How young, queer Nigerians use Twitter to shape identity and fight homophobia

 | 
10/12/2020

Nigeria continues to be largely homophobic, mainly as a result of cultural and religious conventions. Negative perceptions of homosexuality led to the criminalisation of same-sex relations in 2014. The Nigerian environment is therefore toxic for LGBTI people. They become easy prey to oppressive and exploitative state security apparatus. They are also vulnerable to public “moral police” who seek to make homosexual performance invisible and closeted. One may assume that the marginalised Nigerian same-sex community and its allies have conceded to the widespread societal ostracisation. But that would be to ignore the vigorous advocacies that have been going on in the country’s cultural production and on social media. Films and literary texts have been the more studied genres where same-sex agency has been iterated and reinforced. In Nollywood – the country’s film industry – early depictions were constructed by non-LGBTI people who seemed to latch on public inquisitiveness for financial gains.

Regions: ,

Share this:

Latest Global News

Added on: 11/04/2024
11/03/2024
The West African nation of Mali, which has been ruled by a military junta for more than three years, has voted for a new …
Added on: 11/04/2024
11/03/2024
On 22 October, Chinese host and dancer Jin Xing sparked an online uproar with a lengthy post on Weibo charging that her performance application …
Added on: 11/04/2024
11/03/2024
Japan’s Tokyo High Court ruled that the country’s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional during a hearing on Wednesday. The Tokyo court ruled that the …

Explore LGBTQ+ Issues

Other News from ,

Added on: 11/04/2024
The West African nation of Mali, which has been ruled by a military junta for more than three years, has voted for a new …
Added on: 11/02/2024
Mali’s de facto parliament has passed a law criminalising same-sex acts in the junta-led country, the latest in Africa to adopt legislation targeting LGBTQ …
Added on: 11/02/2024
A landslide election victory has set the stage for LGBTQ rights supporter Duma Boko to become the next president of Botswana, where homosexuality was …