Queer Nigerians stage defiant protest as government tries to ban ‘crossdressing’

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Around 50 LGBT+ activists took to the streets of Abuja, Nigeria, to protest a reviled bill that would make “crossdressing” illegal.

The bill, which seeks to amend a 2013 act banning same-sex marriage, would result in queer people who dress outside of expected gender norms imprisoned for up to six months or slapped with a hefty fine. Activists are particularly concerned for the welfare of Nigeria’s trans community if the law comes to pass.

Worryingly, the bill prohibits “crossdressing” in both private and public spaces – the only exemption is for “cross-dressing in the course of a stage play or any bonafide public entertainment”.

The “crossdressing” bill still has a number of stages to go through before it’s passed into law, but activists are already speaking out against it and showing their fierce opposition to a law that would further criminalise and marginalise their community.

LGBT+ Nigerians could lose their jobs and homes if ‘crossdressing’ bill is passed googletag.cmd.push(function () { deployads.push(function() { deployads.gpt.display("Video_Unit_1x1"); deployads.gpt.pubadsRefresh([Video_Unit_1x1]); }); });

Protesters gathered in Abuja, Nigeria, on Sunday (1 May) to protest against the much-maligned bill. In video footage shared on social media, LGBT+ activists can be seen dancing, playing music and waving trans and Pride flags.

Others can be seen wearing T-shirts emblazoned with messages of support for the LGBT+ community, such as “trans lives matter” and “queer rights are human rights”.

Activists also held a banner that urged Nigeria’s politicians to focus on real issues, such as injustice, inequality and food insecurity.

LGBT+ people staged a protest against a reviled bill that would ban “crossdressing” in Nigeria. (Ani Kayode) var unruly = window.unruly || {}; unruly.native = unruly.native || {}; unruly.native.siteId = 1068722;

Ani Kayode Somtochukwu was just one of the 50 or so people who turned up in Abuja to protest against the bill on Sunday. He is profoundly concerned about the wide-reaching impacts the bill will have if it’s passed into law.

“People will lose their jobs, they will have their lives put in danger, they might have to move, their landlords might kick them out because there are no discrimination protections for queer people in Nigeria,” Ani told PinkNews.

“If this law actually passes, it will increase levels of violence and it will encourage prejudice and discrimination from our family members and in the workplace.”

We just started the March! This is the first open queer protest in Nigeria!

Retweet! #EndCrossdressersBill#RepealSSMPA#EnoughIsEnough#QueerLivesMatter #WithdrawCrossdressersBill #QueerLiberationNow pic.twitter.com/9qgQ9SoR6l

— For Fags Sake!