Aderonke Apata

Aderonke Apata (born 20 January 1967) is a Nigerian LGBT activist, former asylum seeker[1] and barrister. She received widespread media attention due to her asylum case in the United Kingdom.[1][2] Apata is the founder of the African Rainbow Family, an LGBT charity.[3]

Aderonke Apata
Born20 January 1967 (1967-01-20) (age 56)
Nigeria
OccupationBarrister
Known forLGBT activism, former asylum seeker

Biography

Aderonke Apata was born on 20 January 1967 in Nigeria.[1][4][5] Apata first became aware that she was lesbian at the age of 16.[1] Due to Apata's family suspecting she was a lesbian as well as due to Apata's husband's family suspecting her of being a lesbian and having an affair, she was arrested after police found her engaging in homosexual acts in her apartment and was taken to a sharia court, where Apata was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery and witchcraft.[3][6][7] However, the sentence was stopped when a person acting as counsel raised a legal technicality.[7] Before being taken to court, she was sent to a prison where she was placed in an open jail cell with other inmates.[7]

Apata fled Nigeria to London, United Kingdom where she first claimed asylum on religious grounds in 2004 due to her coming from a Christian family, but having married a Muslim man in a sham arrangement in an attempt to cover up her long-term relationship with another woman.[3][6] After her two initial appeals for asylum were rejected, she was forced to live on the streets in Manchester to avoid deportation.[6] In October 2012, she spent a week in solitary confinement at Yarl's Wood Immigration Removal Centre as punishment for leading a peaceful demonstration at the centre.[1][6] During this time, she says she received poor legal advice, so decided to research immigration law herself.[8]

In 2012, after Apata was caught working as a care manager with a fake visa, she again tried to apply for asylum, fearing returning to Nigeria and being persecuted for her sexuality.[6] This asylum claim and another asylum claim were rejected in 2014 and on 1 April 2015 respectively because the Home Office (HO), a UK ministerial department, did not believe she was a lesbian due to her previously being in a relationship with a man and having children with that man.[6][7][9][10][11] In 2014, Apata said that she would send an explicit video of herself to the Home Office to prove her sexuality.[6] This resulted in her asylum bid gaining widespread support, with multiple petitions created in response, which gained hundreds of thousands of signatures combined.[9][10] Later, she also came close to being deported back to Nigeria, but was told on her drive to the airport that her flight to Nigeria had been cancelled.[7]

On 8 August 2017, after a thirteen year legal battle (during which she partly represented herself in court[8]) and after a new appeal from Apata was scheduled for late July, she was granted refugee status in the United Kingdom by the Home Office.[1] The asylum permit Apata had been given would only last for five years, but she would be able to apply for permanent residence in the UK afterwards.[12]

In 2018, Apata started her formal legal training with a law conversion course. On 13 October 2022, Apata was called to the bar.[8]

Personal life

In Nigeria, Apata had a girlfriend after graduating and they lived together in an apartment.[7]

In 2005, Apata was diagnosed with Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and attempted to commit suicide when she was in prison facing deportation.[10] In 2012, Apata's former female partner was killed in a vigilante incident.[6] Apata's brother and three-year-old son were also killed in vigilante incidents.[6]

As of 2015, Apata was engaged to Happiness Agboro, who had previously been granted refugee status in the United Kingdom based on her sexuality.[10] As of 2017, Apata resides in the UK.[1]

Awards and honours

References
  1. Taylor, Diane (August 12, 2017). "Nigerian gay rights activist wins UK asylum claim after 13-year battle". The Guardian. Archived from the original on November 12, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  2. "Why the Home Office rejects so many LGBTQ asylum claims". City, University of London. September 10, 2019. Archived from the original on November 25, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  3. "Nigerian LGBTQ Activist Granted Asylum in UK After 13-Year Legal Battle". NBC News. August 14, 2017. Archived from the original on October 9, 2017. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  4. "Aderonke APATA". Companies House. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  5. Apata, Aderonke (January 10, 2018). "Birthday girl! Guess her age Double celebrations on 20th Jan at Manchester Victory Party for Aderonke Apata! Book your ticket here". via Twitter. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  6. Dugan, Emily (June 9, 2014). "Aderonke Apata deportation case: 'If the Home Office doesn't believe I'm gay, I'll send them a video that proves it'". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  7. Dunt, Ian (March 3, 2015). "Can you prove you're gay? Last minute legal battle for lesbian fighting deportation to Nigeria". Politics.co.uk. Archived from the original on December 27, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  8. Taylor, Diane (22 October 2022). "Barrister says she became legal expert while in Home Office immigration detention". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  9. Ashton, Jack (August 14, 2017). "Nigerian gay rights activist who judge accused of 'faking' her sexuality wins 13-year legal battle for asylum in UK". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  10. Dugan, Emily (April 3, 2015). "Nigerian gay rights activist has her High Court asylum bid rejected - because judge doesn't believe she is lesbian". The Independent. Archived from the original on December 31, 2020. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  11. Cohen, Claire (March 4, 2015). "Home Office tells Nigerian asylum seeker: 'You can't be a lesbian, you've got children'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on April 22, 2015. Retrieved December 30, 2020.
  12. Hornall, Thomas (August 14, 2017). "Nigerian Lesbian Granted Asylum After 13-Year Battle Against Deportation". HuffPost. Archived from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 10, 2021.
  13. "The National Diversity Awards 2014 Winners". National Diversity Awards. September 26, 2014. Archived from the original on October 4, 2014. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
  14. "24th Sexual Freedom Awards Finalists & Winners". Sexual Freedom Awards. 2018. Archived from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved December 31, 2020.
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