Communication at the margins: Online homophobia from the perspectives of LGBTQ + social media users

Abstract

The Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) is a Nigerian law that prohibits sexual relationships or marriages between persons of the same sex. Its enactment in 2013 is perceived as having exacerbated online homophobia against lesbian, gays, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities on social media networks in Nigeria. This study investigates SSMPA’s contribution to homophobic online violence. Using online interviews with eight LGBTQ + participants and three members of a Nigerian nonprofit organization leadership for sexual minorities, I examine the perceptions, experiences, and communicative strategies of LGBTQ + persons toward online homophobia. Mark Orbe’s co-cultural theory on institutionalized “othering” of minorities across dominant heteronormative societies is used to foreground the lived experiences of Nigerian LGBTQ + persons online. Findings suggest, that although social media networks seemingly provide safe spaces for many vulnerable users, online homophobia has intensified for sexual minorities in Nigeria following the SSMPA legislation.

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Bridget O. Alichie

Bridget O. Alichie is a PhD candidate in the Department of Sociology at the University of Alberta, Canada. Her research interests are in the areas of Criminology and Social Justice, Gender and Sexuality, and New Media Studies.