Onyx Godwin Criticizes Nigerians Who Target Crossdressing Men

Model and online personality Onyx Godwin has responded to critics who target crossdressers in Nigeria. In an Instagram post, Godwin said that although traditional, masculine men make up the overwhelming majority, society appears disproportionately focused on regulating the small number of feminine men who are going about their own lives and causing no harm. Godwin’s post asked critics to stop, saying no one is preventing them from being masculine. He suggested that anyone looking for masculine men could go to Yaba market, where he said they are plentiful, and argued that the attention given to a few feminine men expressing themselves without hurting anyone is misplaced. He also linked masculinity to broader social problems, noting that many people do not feel safe walking at night because of men, that parents cannot leave their daughters with a random man, that blog posts about “grape” appear regularly, and that Nigeria is not working despite hundreds of men holding leadership positions. Addressing women who are judgmental toward feminine men, Godwin said their reaction would not exist if they did not view femininity as inferior, and added that they do not show the same energy toward masculine-presenting women. He called them misogynists and said, “Leave us tf alone!” Godwin noted that at an event there were hundreds of masculine men and only a few feminine men, yet he described the situation as chaotic. He concluded that feminine men will still wear what they want to wear.