Media were awash with reactions on Sunday after images of a same-sex wedding, showing two men — one Nigerian — dressed in traditional Igbo attire, began circulating on Facebook. The photographs, which quickly went viral, have sparked heated debates and criticism among Nigerian netizens, raising questions about culture, religion, and personal choice.
The couple at the centre of the discussion are Innocent Ndubuisi Okechukwu, a Nigerian composer and pianist, and his partner, Greg, a Caucasian American. The ceremony reportedly took place at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Downers Grove, Illinois, United States, blending the solemnity of a religious wedding with the visual symbolism of Nigerian heritage.
Amid the backlash, a clarification was issued to address misinformation surrounding the event. Okechukwu is a trained musician with a strong academic background in music. He began his education at a Catholic minor seminary, where he sang and played instruments, but he did not continue to a major seminary, contrary to claims circulating online. Greg, his partner, is a chorister and lector at the Episcopal Church.
The wedding was officiated by Rev. Gregg Morris, rector of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church. The Episcopal Church, part of the global Anglican Communion, recognises the Archbishop of Canterbury as a symbol of unity and permits its clergy to officiate same-sex marriages. It has formally authorised religious wedding ceremonies for gay couples.
While same-sex unions are legal in Illinois, they remain illegal in Nigeria, where homosexuality is criminalised and public opinion is largely conservative. The use of Igbo attire at the ceremony drew particularly strong reactions online. Critics argued it disrespected cultural norms, while supporters defended the couple’s right to celebrate their heritage and love.
Social media responses were polarised. Some commentators framed the ceremony as an affront to traditional and religious values, while others viewed it as an assertion of personal freedom and cultural pride. As of the time of writing, the photographs continue to trend, generating conversations around legality, religion, and global cultural norms.
The debate echoes broader tensions within the Anglican Communion over gender and sexuality. Time Africa Magazine previously reported on Most Rev. Cherry Vann, Archbishop of Wales, who has spoken openly about her experience as a gay woman in the Church. Vann, appointed Archbishop in 2020, reflected on decades of secrecy and professional tension, particularly during her early years in the Church of England, when gay clergy were expected to remain celibate.
“Without the strong belief that God had called me to the priesthood, I would not have survived,” Vann said in a recent interview. She made history in 1994 as one of the first women ordained a priest in England and is now both the UK’s first female archbishop and the first openly gay bishop to serve as a primate in the global Anglican Communion.
Vann spoke of the challenges she faced, particularly the hostility female clergy encountered from male colleagues. “You can hide your sexuality, up to a point, but you can’t hide being a woman. There was a lot of nastiness; the men were angry, they felt they had been betrayed,” she said. She recalled meetings with male colleagues who opposed female ordination in the 1990s, calling the experience “awful” but emphasising perseverance.
She also described the secrecy she maintained around her relationship with her partner, Wendy Diamond. “For years we kept our relationship secret because I worried about waking up and finding myself outed on the front page of a newspaper. Now, Wendy joins me everywhere, and when I take services, it’s just normal. But in England she had to stay upstairs if I had a meeting in the house.”
Despite ongoing divisions over gender and sexuality in the Anglican Communion, Vann remains hopeful for reconciliation. “This is what I’m hoping around the sexuality issue too — modelling that we can vehemently disagree about something, but we can still love one another in Christ and recognise one another as children of God,” she said.
Regarding same-sex marriage in the Church, Vann emphasised that while she does not personally feel the need for a church wedding, she views marriage equality as inevitable. “Gay marriage in church is inevitable, I think: the question is when. There are people who are very opposed, and as leader, I have to honour their position, which is theologically grounded. It isn’t my job to push something through that would alienate a good proportion of clergy.”
For Okechukwu and Greg, the wedding represented both a personal celebration and a public assertion of identity. The use of Igbo attire symbolises their connection to Nigerian heritage while simultaneously asserting their identity as a same-sex couple. The photographs and the conversations they have sparked illustrate the complex intersection of tradition, religion, and modernity.
Experts note that the viral nature of the images highlights the role of social media in shaping debates around culture and sexuality. In Nigeria, where LGBTQ+ rights are limited, online outrage is often amplified by misinformation and conservative social norms. Conversely, in countries such as the United States, where legal protections for same-sex marriage exist, the ceremony reflects evolving attitudes toward inclusivity and diversity within religious institutions.
The incident has also prompted broader reflection on cultural symbolism. Traditional attire, such as the Igbo garments worn by the couple, carries deep historical and social significance. Its use in a same-sex wedding challenges conventional expectations, prompting discussions about the flexibility of cultural identity in a globalised world.
For supporters, the wedding is a reminder that love and cultural pride are not mutually exclusive. For critics, it represents a perceived clash between personal freedom and collective cultural values. Either way, the viral images have reignited conversations about tolerance, legal diversity, and the boundaries of cultural expression.
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