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How Denrele Inspired A New Generation of Cross-Dressers
Nigerians are currently captivated by the antics of a character who is a namesake of the late soul music legend, James Brown. Cross Dressers
Every activity James Brown posts on social media is welcomed with a frenzy of excitement and relish.
Indeed, the cross-dresser, James Brown, is the new kid on the block.
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Since joining the burgeoning army of cross-dressers in Nigeria, he has attracted a lot of attention.
Cross-dressing, a close cousin of transgenderism and homosexuality, has seen a near-exponential rise in Nigeria in recent years.
Bobrisky Photo Credit: instagram.com/bobrisky
Bobrisky, another social media celebrity, gave the cross-dressing movement a substantial boost.
The Instagram celeb, whose real name is Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, has been in the eyes of the public for a few years now.
On and offline, the controversial cross-dresser has become the talk of the town.
Bobrisky created a trend of defying Nigeria’s ultra-conservative standards.
He was able to drive attention to his Snapchat account by claiming he had a partner who was presumed to be of masculine gender, despite the fact that same-sex relationships are illegal in Nigeria and can result in up to 14 years in prison.
On July 8, 2021, he unveiled a new physical appearance after undergoing surgery to become more feminine.
Bobrisky Photo Credit: instagram.com/bobrisky
Bobrisky is also famous for his flamboyant and ostentatious lifestyle, which he flaunts on social media.
He brags about being a millionaire and having millionaire buddies.
He throws grandiose birthday parties where he exploits the occasion to flaunt large sums of money allegedly sprayed on him by his friends and acquaintances.
The self-acclaimed same-sex relationship practitioner has established friendships with well-known celebs. Some of them merely require his friendship to remain relevant in current societal discussions.
Bobrisky advertises a lifestyle (real or fictional) that has made many of his 4.3 million Instagram followers envious.
It’s no surprise that Bobrisky’s antics have popularized and birthed an increasing prevalence of cross-dressers across the country. James Brown being one of the most well-known of them all.
Bobrisky: Before and after the transformation Photo Credit: instagram.com/bobrisky
So, where did it all begin?
While some believe that cross-dressing as a lifestyle in Nigeria dates back to the glory days of Charles Oputa, aka Charles Boy, others credit Denrele Adu with establishing the trend in contemporary Nigeria.
Denrele Edu is a well-known on-air personality who has worked for a number of local and international television channels. Denrele is a show-stopper on the red carpet. His frolicking with celebrities on the red carpet made him a pleasure to watch.
Unlike Bobrisky, who used Instagram to acquire recognition, Denrele exploited the many TV platforms for which he worked to express his quirky fashion sense.
Denrele [Photo Credit: instagram.com/denrele_edun]
It is thought that his choice of female garb is what sparked the present surge of cross-dressers in Nigeria. And trust Nigerians to make the most of trends.
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Anyways, for a country that is going through a lot economically, its people sometimes need some entertainment to transport them out of their economic realities, even if it means being fixated on absurdities.
Given the current glamorization of cross-dressing in Nigeria, one thing is certain: a legion of its practitioners is currently brewing.
Denrele [Photo Credit: instagram.com/denrele_edun]