Behind a tall metal door in a suburb of Lagos lies a world of fun, fashion and flamboyance that most Nigerians have never seen.
Men dressed in elaborate drag outfits – sequins, silk and ruffles – sashay in heavy make-up on the highest of heels, striking provocative poses on a pulsing dancefloor.
Their desire: to give voice to their sexuality through costume and dance and be free to be themselves in a rare safe haven in socially conservative Nigeria.
Same-sex relations are punishable by up to 14 years in jail in Africa’s most populous country, so these balls held in Lagos can only thrive by existing deep underground.