“My work as an activist is an extension of my existence as a queer person,” says 28-year-old Alexandra Maduagwu who works as the Human Right Program Officer for The Initiative of Equal Rights. “As a non-binary lesbian living in Nigeria, I have had to liberate myself from the shackles of oppressive ideologies and religious fundamentalism deeply embedded in our society. Liberating myself helped me realise the need for liberation on a larger scale. There are too many queer Nigerians in unsafe situations who do not have access to healthcare and other basic amenities or much less the ability to unlearn harmful and toxic ideas. The government and the rest of the world have failed us, it is up to queer folks to fight against our social and legal oppression.”
In Nigeria, the LGBTQ+ community are faced with violence as a result of their sexual orientation and gender identity — there are specific laws that make physical gathering and organising by queer folks Illegal. For instance, the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act promises a ten-year prison term for anyone who registers gay clubs, societies and organisations, as well as anyone who aids their sustenance or participates in the processions and meetings of these organizations. This provision makes it difficult for organisations committed to addressing the specific needs of LGBTQ+ Nigerians to be formed or access funding or other forms of support such as leasing out premises for meetings and processions. Queer Nigerians like Maduagwu are defying these oppressive laws by driving and supporting socio-political movements using social media and online groups.
On the 23rd of June 2020, Maduagwu started an online community called Boi for masculine presenting women and people assumed to be women at birth who either partially identify as feminine or woman, are non-binary or gender non-conforming to share resources and discuss issues that affirm their identity, while unlearning harmful ideas and providing support to each other. At that time the corona virus was already ravaging the world and Nigeria was undergoing its first lockdown. Social media became a vital means for universal communication and a quick way to exchange information to affiliated groups of people with common interest. However, for thousands of queer Nigerians now stuck at home with homophobic families, social media was more than a tool for the dissemination of information; it was a necessary tool to build virtual communities and safe spaces for themselves.
When asked about their motivation for creating the group, Maduagwu recounts their experience as a teenager in an all-girls secondary school. “The people who presented masculine were called blokes and there were a lot of rules on what a bloke could do or not do because of how we presented. We were punished regularly by the school authorities because of the assumption that we were lesbians, and this forced us into an unspoken rivalry amongst ourselves. A bloke had to prove that they were tough, ‘fly’ and able to pull more girls than the next bloke. For a long time, I thought masculine presenting folks had to always be in competition with themselves and seeing this culture replicated in the real world where people who named themselves studs felt the need to be territorial and competitive made it difficult for me to form a community with people who look, and present like me.”
During the 2020 lockdown Maduagwu expressed their concerns to some of their friends and though they all agreed on the importance of a community based on friendship as opposed to unhealthy competition and rivalry, a major concern was the difficulty in gathering physically because of existing laws and general attitude of society towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. “When I launched Boi, I found out a lot of the people in the group did not like to go out because of the daily harassment they were subjected to in public spaces as a result of their gender nonconformity. Consequently, the idea of lots of gender non-conforming individuals physically gathering in a single location was triggering for some people because of the possibility of even more harassment.” Maduagwu recounts.
In October 2020 thousands of Nigerians nationwide took to the streets to protest police brutality. Queer Nigerians who suffer heightened violence from state actors because of their presentation and nonconformity felt the need to protest and thus arose the #QueerNigerianLivesMatter movement. In the heat of these protests, the Boi group gradually evolved from a space for interaction to one for organising. “Bois in the same states would agree on a time and place to link up with each other and they would stick together through the protests. “Moving in organised groups with familiar people helped us stay safe. The group made it easier for members who could not attend the protests due to some form of disability to be a part of it. When homophobic Nigerians started harassing queer protesters online and at protest venues we had the group to vent out frustration. And when the government retaliated with violence we did regular check-ins and the group made it easier to account for everyone.”
Since its inception Boi has also been used for capacity building and to offer mutual aid. However, since they have no source of funding, the group relies on peer support. “When any boi is in a crisis they let the group know and whoever can respond and offer assistance does so. It is hard sometimes because a lot of us are at an economic disadvantage.” Maduagwu says. “A lot of us struggle with getting jobs because most organisations are expressly homophobic and transphobic, so I talked to another member and she put together resources on how to create an impressive resume and navigate the job market for other members of the group. We also share employment opportunities and discussed navigating the work environment presenting the way we do.” Maduagwu adds.
Maduagwu is optimistic about what can be achieved with Boi and is looking to organise self-defence classes and wellness programs as well as provide tools for handiwork to members of the group who need them.
Online groups have also been helpful in educating and creating awareness on issues affecting queer folks. In advocating for LGBTQ+ rights in Nigeria, social media has become a fast way to create awareness, safe spaces and community for queer Nigerians where there otherwise isn’t any.
Despite its outlined usefulness, there are still a lot of challenges that come with organising on social media platforms. Some of the risks involved include the possibility of having private information leaked and used for unauthorised purposes or moles getting into these groups not to learn, support or be allies but to either aggravate other members, steal information and lie about the activities and conversations being had in the group to others outside the group.
Maduagwu says, “In Nigeria, there is always the possibility that a police officer can stop you on the streets and go through your phone, including your private chats. If that happens every one in Boi can become a target. We discuss the possibility of this happening in the group and we talk about resisting when a police officer asks you to unlock your phone but when faced with the threat of physical violence and death, anyone can break.”
In Nigeria, to be queer is to constantly struggle against hierarchies of oppression so the notion of freedom and equality becomes reality. While social media might not be the ideal place to plan a revolution, for queer Nigerians it is a good enough place to rally a good number of people eager and ready to fight for cultural and political transformation.
According to Maduagwu, “There are no assurances of safety living in a country that criminalises fundamental parts of your existence. Safety precautions can be taken, but there is always a possibility that harm will occur. So I am determined to exist and be present for my people in the ways that I can.”
