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Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke (pictured left) has given his most candid interview yet to Butt magazine. The rock star has previously alluded to being bisexual – comparing himself to the likes of David Bowie, Brian Molko and Morrissey. However, in the current issue of Butt, he talks about how his “super-Catholic” parents struggled to accept his homosexuality.

“My parents are super-Catholic and they come from a culture in Nigeria where there weren’t any visible gay people who were out and were happy.”

“My parents are getting older and I didn’t like the idea that they could possibly die without knowing something that is a big part of my life. It’s not easy. But I know that they love me and I love them… This interview is actually an important step in my relationship with my parents. The reason I’m doing it is whenever I go out, I’m always stopped by young, gay kids who say it’s really refreshing and encouraging to see someone like me being out in a relatively mainstream band… It’s good to show that gays come in all shapes and sizes.”

Okereke’s parents came to the UK from Nigeria in the late 1970s to study, and he was born in Liverpool in 1981. He and his sister were raised in London, where the singer continues to live. Bloc Party first came to public attention in 2005 with their platinum-selling debut album, Silent Alarm. This was followed by A Weekend In The City in 2007, and Intimacy in 2008.

Posted: 15 March 2010

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