While being gay “is hard” in Nigeria, strangely, the predominantly Muslim north has an entire homosexual subculture as opposed to the non-Muslim south. Perhaps the northerners are influenced by those Koranic verses suggestive of pedophilia ( e.g., 52:24, 56:17)? “Gays hesitate at the closet door,” from Reuters, August 14:
ABUJA, 14 August 2008 (IRIN) – Being gay in Nigeria is hard: homosexual sex is illegal, but there is also the sanction contained in a rising tide of religious fundamentalism, and with cultural traditions that generally abhor same-sex coupling.
In a country – especially in the south – where marriage and children are seen as sacred, there is the added pressure from parents who expect their offspring to settle down and deliver grandchildren.[…]
In the Muslim north there has historically been a cultural acceptance of “Dan Daudu” — men who live as women — despite the contradiction to traditional Islamic teaching.
According to this BBC report, the Dan Daudu are “known for dressing as women and speaking in high pitched voices. They are largely engaged in doing what was considered to be women’s’ work and could sometimes be hired as entertainers for parties.”