The media is a very powerful tool that can either hurt or help certain people. Sometimes it exaggerates the news of the certain topics all for attention. It can also change people ways of thinking. For example, the lives of the Yan Dandu weren’t considered part of the social norms. Kano is a popular city in Nigeria and West Africa which has a large population of an Islamic African society. The Yan Dandu makes up a huge part of that society. In Allah Made Us: Sexual Outlaws in an Islamic African City by Rudolf Pell Gaudio, he discusses the lifestyle of these people and the criticism that they receive from others.
Gaudio talks about the problems of homosexuality, prostitution, usage of language, gender and sexual minorities within the group of the Yan Dandu. I believe that making the Yan Dandu known to the world through media would help others understand their differences by putting them on television, putting together a community fair and interviewing them personally. One of the main problems faced by the Yan Dandu is not gaining the acceptance of who they are by society. These men’s lives are extremely difficult because they are three minorities all combined in one person.
An African, Muslim and homosexual are each their own minority group, which make it harder to accept. People believed that these men are a shame to the women of the African Islamic culture. Nigeria was close to passing a bill forbidding same sex marriages. They also persecuted and arrested the Yan Dandu for being homosexual. People walk up to these Saad 2 men and say “May Allah reform you”. In order words, I hope God gives you the strength you need to change and become normal. The Yan Dandu were look down upon as people with diseases and possessed spirits. However, the family members of the Yan Dandu are more accepting for the most part.
They helped these men with their transformation. For example, the parents would buy their child a doll to play with and allow them to cook and clean like most women do around the house. To be able to change the way society looks at the Yan Dandu and accepts them as a part of this world is to show that they are regular normal people. The media is something that is so powerful and people can’t avoid it. Whether it is the internet, television shows or advertisement people are always surrounded by the media. The television producers should show the Yan Dandu men on television or the movies to help society accept these people for who they are.
At first it will be something that is out of the ordinary but soon enough people will conform to it. They will realize that there is nothing wrong with these men. The more the Yan Dandu is being shown on the television screen in people’s homes, the better people will treat them when they interact with them face to face. By seeing them on a daily basis allows society to forget the reasons why they judged them for being different and they will be more accepting for who they are. People don’t have to agree to the actions and beliefs of the Yan Dandu, just only accept them and know that they are a part of the society.
The Yan Dandu always said only Allah can judge them because Allah is the one who made them the way they are. Another way to expose the Yan Dandu is by creating painting or street art including them. A picture of two Yan Dandu can mean a thousand words. It can show affection that any two people in love can show. The more we are exposing them, the Saad 3 more society gets use to the fact that an Islamic African man can be a homosexual, which is normal. People will see a Dan Dandu and they wouldn’t think twice about them because it will be something that is part of their everyday lives.
The government arrested these men for their own practices and beliefs. By doing this, people believed that these men are horrible people and they deserve to be put in jail. However, no crime was done to put them in jail. They are practicing what they think is right. They feel like they are trapped in a body in which they do not belong in. They aren’t killing others or robbing a bank. These men shouldn’t be arrested for something they believe in. If that is the case, then everyone should be arrested for practicing their beliefs.
If these men were not thrown in jail, people will began to think otherwise of them. I believe that another solution to their social problem is not to put them in jail unless they did a murder or complete a crime. After the Yan Dandu have been exposed to the people in Nigeria and they aren’t being mistreated by the government, a community fair should be held. This can help in a way where everyone is gathered together at the same time to interact with each other. Communication is one of the most important things between humans because it helps with understanding why certain beliefs are practiced.
By having this event, the stereotypes that society put on these people can disappear. Not all stereotypes are bad, but the way they are look down upon in society is wrong. People considered them as possessed spirts, men who are constantly sexually active, and a shame to the women of their society. Instead they can be portrayed as people who are brave enough to accept who they are and carry it out in a world where everyone tries to fit in with what society thinks is normal. They are people who step out of their comfort zone to be who they are and when interacting with others can help show that side of them.
Saad 4 Finally, another way to improve the lives of the Yan Dandu and their social minority status is to personally interview them. By asking personal questions about their everyday lives can help understand the reasons for why they do certain things. We can learn about their beliefs, their culture, their ways of thinking and why they cross dress. This allows us to feel more connected to the lives of these people and we can also feel more educated on the diversity of human life. Talking and asking them questions should allow us to feel more confrontable in their presence.
It can help us to see that they are different as individuals, but for the most part we are similar as humans. We all have similar features, we experience emotions like sadness and happiness and we are all trying to build a life. Interviewing them and having a conversation help change our perspective of them. Cross-dressing first started out as a form of entertainment and comedy in the American theaters because women weren’t allowed to act in the theaters. Then cross-dressing started to become something that people did on a daily basis as a part of their everyday lives.
The Yan Dandu considered themselves a woman trapped in man’s body, so cross-dressing helped them be happy with their appearance. Even though it wasn’t a part of social norms, famous people like actors and musicians crosseddressed either for comedy or because they felt they should be portrayed as the opposite sex. The Yan Dandu wore makeup, more feminine clothing like dresses and braided hair very well. We need to realize that everyone is a different individual and it can be very difficult to change into something that isn’t you. No matter what you choose to believe in, everyone should be treated equally.
We can help the Yan Dandu by accepting them into our society and try to understand their beliefs. We don’t need to agree to what everyone believes in, just accept the fact Saad 5 that people are different and choose to believe in different things than you. The media can help the Yan Dandu because it can expose them to those who don’t know who they really are. Creating a community gathering can help to understand them while they are in our presence. Talking to them personally can increase our chance to help change our ways of thinking about them and creating a good stereotype on the Islamic African American society.