Asylum

“Powerful, honest, and deeply moving, Edafe Okporo’s Asylum is a must-read. From dealing with unimaginable persecution to transforming the lives and hearts of countless people, Edafe lets us in, offering us an intimate look into his journey and the realities of so many.”—Elliot Page, actor

“Both memoir and a call to action, Edafe Okporo’s book is a powerful, eye-opening story of his escape from persecution as a gay man, a heartbreaking yet hopeful illustration of the unique challenges faced by queer refugees around the world.”—DR. ERIC CERVINI , New York Times bestselling author of The Deviant’s War

“Through the fires of persecution and exile, Edafe Okporo found liberation. Written with urgency and insight, Asylum is a moving and dramatic account of a gay Nigerian’s search for his place in the world, a book that reminds us that so many queer folks around the world have yet to achieve their freedoms.”—DAVID EBERSHOFF, New York Times bestselling author of The Danish Girl and The 19th Wife

"A deeply affecting account...readers will be galvanized by this resounding call for equality."—PUBLISHERS WEEKLY 

"A moving story from an inspiring activist for social justice"—KIRKUS REVIEWS

“A riveting contribution expanding the literature of U.S. immigration to include the experience of a gay Nigerian man. Okporo’s story clarifies the necessary role that community-based LGBT and refugee support groups play in supplementing the bureaucratic brutality facing America’s new arrivals. Vulnerable, informative, and compelling, this book will appeal to professionals, scholars, and general readers open to the stories of our times.”—SARAH SCHULMAN, author of Let the Record Show

“All of us who are LGBTQ find ourselves on a journey to understand our identities and our place in the world. For Edafe Okporo, as he so movingly shares in Asylum, that journey was a perilous odyssey that almost cost him his life in his home country of Nigeria and landed him behind bars when he fled to the U.S. A role model of big-hearted resilience and determination for us all.”—ERIC MARCUS, founder and host, Making Gay History podcast

“Edafe Okporo provides a gripping account of his persecution in Nigeria for being a gay man and six months of immigration detention in the U.S. Eventually winning asylum, he goes on to lead an organization that provides shelter to refugees. Okporo’s narrative is beautifully told, a story of perseverance, faith, and grace.”—ALEX ALEINIKOFF, director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility

"A riveting memoir and an essential immigrant and a gay story. Edafe's story is not just a longing for a better life only, it is also an effort to break free from a society that sees him unfit. Yet his struggle to fit in continues as he settles into his new permanent home in the U.S. Absolutely remarkable and engaging."—ABDI NOR IFTIN, author of Call Me American   

"In an evocative, heart-wrenching book, Okporo deftly blends his personal story with a searing critique of the asylum process in the U.S. At every turn, Okporo's story reveals the injustices and inhumanities asylum-seekers face just by showing what he endured. The result is a highly readable, thoughtful book that questions whether the U.S. asylum process is guided by morals or money, and convincingly argues that the people most affected by immigration policies must be heard. This compelling book will stay with me."—JESSICA GOUDEAU, author of After the Last Border: Two Families 

"Asylum offers a gripping, necessary, and tender portrait of growing up gay in Nigeria. From the trials of violence, humiliation, and living in hiding, to the Kafka-esque detention system for refugees seeking asylum in the US, Edafe Okporo exposes what is lost and what is gained on the road to community, love, and radical self acceptance. I couldn't put it down."—JENN SHAPLAND, National Book Award finalist for My Autobiography of Carson McCullers