Why I Accept My Daughters’ Same-Sex Relationships — Charly Boy

Why I Accept My Daughters’ Same-Sex Relationships — Charly Boy

Veteran Nigerian entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, has said his adult daughters do not need his approval to identify as lesbians, explaining that his role as a father is to support them while allowing them to make decisions about their own lives.

Charly Boy made the remarks while discussing the sexual orientation of his daughters and the recent engagement of his daughter, Adaeze Oputa, to a woman.

The entertainer said his two daughters identify as lesbians and explained that he had initially found it difficult to process the development before eventually accepting their choices.

According to him, becoming a parent does not give him control over every decision made by his adult children.

Charly Boy said his priority was for his daughters to be happy and able to live their lives without their relationship with him being damaged by disagreements over their personal choices.

His comments came shortly after he publicly celebrated Adaeze’s engagement to her female partner.

Charly Boy shared a video from the engagement on Instagram and described the couple as his “beautiful Princess and her Husband”, while asking his followers to wish them well. Adaeze also announced the engagement on Instagram, writing that they were engaged and expressing excitement about their future together.

The public celebration attracted mixed reactions on social media, with some users congratulating the couple and others criticising the relationship and Charly Boy’s response.

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Charly Boy has previously spoken publicly about his younger daughter, Dominique “Dewy” Oputa, and her relationship with a woman. In earlier interviews, he discussed the difficulty he initially experienced after learning about her sexuality before explaining how he came to accept her.

His latest remarks suggest that his approach has evolved from trying to understand his daughters’ choices to accepting that they are adults capable of making decisions for themselves.

The entertainer also acknowledged that parents can have personal expectations for their children. However, he maintained that such expectations do not necessarily give parents the right to dictate the lives of their adult children.

The development has attracted particular attention because same-sex relationships remain a highly sensitive issue in Nigeria, both socially and legally.

Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, 2013 prohibits same-sex marriage and civil unions and provides penalties for conduct covered by the legislation. Same-sex marriages or civil unions are also not legally recognised as marriages under Nigerian law.

The distinction is important in reporting Adaeze’s announcement: available reports confirm an engagement, not a legally recognised same-sex marriage in Nigeria.

Adaeze’s engagement has also renewed interest in her personal history. She was previously married to a man in 2018, according to reports, but that relationship later ended in divorce. Current reports focus on her engagement to her female partner.

Charly Boy’s public response has consequently placed his family at the centre of a wider conversation about parental acceptance, sexuality, family relationships and personal autonomy.

For the veteran entertainer, however, the issue is primarily a family matter. His comments indicate that while he may have had personal expectations for his children, he does not believe those expectations should determine the choices made by his adult daughters.

The latest development also reflects Charly Boy’s longstanding willingness to discuss controversial personal and social issues publicly, often generating strong reactions from Nigerians with differing cultural, religious and personal perspectives.

For Adaeze, the engagement represents a personal milestone that she chose to announce publicly. For Charly Boy, his response has reinforced his stated position that his relationship with his daughters should not depend on whether he agrees with every decision they make.

 

Why I Accept My Daughters’ Same-Sex Relationships — Charly Boy