INTERSECTIONAL POLITICS OF QUEER ACTIVISM AND FEMINISM IN NIGERIA

African feminism has often battled with the legacies of colonialism, slavery and Western hegemonic control of knowledge production on the African continent. This has led to a misrecognition, erasure and misunderstanding of African feminism, particularly in Western feminist discourse (Norwood, 2013). This has given rise to Africana feminists (feminists of African descent in Africa and diaspora) who are providing their perspectives on the advancement of feminist knowledge (Oyewumi, 1997; Oyewumi, 2002; Oyewumi, 2003; Bakare-Yusuf, 2004; Beoku-Betts & Njambi, 2005; Tripp, et al., 2009; Norwood, 2013). However, what is yet to be deeply understood among African feminists is the status of African queer feminism and its relationship with African feminist pedagogy.
When African feminism is discussed, even by African feminists, there is rarely any acknowledgement of queer existences. Oyeronke Oyewumi (Oyewumi, 1997; Oyewumi, 2002) and Felicia Ekejiuba (2005) present a compelling case to show that the social differences between the sexes were not as rigid among various Nigerian societies before the advent of colonialism. Although their arguments open up new possibilities for conceptualising the social constructions of gender and sex, particularly in marriages, they leave little room for queer imaginations. Oyewumi (1997, p. 63) acknowledges the lack of gender categories attached to the anatomy of Yoruba people, yet for Oyewumi, "homosexuality does not seem to have been an option". Also, Nigeria's Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill, 2016, which although did not pass, only acknowledges women in the heteronormative matrix, with a likely intentional exclusion of queer women despite the impedance to queer women's rights in the 2013 Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act. Thus it would seem that Nigerian feminism perpetuates a deep irony, although it is erased from the global feminist discourse, it, in turn, erases queer feminists from its discourse.
RESEARCH QUESTIONS
All these considered, the following research questions will be tackled
1. How are queer activists organising and mobilising in Nigeria even though they are formally illegalised by the state?
2. What are the needs, demands and interests of queer activists?
3. What are some of the successes and failures of queer activists?
4. How do queer activists interact in solidarity with straight cis feminists?
These questions help to determine who is visible, who speaks and who speaks on whose behalf. It helps to understand what men, women and non-binary people think about the agency of queer feminist activism, how feminist activists have attempted to include queer people, and how the experiences of queer people are practically handled.
RESEARCH METHODS
Semi-structured, one to one interviews will be conducted to understand better the perception, agency and priorities of the following players in queer activism in Nigeria
Straight cis feminist activists
Queer feminists and activists
The use of semi-structured interviews enables the participants to explore what matters to them without narrowing the scope of the study by employing assumptions (Arksey & Knight, 1999). Focus groups are also a great way of promoting participatory research methods that allow discussions and exchange of ideas, opinions and experiences within the queer activism community in Nigeria. Ethnography also encourages possible involvement in their natural settings to provide interpretations and conclusions (Arksey & Knight, 1999; Beoku-Betts & Njambi, 2005). Although it is illegal to form queer activist organisations, participatory observation would be beneficial to determine how queer feminists and activists are mobilising to override this part of the law. It helps to explore how they provide a safe space for their activism despite this impedance to their existence.