'Nigerians prefer to welcome criminals into society dan transgender pipo' - Jay Boogie

Nigerian Jay Boogie wey im real name na Daniel Nsikan don become popular sake of di plenty foto of hersef she dey post for social media.

Wit almost two hundred thousand Instagram followers, e dey hard to tell say Jay Boogie birth name na Daniel, a name wey many Nigerian parents dey name dia male pikin dem.

From dinner gowns to see-through dresses, den crop tops, jumpsuits, bum shots and short dresses na di kain clothes wey Jay Boogie dey wear.

"How you go see girl wey fine wey get all di features of woman and you still dey wan identify am as man.

"How pesin go reason dat kain tin?" she ask.

Nigeria dey among di worst kontris for di world for LGBTQ equality, according to legal rights index Equaldex.

Like some oda African kontris, gay and trans pipo dey face stigma and violence in a cultural society like Nigeria.

Some weeks ago, Ghana Parliament totally support one proposed amendment to di Anti-gay bill wey prescribe a 3-year jail term for pesins wey identify as LGBTQ+.

For May 2023 Uganda President Yoweri Museveni sign wetin observers describe as one of di toughest anti-LGBTQ laws in di world.

Di Law prescribe death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality".

Sexual relationship among pipo wey be di same gender already dey illegal for more dan 30 African kontris.

But Jay Boogie identify her sef as transgender and she na one of di few LGBTQ pesins wey don come out openly to tok about dia sexuality.

Jay Boogie for interview wit BBC Pidgin tok say she dey live her truth and di reason why she dey live her life as a transgender na becos her happiness na her priority.

“I dey live my best life and I dey do wetin dey make me happy,” She tok.

'My childhood bin dey somehow'

Jay Boogie for di interview tok about one embarrasing moment for her childhood.

She say her teacher bin single her out becos she wia underwear to cover her burst as she dey mature.

"Di teacher send me back home dey question why I dey dress like woman. Me and her even get small kwanta on top dat matter," she tok.

Jay Boogie say na since wen she dey small she know say she be woman becos evri tin about her na feminine.

She add say even her parents, her family and friends dem dey support her.

Legal protection no dey for LGBTQ+ rights for Nigeria as na offence wey dey punishable by law.

Sake of di law wey dey in place, Jay Boogie say e get some places wey she no fit go for safety reasons - "Anywia wey I dey go, I dey secure my safety."

'Surgery journey & safety of transgenders'

Di popular transgender get plenty followers for Instagram wey she dey totori wit fine-fine fotos of hersef.

She tell BBC Pidgin say she don do surgery to get breast but she neva do surgery on her body.

She add say she believe say she go marry and carry belle wen she do her gender reassignment surgery.

Jay_Boogie wey be social media influencer say she no dey feel less of herself.

Negative public perception about transgender for Nigeria dey also worry di socialite.

She say e dey surprising say pipo fit accept convicts wey don serve jail term back in di society, "dem go see pipo wey dey do fraud, armed robbers, kidnappers, killers and all those bad pipo but dem no go attack dem.

"Wen dem see trans, dem go begin ginger dey wan attack us," she tok.

Wetin Nigerian law tok about LGBTQ

Jay Boogie say plenty misconception dey about pipo wey be transgender.

She explain say many pipo dey mistake trangender for gay pipo.

"As for me, I no be gay. I be transgender becos of di features wey I get and na so I see my sef."

On January 7, 2014, Nigeria former president, Goodluck Jonathan, bin sign di Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill (SSMPA) into law. Di purpose of di law na to stop marriage between pesins of di same sex.

Di law forbid make same-sex sexual partners dey live togeda and ban any “public show of same sex romantic relationship.”

Di SSMPA sama 10-year prison sentence on anyone wey “register, operate or participate for gay clubs, societies and organization” or “support” di activities of such organizations.

Di punishments dey range from 10 to 14 years in prison.

Last year one Lawmaker for di House of Representatives introduce bill to amend Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (2013) and also ban cross-dressing for Nigeria.

Referencing Section 4 of di same-sex Marriage Prohibition Act (2013) di Lawmaker, Muda Lawal Ulnar wey sponsor di bill propose say cross-dressing whether dem do am privately or publicly, suppose dey prohibited.

Oga Lawal also propose six months imprisonment or a fine of N500,000 (about $1,000) for anyone found guilty.

But Jay Boogie wan make goment look di law and address am, make e dey flexible small as many Nigerians dey live fake life sake of fear of di law.

“99% of Nigerians dey live fake life becos evribody dey under di closet, evribody dey hide and no wan come out to tok say dis na how dem wan be,” she tok.