She Called Me Woman
Nigeria's Queer Women Speak
Published on 26. April 2018
Book
Paperback/Softback
344 pages
978-1-911115-59-5 (ISBN)
Description
She Called Me Woman is a collection of first-hand accounts by a community telling their stories on their own terms. This engaging and groundbreaking collection of queer women's narratives includes stories of first time love and curiosity, navigating same-sex feelings and spirituality, growing up gender non-conforming and overcoming family and society's expectations. What does it means to be a queer Nigerian? How does one embrace the label of `woman'? While some tell of self-acceptance, others talk of friendship and building a home in the midst of the anti-same sex marriage law. The narrators range from those who knew they were gay from a very early age to those who discovered their attraction to the same sex later in life. The stories challenge the stereotypes of what we assume is lesbian, bisexual, gay, and *trans in Nigeria and they offer us a raw, first-hand look into the lives and realities of our family, friends, neighbours and co-workers who are queer.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 213 mm
Width: 134 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
350 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-911115-59-5 (9781911115595)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
04/2018
Cassava Republic
€10.79
Available for download
Persons
Azeenarh Mohammed is a trained lawyer and a queer, feminist, holistic security trainer who spends her time training non-for-profit organisations on tools and tactics for digital and physical security and psycho-social well-being. Azeenarh is active in the queer women's issues in Nigeria and has written on queerness and technology for publications like This is Africa, Perspectives, and Premium TimesNG.
Chitra Nagarajan is an activist, researcher and writer. She has spent the last 15 years working on human rights and peace building and is involved in feminist, anti-racist, anti-fundamentalist and queer movements. She currently lives and works in Maiduguri, Nigeria, focusing on conflict mitigation, civilian protection and women's rights.
Rafeeat Aliyu has a BA in Marketing and works in communication and research. She is particularly interested in sex and sexuality in both modern and historical Nigeria.
Chitra Nagarajan is an activist, researcher and writer. She has spent the last 15 years working on human rights and peace building and is involved in feminist, anti-racist, anti-fundamentalist and queer movements. She currently lives and works in Maiduguri, Nigeria, focusing on conflict mitigation, civilian protection and women's rights.
Rafeeat Aliyu has a BA in Marketing and works in communication and research. She is particularly interested in sex and sexuality in both modern and historical Nigeria.
Content
Introduction 1
I Pray That Everyone Has Forgotten 18
She Called Me 'Woman' 24
Love Is Not Wrong 39
I Only Admire Girls 49
I Am A Proud Lesbian 57
We Have Social Media Now. We Have Exposure 65
Focusing On Joy 79
My Sexuality Is Just The Icing On The Cake 91
This Is Not Our World 102
The Happiest Moments Of My Life Are Yet To Come 120
Living A Double Life 125
Doing Things My Own Way 139
I Want To Be Myself Around People I Care About 147
What Is Happiness? 164
To Anyone Being Hated, Be Strong 172
My Past Lovers Have Made Me Who I Am 188
Some Things You Do For Your Heart 192
Your Sexuality Doesn't Define Who You Are 203
Who I Have Sex With Is Not Part Of My Identity 215
If You Want Lesbian, Go To Room 24 220
Everybody In J-Town Is Now A Lola 239
Same-Sex Relationships Are A Choice 250
This Same-Sex Thing Stays A Long Time 261
When I Die, I Just Want To Be Remembered 265
There Is No One Way To Be A Woman 275
A Woman Who Loves Other Women 283
I Don't Believe In Love 292
I Can Still Love More 304
Why Do I Have To Ask You To Consider Me Human? 312
I Convinced Myself I Wasn't A Lesbian 329
Biographies 341
Acknowledgements 342
I Pray That Everyone Has Forgotten 18
She Called Me 'Woman' 24
Love Is Not Wrong 39
I Only Admire Girls 49
I Am A Proud Lesbian 57
We Have Social Media Now. We Have Exposure 65
Focusing On Joy 79
My Sexuality Is Just The Icing On The Cake 91
This Is Not Our World 102
The Happiest Moments Of My Life Are Yet To Come 120
Living A Double Life 125
Doing Things My Own Way 139
I Want To Be Myself Around People I Care About 147
What Is Happiness? 164
To Anyone Being Hated, Be Strong 172
My Past Lovers Have Made Me Who I Am 188
Some Things You Do For Your Heart 192
Your Sexuality Doesn't Define Who You Are 203
Who I Have Sex With Is Not Part Of My Identity 215
If You Want Lesbian, Go To Room 24 220
Everybody In J-Town Is Now A Lola 239
Same-Sex Relationships Are A Choice 250
This Same-Sex Thing Stays A Long Time 261
When I Die, I Just Want To Be Remembered 265
There Is No One Way To Be A Woman 275
A Woman Who Loves Other Women 283
I Don't Believe In Love 292
I Can Still Love More 304
Why Do I Have To Ask You To Consider Me Human? 312
I Convinced Myself I Wasn't A Lesbian 329
Biographies 341
Acknowledgements 342