Centering the margins

Abstract Until recently, queer sexuality has been on the periphery of African literary imaginations. Studies on queer sexuality have paid attention to its representations on social media, Nollywood movies, and the Nigerian print media, with scarce attention to how contemporary literary texts construct queer people’s identity. Therefore, this article presents findings from Jude Dibia’s Walking with Shadows , drawing attention to how language is co-opted to construct gay identity and advance rights advocacy. Using Bucholtz and Hall’s Tactics of Intersubjectivity, the article examines Jude Dibia’s Walking with Shadows, the first coming out novel in Nigeria. The findings reveal that gay people are denied access to the same rights as heterosexuals in Nigeria and mainly encounter obstacles in the construction of their identity. The study offers insights relevant to the study of queer sexuality in African literature and contributes to identity politics in sexuality discourse.