"Why I Stepped Into the Spotlight – and What I Hope It Will Spark" By Andrew Akuruka

"Why I Stepped Into the Spotlight – and What I Hope It Will Spark" By Andrew Akuruka

Or more truthfully, I would’ve hidden behind a wall of silence. Because for a long time, visibility felt dangerous. And being gay wasn’t something you said out loud—especially not as a Black man from a culture that prizes toughness, masculinity, and tradition. That silence nearly cost me my peace. Like so many, I’ve walked through years of shame, denial, and coded language. I was taught that to be gay was to be “less than”—less of a man, less wo…