Like Louzado, Benfield is similarly motivated by his own status as an anomaly in the industry, as both a male in the lifestyle space, and a gay male. Growing up in a small town in North Carolina, Benfield says there was little representation he could relate to. “It was very backward and not a great place for a gay man to grow up,” he says of his hometown. “I didn’t see many LGBTQ+ icons in my community growing up and the only people I had to look up to were gay couples on Youtube and Instagram.”
Seeing two men living together, Benfield says, was such a foreign concept to him. “I didn’t understand it at that point and I didn’t know if that would ever be my life, but I was interested in it,” Benfield recalls.
Now, living in Toronto with his partner—fellow influencer Omar Ahmed—since 2018 as a lifestyle influencer, Benfield is trying to be that positive icon for young men like himself around the world. “They’re young people who are maybe in small towns, maybe in places that they want to get out of eventually,” he says. “ In Alabama or small town India, and they’re looking for some sort of inspiration to exit. I think that’s the main reason why a lot of people follow me.”
His posts range from fashion and fitness to sustainability, all with a positive angle, and often featuring Ahmed.
A May 27 post shows Benfield posing in front of a wall, throwing up a peace sign, tongue cheekily out, with the word “Sunshine” emblazoned on the wall behind him. The caption touches on the hard days—of which he says there will be many—telling his followers: “You’ll come out of those storms STRONGER than ever before. A lil rain & winds & lightning ain’t got nothing on you bb!!!”
“People are just looking for a little bit more positivity and inspiration in their lives. And it’s kind of what I try to provide on my page.”