What can
you do to get respect or make your voice heard when people and organisations
around you would prefer that you were silent? Is literature a good way of
making others aware of the existence of those who are oppressed? Would
you be interested in reading any of these books? (Feel free to follow the links.)
Addressing the situation in Nigeria, where hatred towards queer people is leading to death and imprisonment, books seem to be a form of a peaceful weapon. LGBT oriented books, in my opinion, can not only widen people's perspectives of members of the LGBT community, but can also encourage queer people to slowly come out of their shells and stand up for themselves. By reading a book, you are coming across quantum of information, which could have the power to completely change your mind about a certain topic. The more people read about the issue, the more they become familiar with it, and the more they become familiar with it, the more they can understand the issue. In countries with such radical beliefs and traditions, it is hard to change the minds of millions of people overnight, especially with violence. Books to me seem like the best way to slowly but surely change the perception or maybe even just start people to question their beliefs, no violence needed.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, oppression towards queer people doesn't happen in Nigeria only. Concentration camps for queer people or imprisonment in "turn around" facilities is nothing unusual in countries like Russia of China. In these countries, writing a LGBT oriented book can be censored or even banned. Attempts in protesting against this regime can, just like in Nigeria, lead to life imprisonment or death. Russia and China are one of the most big and powerful countries in the world, yet minimum people actually know what is really going on behind their borders. Alas, the focus of current media does not give much coverage to these topics simple by their "taboo" characteristics. But just because these issues are not covered in the media, it doesn't mean that they are not happening. However, by giving them more attention in books or media, we are informing the people all over the world what really goes on in the world. Literature in this case can be a powerful weapon also used indirectly, simply by spreading awareness.
I would most definitely read books linked in the article, because of my curiosity. LGBT issues in Nigeria are completely something different than what I read regularly. Stepping out of my comfort zone can, in this case, open up a whole new world of information to me.
As @Emma mentioned, I agree with the idea that reading a book with a certain topic could have the power to completely change your mind. Books have a large influence on people, especially, since they can induce emotions, which often influence our moral reasoning. However, unless you read books for study purposes, reading books is a free-time activity and people want to spend this time with books, which they are interested in; with topics, which are close to their hearts. In a democratic country like Nigeria, people can’t be forced to read a particular type of books since they have the right to choose whatever they want to read. If a man is a radical homophobe, he won’t just “grab the book”, which is against his opinion, which doesn’t bring him pleasure. Nigerians, who would buy such books, are already open-minded and are prepared to explore the world from another point of view. In this case, on the contrary, I don’t consider literature such a powerful weapon to spread awareness about this topic.
DeleteEmma, I agree with you to a certain extent when it comes to literature changing the views of people in Nigeria on the topic of LGBTQ. I agree that it is a good place to start, but I don’t think it will change much. I think literature can be the spark that will set off a fire, but it will take much more than just literature to change the views of Nigerians and change its strict politics. Of course, it will take time to create change, just like in the US and Europe. Literature is a good way to motivate the masses and help them get a deeper understanding on the topic but if they really want change, they should start doing things which will be more visible and which the public will feel. Maybe try to make a mini pride parade or some sort of act which would be safer for them and which will let the public know that they exist and that they want to be seen.
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