Onstage at a pride ball in Lagos, members of Nigeria's LGBTQ community strut their stuff, celebrating their sexuality in a country where being gay could land you in jail. "It's very important that this is happening here because it helps motivate other people to really be themselves, it helps me be myself," says Kim, a transgender woman who came to Lagos six months ago after suffering physical violence and harassment in her hometown. The event marks the start of Pride Month, an annual June celebration of LGBTQ rights around the world. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES