Kenyan LGBTQ community vogues despite threat of repressive law

A model walks the runway during a fashion show held as part of a queer ballroom event in Nairobi, on May 31, 2025. [AFP]

Before a cheering audience, a man opened the ball in Nairobi with acrobatic moves to electronic rhythms -- a celebration of queer resistance from a Kenyan LGBT community feeling threatened by new legislation.

"Balls", where participants can vogue and catwalk with full freedom, were created by the Black and Latino gay and transgender community in the United States in the 1960s.