Bisexuality and Gender Fluidity in Akwaeke Emezi's The Death of Vivek Oji

Sexuality or any ancillary issues related thereof are areas many Africans abhor or shy away from; perhaps as a result of cultural and traditional values and ethos. This paper however examines bisexuality and gender fluidity in Akwaeke Emezi’s The Death of Vivek Oji through the critical lens of queer theory, emphasizing Judith Butler’s concept of performativity and Adrienne Rich’s theory of compulsory heterosexuality. Anchored upon a qualitative textual analysis, the paper interrogateshow Emezi destabilizes binary gender constructions and heteronormative expectations by foregrounding a protagonist whose identity traverses normative categorizations. Vivek’s embodiment of both masculine and feminine traits, coupled with his fluid sexual and emotional attachments, challenges the ontological fixity of gender and sexuality. Drawing on Butler, the analysis reveals how Vivek’s performative acts—wearing women’s clothing, adopting feminine mannerisms, and exploring non-normative desire—constitute a radical assertion of queer becoming. Simultaneously, Rich’s notion of the “compulsory heterosexual” is invoked to expose the family, societal, and cultural imperatives that violently enforce heteronormative conformity, thereby leading to Vivek’s tragic erasure. The paper argues that Emezi’s narrative resists these regimes by centering queer desire and presenting an alternative vision of fluid, self-determined identity. Findings suggest that The Death of Vivek Oji functions not only as a literary intervention in African queer discourse but also as a site of affective and political resistance to colonial-gendered norms. The text affirms bisexuality and gender fluidity as valid modes of existence, situating Emezi as anessential voice in contemporary African queer literature. This paper contributes to the growing body of scholarly efforts to theorize queerness beyond Western paradigms, attending to the specificities of post-colonial and Nigerian contexts.