Swimming Against Binary Tides: The Gender Queer’s Use of Religion, Family and Advocacy as Escape in Selected Narratives of Diriye Osman’s Fairytales for Lost Children

Abstract

The constraints that African youth go through in their attempt to optionally pursue and declare their gender/sexual orientation and identity in their heteronormative societies is an issue that calls for critical attention. Like the protagonists in Osman’s Fairytales for Lost Children (2013), they face troubles and subsequent rejection by their family members. They must disguise themselves if they want to be religious and survive. And they must forever be at their wits end to defend themselves through advocacy in order to avoid harm or persecution. This paper examines the two-edged nature of queer people’s strategies of escape through how Osman, fictionalizing his autobiography, depicts them, with his choice of characterization, plot types, motifs, symbols and language use, with tropes and elements like repetition, flashback, contrast and detailed description. Using Freud’s psychoanalysis and Saunders’ autobiografiction as lenses to examine and critique LGBTQ+ of a typical African society and culture and its youth in Fairytales for Lost Children (2013), the paper reasons that a critical analysis of Osman’s narratives reveal his literary output. Hence, it concludes that such optional pursuance of gender/sexual orientation expression is not only perilous, but futile. Additionally, the paper suggests that as a people, Africans need to clearly distinguish between the nonbinary or queer from non-conforming gender identities and sexual orientations. The findings of the paper have implications for policy makers in aiding them to formulate policies to protect the queer youth and demonstrate our stand as a people on gender matters.