In this SPECIAL episode of The Outsiders, we honour the life and legacy of Fola Francis, a Nigerian transgender trailblazer who tragically passed away in December 2023.

She was featured in our series exploring how LGBTQ+ Nigerians access healthcare, where she shared the peculiar challenges trans people in the country face.

Todah Opeyemi spoke to two of Fola's loved ones: Frank, a close friend, and Liber, her chosen daughter. Together, they paint a vivid portrait of the woman who was at the heart of Lagos' burgeoning ballroom scene and the first trans woman to walk the Lagos Fashion Week runway.

Through their stories, you'll learn not only about the impact Fola had on the LGBTQ+ community in Nigeria but also the qualities that made her so dear to so many.

In this bonus talk episode, Chinazom Ngini (assistant producer) and Mariam Adetona (medical fact checker) from this season join the conversation on healthcare access for LGBTQ+ Nigerians. The discussion delves into the challenges of navigating healthcare in Nigeria and the future of medical practice in the country, considering the ongoing brain drain of professionals, particularly among young health professionals who may hold more liberal or less conservative views compared to previous generations. Hosted by Todah Opeyemi, the conversation also explores the proposal by Nigerian lawmakers for a compulsory 5-year practice requirement for doctors before they can travel abroad. What lies ahead for the future? And what actions can be taken to address these issues?

To learn more about how this podcast was developed, click here: https://theoutsidersstories.substack.com/p/from-idea-to-reality-how-the-outsiders

Support/Knowledge Directory

https://bit.ly/TheOutsidersStoriesDirectory

Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://substack.com/@theoutsidersstories

This episode of The Outsiders delves into Nigeria's healthcare policies and their inclusivity for LGBTQ+ people. Despite the implementation of the National Health Act in 2014, aimed at enhancing healthcare accessibility for all Nigerians, certain barriers persist, particularly affecting marginalised groups like the LGBTQ+ community. In this episode, we meet Yinka Seth, an experienced public health professional specialising in HIV care, mental health, and health policy reform. We also hear from Ebuka*, a social media health coordinator who aids LGBTQ+ persons nationwide in accessing healthcare services through his "safe" hospital directory. Both of them share how burdensome it is to process sexuality in Nigeria under restrictive conditions.

Trigger Warning: This episode addresses sensitive issues.

Hosted by Todah Opeyemi

Key Timestamps

[00:05:27] Language and mental health barriers.

[00:10:56] Non-queer NGOs preferred by some LGBTQ+ individuals.

[00:22:07] Inclusive healthcare for all Nigerians.

[00:26:50] Speak up against discrimination.

Selected Quotes

• "I want to categorically state here that there is something lacking in most queer NGOs, which is emotional intelligence."
• "But if you look at the way the NHIA is set up, it does not exactly care about including or protecting the needs of LGBT people, like expanding health insurance to cover these people or providing for their needs."
• "So the reason that young people are coming down with HIV or STDs or what have you is because no one's telling them that there's value in them and they don't need to have sex with anyone to validate themselves."
• "We are not going to stop talking. We are not going to stop talking about experiences until we achieve what our aim is in Nigeria."

Support/Knowledge Directory

https://bit.ly/TheOutsidersStoriesDirectory

Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://substack.com/@theoutsidersstories

This episode of The Outsiders shines a spotlight on Fisayo, a project officer for an NGO in Lagos, Nigeria. Fisayo's impactful work improving healthcare access and availability for the LGBTQ+ community takes centre stage. We delve into Fisayo's personal journey, from starting as a volunteer to assuming the role of project officer, while shedding light on the challenges he is facing working with queer people. This episode underscores the vital role of NGOs in bridging healthcare gaps for marginalised communities while recognising the lack of trans representation at the management level of these NGOs. We also explore the crucial need for gender-affirming care, including access to hormone therapy such as oestrogen and testosterone for trans people, and the challenges faced by the community in terms of safe accommodation and medication usage. Fola Francis, a trans woman, takes us through these experiences, including how many queer people have to rely on being referred or connecting with therapists outside of the country to get access to non-discriminatory mental health support.

