Yan daudu is a term used in pre-Islamic times to refer to men exhibiting feminine traits in the Hausa language.[1] These men in contemporary Hausa society are seen as men who are sexually attracted to or intimate with other men.[2] In Hausa Fulani mythology, Yan daudu possess feminine attributes associated with transvestite or third-gender roles, and they were known to be engaging in Hausa Animism practices such as Bori religious practice of the Maguzanci found in present-day Kano state, Nigeria.[3] This was, however, long before the introduction of Islam in northern Nigeria and in Southern Niger.[4][5] Yan daudu are seen as effeminate male sex workers and pimps who sometimes have intimate relationships with other men but do not necessarily identify as homosexuals. They marry women, have children and establish families. The name "yan duadu" is traceable to Dan Galadima: a loose, gambling, and colourfully well-dressed male spirit. Yan daudu translates to "sons of Daudu".
Often compared with the Hijra in Southern Asia, Yan daudu are still found within the Hausa community, particularly in Kano and its surrounding Hausa-Fulani states. Yan daudu in pre-Islamic times performed women-like dances and donated money to cult-adepts, upon the appearance of Galadima.[6][7][5] Today, yan daudu are categorized among homosexuals in Nigeria.[8]