The Experiences and Challenges Of LGBTQ+ Individuals in Accessing Social Work Practices in Nigeria

Abstract:

LGBTQ persons (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer) in several countries of the world including Nigeria have been identified to be repeatedly confronted with sexual profiling, otherwise known as stigmatization. Due to the absence of legal recognition for homosexual relationships in the Nigerian constitution, marginalized communities in this context lack the privilege of freely forming social connections with others in society, unlike their heterosexual counterparts. This paper provided a comprehensive analysis of scholarly literature investigating the experiences and challenges encountered by LGBTQ individuals in their physical and social environments. The study adopted a combination of philosophical methods. The analytical method was used to examine and define key terms; the speculative method was employed to gain insights into the challenges and experiences faced by these marginalized communities, as well as the impacts they have on them while the prescriptive method was utilized to propose strategies to address and alleviate the situation. The paper contended that the exclusion of these individuals from the nation's quota system may result in the loss of talented individuals to addiction, depression, or suicide.