Shackling (im)morality: religious tropes, religious figures and marginalizing politics in queer Nigerian creative texts

Abstract

Building on existing scholarship and debates on queer cultural production in Nigeria, and the complex representation of religious themes as they intersect with queerness, this article analyzes the novel Walking with Shadows, and the film Hell or High Water. Through this analysis, the article argues that while religious ideologies and figures continue to hinder queer agency and visibility, the religious landscape continues to be contested by queer characters. In these texts, religious figures contribute to queerphobia as they act as gatekeepers regarding what acceptable sexual orientation and gender identity are. They also inhibit queer-livability. At the same time, queer-identifying characters attempt to deconstruct religion by cultivating enabling spaces, strengthening their agency, and in asserting their identities. While these forms of advocacy might not yet have yielded immediate impact, questioning the place of religion in Nigerian queer narratives contributes to the voices that contest the criminalization of queerness in the country.