Nigeria’s underground queer ballroom scene

For many, the Fola Francis ball was an opportunity to pay their respects.

“I want to celebrate Fola,” said one of the platform-heeled revellers, who was wearing a black choker, a dark corset, and lace leggings under a red checkered mini-skirt that matched her nails.

“When I first started going out, she was always telling me: ‘You look so good’, and it got to my head. It made me confident in being myself,” she said.

Fola Francis had a big impact on the entire queer community in the country. But for many trans and non-binary people, her death was personal, and honouring the life she lived was important.

A trans, non-binary person wearing an African-print gown said that Fola helped them realise the importance of showing up authentically. “Her existence gave me freedom,” they added with a sense of pride.

Another of the trans women, who was attending her first ball, told the BBC that the event was a “dream come true”.

She was forced to relocate to Lagos after facing transphobic violence in northern Nigeria and Fola Francis had offered to help her find safe housing.

The LGBTQ+ ballroom culture can be traced to the US and underground African-American drag events in the mid-19th Century. It has since blossomed across the US, and beyond, with a well-developed infrastructure including “houses”, which provide support networks and the basis for competitions.

TV shows like RuPaul’s Drag Race, Legendary and Pose have also brought the concept into the mainstream.