INTRODUCTION:
Right to expression is a
fundamental right to all humans. Most times we tend to look at this right only
from the aspect of freedom of speech, however an integral part of expression is
also gender or sexual expression.
Gender or sexual
expression is influenced by culture, which is fluid, in the sense that as the
way of life of particular groups of persons are influenced, so is their
perception and reaction to things around them, which also change with time.
These influences can be in the form of cultural domination or subjugation,
religious ideology, etc.
Africa has a diverse form
of gender and sexual expression and in the Yoruba traditional belief in
particular, gender and sexual expression is fluid as the manifestation of gender
can either take the course of male or female even for the same person.
Most opponents of LGBT
rights use culture to jettison the idea of respect for the protection of rights
of LGBT persons, as the normal cliché is ‘its never part of our culture’.
Further, most also oppose LGBTI rights based on lack of or limited knowledge on
LGBTI issues, hence when they are probed about these issues, they lack answers
to such questions or when they struggle to utter any answer, such are tainted
with sentiments that lack basis.
This article will try to
explore transgender in Yoruba traditional belief and the role non-gender
conforming persons play in traditional society. Its will also explore the life
of Omosun on the issue of rights assertion by gender non-conforming persons in
Yoruba traditional settings.
TRANSGENDER:
Transgender in simple
terms means the state when a person’s gender identity or expression does not
match the assigned sex at birth.
Gender
identity refers
to a person’s internal sense of being male, female, or something else; Gender expression refers to the way a
person communicates gender identity to others through behavior, clothing,
hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics[1].
Note that gender is a
social and cultural construct, hence its fluid as earlier discussed in the
introduction, so the issue of expression of gender is also influenced by the
same factors as culture.
GENDER EXPRESSION IN YORUBA TRADITION
Yoruba gender
construction is fluid and is modulated by other factors such as seniority (age)
and personal achievements (wealth and knowledge acquisition)[2].
Although gender is fluid Yoruba traditional culture, in their usage of language
gender is limited to binary (male and female). It is worthy to note that binary
usage of gender is not only limited to humans but also include expressions in
cosmos.
Gender non-conforming expressions
in Yoruba culture does not necessarily mean that the person needs to forgo any
the social constructions linked to their biological sex, but assuming the
gender role of male or female depending on circumstances.
This is more evident in
expressions like ‘obirin bi okunrin’
meaning ‘a woman behaving like a man’, which
is not a praise but more of implying that the feat undertaking by the female is
more of a male role than that of the female and shows how gender expression in
Yoruba traditional setting can be fluid, not restrictive.
Careful look at gender
expression in Yoruba tradition one will note that in diverse settings, gender
non-conforming is never frown upon, as feats and roles played by opposite
gender in contrasts to their sex is appreciated and applauded.
The above have tried to
examine gender expression and its fluidity in Yoruba tradition. It’s also
important that we examine gender identity within the same context.
The issue of gender
identity within Yoruba traditional can be more understood through a careful
examination of the life of a character, Omosun
OMOSUN
According to history,
Omosun is the second child of the 21st Alaafin of Oyo. After the
death of the first-born she wanted to be accorded the same rights and privilege
as the first child not even minding the gender.
While her story might be
waved away by some as women emancipation, it will be helpful to note that what
she wanted was not just to be given a mere privilege as the fist child since
the one before her is dead, but she wanted to be regarded as a man and critically
looking at the scant history about her will help to expanciate more on this.
Omosun is regarded as a
“although a female, was of a masculine character and she considers the right
and privileges of the Aremo (Crown Prince) her own”[3]
To better understand the
issue of gender identity here, it is good to understand the role of the Aremo
in Yoruba tradition.
The
Aremo was usually the Alafin's eldest son, and until 1730 he regularly
succeeded his father. From then on he was expected to commit suicide on his
father's death, a practice that was followed until the 1850s. The Aremo at
times shared a good deal of his father's power, but was not subject to the same
ritual restrictions[4].
With the knowledge about
the power the Aremo welds it will be a misnomer for a person who did not see
herself as a man to aspire for such a title, as in the case of Omosun.
Omosun devised a
murderous plot to get what she said rightfully belongs to her. When ‘her’
father, Osinyago, adopted Woruale
(Irale) his cousin as the Aremo, Omosun resented the appointment not
because ‘she’ prefers another person for the title but she wanted that as her
own.
The appointment of a new
Aseyin provided the opportunity for Omosun to carry out her plans. A dispute
arose between Omosun and Woruale as to the right of appointing a new Aseyin,
and Woruale made the appointment without a recourse to her, Omosun felt her
pride as the “real Aremo” was insulted by a mere commoner, in the heat of
passion she slew Woruale.
This account, like earlier
stated is not about woman emancipation but more of the issue of a person’s
inner feeling of who they are, in this case Omosun, although not being called a
male, have an inner feeling of not a female but rather a male and demand all
the rights and privileges of a male, remember ‘she’ was being described as
‘although a female was of a masculine character’
CONCLUSION:
This paper sought to
examine transgender as part of the Yoruba traditional settings, although the
issue of the identity most times linked to the sex organs, however, oral traditions
and historical records has shown that gender is fluid.
Further, we are able to
understand that the concept of transgender as we understand it now, might be
different from the understanding of such in ancient times.
Also, we were able to
understand that a person might not be able to publicly identify and claim to be
of the opposite gender different from their sex organs, but there are instances
of others that have openly lay claim to what we can traditionally say is within
the jurisdiction of the other gender as in the case of Omosun.
