Work

‘A Crossdresser or Trans woman?’ The Discourse Representation of Bobrisky in the Nigerian Press

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: LGBTQ+ people in Nigeria often face backlash due to societal stigma and legal barriers. Linguistic studies on these sexual and gender minorities in Nigeria have mainly considered how they are discursively represented as a group without adequate attention being paid to how the identities of particular individuals of this group are constructed. This study, therefore, examines the representation of Bobrisky, a prominent Nigerian social media influencer and transwoman, in the news reports of four purposively selected Nigerian newspapers ( The Punch , Vanguard , Daily Trust and Leadership ) published in 2024. Drawing on van Leeuwen’s theory of social actor representation and Halliday’s theory of transitivity, the study highlights the linguistic and discursive strategies used to portray Bobrisky and the underlying sociocultural ideologies they reflect. The study reveals eight identity constructions of Bobrisky, foregrounded by at least seven tools from Van Leeuwen’s categories of social actor representation and Halliday’s process types, material, behavioural, and verbal processes. The linguistic and discursive strategies delegitimise Bobrisky’s gender identity, sensationalise the actor’s persona, and reinforce cisnormative frameworks.

Source: Sexuality & Culture

DOI: 10.1007/s12119-025-10496-0

Author: Olubunmi Funmi Oyebanji

Institutions: University of Münster, Bamidele Olumilua University of Education, Science and Technology

Language: English

Topic: Discourse Analysis in Language Studies

Subfield: Literature and Literary Theory

Field: Arts and Humanities

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Gender equality, Reduced inequalities

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,190