This archive report was first published on 4 June 2020.
Published on June 4, 2020, Letoya Johnstone, a Kenyan transgender woman, has spoken out about the struggles she faces in her daily life.
According to Letoya, many people judge her without getting to know her, and she feels that this judgment is rooted in shame and fear.
'I am not ashamed of being a transgender woman,' she said. 'It is the people, including the men, who are ashamed of me or those like myself.'
Letoya went on to explain that the men who discriminate against her are often taught to do so by their mothers and sisters, who have been influenced by cultural and religious teachings.
'They have taught the men about the African culture and who a man needs to look like,' she said. 'Of course, like their father.'
Letoya also spoke about the pain of being rejected by society, saying that she has been forced to live on the fringes and has been denied opportunities and support.
'You have destroyed your men to an extent that now they are destroying other people's daughters and children,' she said. 'The marriage, some of them, is a hoax.'
Letoya's words are a powerful reminder of the struggles faced by transgender people in Kenya, who are often marginalized and excluded from society.
'Today, I belong to no one,' she said. 'I just know my name and who I am.'
