218X Artifact 2

Artifact 2

Yan daudu is used in Nigerian culture to describes males that like to act and dress like typical females.  They often display female mannerisms and cross dress when in public.  Yan daudu is the shorthand version of “men who act like women” and is also know to roughly translate to “pimps”. 

Currently, in Abuja, these pimps are men who take the physical identity of a women and negotiate with other women for men to earn a living.  They often perform in sex work taking on the role of a women prostitute.  In history the yan daudu were tolerated in the subcultured muslim north, but with new religious revival happening all around Nigeria, the yan daudu are now being persecuted increasingly.  Nigeria is working on passing a law banning, same-sex marriage and many of the yan daudu fear the culture will be driven underground.  Now with the changing culture the people also mention how they have had to change they way they dress and give less of an appearance that they were openly acting like and dressing like women. 

This culture of the yan daudu definitely rides on a thin line.  It seems the old times where the yan daudu were able to practice their sexuality openly are dwindling as new laws and religious culture begins to flood the major areas of Nigeria.