BEING TRAPPED IN WRONG BODY

Being trapped in a wrong body is the most challenging thing that one can go through, I for one do not wish it on anyone because one has to accept them self before being accepted by people around them. Imagine where people label you as a man or male but you feel more of a woman or female. How do you then express your true self without being subjected to discriminatory statements and being ridiculed by the world around you. It is pure bravery when one steps out of this closet to say I m here, I m a trans woman see me and accept me how I am.

Due to people avoiding being discriminated because of their sexuality we as Rainbow Identity have a challenging task of identifying transgender and intersex people so that we can offer them our many services. How do I invite someone to a trans and intersex workshop or event without offending them in the sense that I m judging them as to what sexuality they fall under. We all know that same sex relations are not legal in my home country Botswana neither is it illegal and that really leaves a lot of grey areas on how to deal with trans and intersex issues. We should know that with sexuality and gender what we see may not be what really is. If people took reading into account when they come across certain, or rather all information then we would make progress in freely and without challenge advocating for Transgender and Intersex human rights laws so as policies relating to sexual and reproductive health rights.

I would like to take this opportunity to applaud all transgender and intersex people who are out of their closets despite the criticism and discrimination they might face and say to those that haven't yet that they should do so when they are ready. They should not be any pressure in coming out and coming face to face with your true sexuality but mind you, that prolonging the situation wont make it go away thou. As much as there are homophobic and transphobic people in our societies there are also those welcoming, accepting and loving people in our communities.

How then do you recognize those loving and accepting from the homophobic and transphobic is a quest one has to take and bear in mind that the results can either be pleasant or gruesome. We should know that in fighting and standing against homophobia and transphobia the above mentioned should be the leaders or should I say activists in this endeavors because no one can fight a battle better than the victim or should I say the survivors of this phobias. Who better to tell the story than them. as their sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and other family members and friends it is our responsibility to support them in fighting against this injustices.

Its not one's choice to be assigned a sex that you feel foreign to, its time we start accepting and acknowledging that its an actual fact that these people are born this way. Christians say that these key populations are an abomination, what are they really saying that God makes mistakes or God created an abomination yet we all know that in creating human beings God took his time and if this was in fact wrong then wouldn't God know, wouldn't he make sure it was not so. I feel this is an insult to our creator who created everyone equal. Well this topic is for another day people and till then lets know that we were all created in the image of God.

In closing this day lets all stand against homophobia and transphobia because we are all human after all..

WELCOME REMARKS

Welcome readers to Rainbow Identity BW blog. My name is Urbenia Kgwarae (28)I am the media officer for Rainbow Identity Association (RIA) and the Admin of this blog this is where I will be sharing with you stories and any material that involves or affects the rainbow nation i.e LGBTIQ people how ever my main focus will be on Transgender (T) and intersex (I) simple because that is the mandate of Rainbow Identity Association (RIA). As a nations we should acknowledge and accept that transgender and intersex people live among us as family, neighbours, colleagues and friends there for we should make them feel welcome and safe as we all are entitled to Human Rights. I am not implying that Transgender and Intersex people should be treated special but that they should be awarded the same opportunists as heterosexual people. 

I would like you to assist me through this blog by sharing your stories, pictures and any other material about Trans and Intersex such as Poems, videos and more. please email them to urbeniaukgwarae@gmail.com and be specific if you want the stories to be anonymous or have your byline. thank you in advance for your cooperation and let love lead.