Trigger Warning: This episode addresses sensitive issues.

Hosted by Todah Opeyemi

Key Timestamps

[00:01:26] Bridging healthcare gaps for LGBTQ+.

[00:06:07] Discriminatory laws in Nigeria.

[00:10:31] HIV and AIDS containment.

[00:18:31] Gender-affirming healthcare in Nigeria.

[00:19:30] Trans healthcare in Nigeria.

[00:25:33] LGBTQ+ healthcare access in Nigeria.

[00:28:46] Overcoming fear in Nigeria.

Selected Quotes

• "There are people who choose not to come to [queer-friendly clinics] because the SSMPA says 14 years. I can tell you that like 85% of the people who are coming to access service for the first time are scared because they feel, Oh, what if this is an avenue for me to get arrested and all of that?"
• "What has been the most challenging for me, I would say, is trying to help people cope after [HIV] diagnosis. I mean, I'm not a mental health specialist and all of that, so I just do the little I can do in my own way."
• "Healthcare is almost non-existent when it comes to trans people in Nigeria because healthcare for trans, non-binary people is almost non-existent in this part of the world, in Nigeria."
• "So many trans people basically have to DIY gender affirming care, which is even dangerous, which is very dangerous."
• "When it comes to things like sexuality and gender identity, it's like [health professionals] just zone out and don't know about them."
• "We just need to keep showing up for ourselves in the ways that we have been doing and continually, you know, saying that we are queer, we are here, and we are not going anywhere. And we are not going to stop talking."

Support/Knowledge Directory

https://bit.ly/TheOutsidersStoriesDirectory

Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://substack.com/@theoutsidersstories

This episode of The Outsiders explores the challenges faced by the LGBTQ+ community in northern Nigeria, a region with a long history of discrimination and violence against queer individuals. Sadiq recounts a personal incident involving a private clinic's failure to attend to a friend by treating his anal wart. The episode also delves into the experiences of LBTQ+ women in their interactions with healthcare. Matthew Blaise, an activist for SOGIESC rights, shares their own struggles with accessing healthcare and highlights the complexities involved in obtaining basic health services in the country. Through this episode, we gain insight into how the conservative climate in Nigeria has hindered media coverage of LGBTQ+ issues and the pervasive fear experienced by individuals identifying as LGBTQ+ across the country.

Trigger Warning: This episode addresses sensitive issues.

Hosted by Todah Opeyemi

Key Timestamps

[00:03:45] Healthcare access for LGBTQ+ community.

[00:06:09] Self-medication in Nigeria for anal wart.

[00:12:17] Access to healthcare for LGBTQ+ individuals.

[00:13:49] Intersex people are seen as "lab rats" for medical knowledge.

[00:15:23] Discrimination in healthcare.

[00:19:02] HIV stigma in Nigeria.

[00:22:35] Fear of being arrested at NGO-run clinics.

Selected Quotes

• "Any LGBTQ people that is living in this northern Nigeria is living the life of fear, danger and what, uncomfortable."
• "This kind of thing is not accepted in this place and what, he rejected us."
• "The health practitioner that she was met with [at the hospital] was willing to strip her down just so she would know her gender identity."
• "I thought this HIV is God's punishment to him for being homosexual."
• "After getting tested and was negative, I felt like that moment was the happiest moment for me."
• "Without the knowledge I had, many people would rather end their life or just suffer in silence."

Support/Knowledge Directory

https://bit.ly/TheOutsidersStoriesDirectory

Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://substack.com/@theoutsidersstories

A fresh narrative podcast series with production support from Alibi Investigations. Hosted by Todah Opeyemi.

Subscribe to The Outsiders Stories: https://substack.com/@theoutsidersstories