, asylum, and much more. |
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Video Fest OutRight Challenge
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The OUTRIGHT CHALLENGE is part of OUR PRIDE Video Fest 2020, a competition of short videos of 1-5 minutes. As you journey through "Bed 26," find inspiration to share your own personal story, stories of others, or even the story of Edafe.
Write your own song, animate a story, create a short fiction, documentary, news story or maybe a PSA for OutRight Action International or other nonprofits advocating on behalf of asylum seekers. |
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“Okay, faggot, get ready to die.” These were the words my kidnappers used to place me in a still state. I was kidnapped by four men who had no mercy; these men were ready to kill.
So begins my story in 'Bed 26," encompassing the turmoil and oppression of life in Nigeria to the six months in a US refugee detention before being released onto the streets with nowhere to go. It's my story and one of endurance and hope. Please join me in the OUR PRIDE Book Club. We will read through passages, discuss the book and related issues. And we will be bringing in experts to answer your questions, in addition to those you want to ask me. |
OUR PRIDE OutRight Challenge Bringing my personal "Bed 26" story together with the OUR PRIDE OutRight Challenge creates an additional resource for young people to potentially see themselves in a new light and to share that with others through the OUR PRIDE Video Fest. Now is the time to dig deeper, discover more of ourselves and the world, and to share that with others. And what more powerful medium than through video - and sharing stories with the world. Join us in this exciting experience of discovery!
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