Oluwaseyi Omooba, who was due to play the lead role of Celie in Leicester’s Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome’s co-production of the Broadway musical of The Color Purple, has been fired for remarks in an old Facebook post in which she said homosexuality is unnatural and not “right”.
Said producers: “Following careful reflection, it has been decided that Seyi will no longer be involved with the production. … The audition process, as ever, was conducted professionally and rigorously, led by an exceptional casting director with actors who are evaluated on what they present in the audition room. We do not operate a social media screening process in the casting of actors.”
The Facebook post was surfaced last week by Hamilton actor Aaron Lee Lambert, who tweeted: “@Seyiomooba Do you still stand by this post? Or are you happy to remain a hypocrite?”
Added Lambert: “Seeing as you’ve now been announced to be playing an LGBTQ character, I think you owe your LGBTQ peers an explanation. Immediately.”
Omooba is the daughter of anti-LGBTQ pastor Adegboyega Omooba who advocates for gay conversion therapy and was recently awarded an MBE.
iNews reports: ‘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 organisation Christian Concern, have rallied against LGBTQ+ equality and identities since they were first formed in 2004.’
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