The Outsiders

The Outsiders Stories

Spotlighting minority stories from Nigeria.

  1. 2d ago

    Bodies Bodies Bodies – Bola Yahaya

    In this episode of The Outsiders (Season II), Bola Yahaya reflects on growing up as an effeminate child while navigating queerness within a Muslim home, where public and private scrutiny shaped an early struggle with body dysmorphia. As part of Bodies Bodies Bodies, they explore how fashion became both refuge and language, using fabric, silhouette, and performance to embrace what they describe as an innate “fairy-ness”—a softness and spectacle often suppressed by rigid gender norms. Bola also speaks candidly about living with HIV, arguing that silence and misinformation remain more burdensome than the condition itself. The conversation traces a journey from trauma-informed intimacy to pleasure, affirmation, and creating space for others to feel seen. Hosted by Tomide Odu ___________ Bodies Bodies Bodies is originally an experimental photo documentary by Temiloluwa Johnson, supported by Obodo Nigeria, a youth-led organisation advancing queer rights through creative expression, community building, and cultural production. The project explores the body as a site of memory, resistance, desire, care, and becoming. Expanded into an accompanying audio series by The Outsiders Stories, it brings together intimate conversations with queer Nigerians whose stories illuminate the many ways people inhabit, understand, and reclaim their bodies in contemporary Nigeria. Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://theoutsidersstories.substack.com/

  2. Jul 5

    Bodies Bodies Bodies – Dolapo

    Dolapo emphasises her relationship with her body’s language and translating that language through dance in this episode of The Outsiders (Season II). As part of Bodies Bodies Bodies, Dolapo’s reflections are instructive, showing what it means to be in tune with your body – listening, not performing; guarding the body and yet allowing that body to direct the journey, the healing, the decisions, and the experience. She calls the body an intelligent structure that can provide concrete information, if only one is willing to look inward. Through her personal stories and observations, the conversation offers incredible direction on the peculiarities, fluidity and diversity of the individuals that call for more expansive conversations within the queer community on identity, experience and relationships. Hosted by Temiloluwa Johnson ___________ Bodies Bodies Bodies is originally an experimental photo documentary by Temiloluwa Johnson, supported by Obodo Nigeria, a youth-led organisation advancing queer rights through creative expression, community building, and cultural production. The project explores the body as a site of memory, resistance, desire, care, and becoming. Expanded into an accompanying audio series by The Outsiders Stories, it brings together intimate conversations with queer Nigerians whose stories illuminate the many ways people inhabit, understand, and reclaim their bodies in contemporary Nigeria. Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://theoutsidersstories.substack.com/

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Spotlighting minority stories from Nigeria.