Backstage drama

Broadway musical star blasts homosexuality as unnatural and “not right”

seyi omooba headshot

Well, this is awkward. A Broadway musical actress from the U.K. was just outed as a major homophobe.

Actress Oluwaseyi Omooba was recently cast as Celie in Leicester’s Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s co-production of the hit Broadway musical of The Color Purple.

Birmingham Hippodrome is the UK’s most popular single auditorium theaters that attracts over half a million visitors each year, making it one of the most successful and popular theaters in the entire world.

But the theater’s leading lady came under fire last week after a Facebook post she wrote in 2014 in which she said homosexuality was unnatural resurfaced.

The  post was shared by Hamilton actor Aaron Lee Lambert, who tweeted: “@Seyiomooba Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite?”

“Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character,” he added, “I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.”

Omooba, whose father, pastor Adegboyega Omooba, advocates for gay conversion therapy, hasn’t yet responded to the controversy.

Her last tweet, written on March 14, celebrates her antigay father, who was recently awarded the MBE.

According to iNews:

Pastor Omooba has been involved in a string of anti-LGBTQ+ campaigns over the course of his career, including a failed attempt to stop anti-discrimination legislation against gay people in 2006. The legislation tackled discrimination banning hotels from refusing bookings from same-sex couples. He also campaigned against same-sex marriage, saying equal unions “devalue the meaning of marriage itself.” The pastor’s organization Christian Concern, have rallied against LGBTQ+ equality and identities since they were first formed in 2004.

Meanwhile, Birmingham Hippodrome says on Twitter that the theater is “investigating” the matter and plans to release a full statement in the near future.

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