Itan Okunrin To Yipada Si Orekelewa Obirin

Laye igba kan, eni ti aisan iba ba ti mu ni ile adulawo, iku lo maa n je opin opolopo awon eniyan ti aisan naa ba kolu. Sugbon nigba to ya, imo ijinle eto ilera se awari ogbon ati ona abayo, ati igba naa ni iba ko ti je ijaya fun awon eniyan mo.

Kokoro arun kogboogun HIV kii se ohun ti n ba awon eniyan gan-an leru nipato, bikose wi pe aisi ogun to le mu kokoro naa kuro lara awon eniyan ti o ba ni i lara. Awon ojogobon onimo ilera ko ti se awari ona abayo fun iru awon eniyan ti won ba ni kokoro HIV lara idi yii ti orisii kokoro bee fi n ba awon eniyan leru gidigidi.

Bi won ko ba  tile ti ri ona abayo kokoro HIV, aimoye aseyori lo ti je jade lati eka imo isegun oyinbo to si je ohun to joniloju gidi gan-an.

Lara ohun ijoloju ni wi pe awon onimo isegun le yi ako (okunrin) si abo (obirin), won si le yii abo pada si ako. Bi o tile je wi pe o le soro lati gbagbo sugbon ohun ti a ti ri eri to daju nipa re ni. 

Beatie nigba ti wa ninu oyun

Imo isegun oyinbo le gbe ile omo sinu okunrin, iru okunrin bee yoo loyun yoo si bimo.

Ogbeni Beatie ati omo re, Jensen

Lara alaye mi ti mo tun fe se ni omokunrin ti a bi gege bi ako (male) ti oruko re n je Clifford Oche lati ilu Nigeria. Sugbon omokunrin yii gbagbo wi pe asise lo je fun Olorun Oba lati da oun ni okunrin, o ni obirin lo ye ki oun je. A ti igba naa lo ti bere si ni se bi 'Sisi Kola' kiri igboro. Sugbon nigba to ya, o raye wo ilu United Kingdom nibi ti won ti ba pa kadara re da si 'rere'. 

Clifford Oche

Igbese ati yi ako (male) inu re pada si abo (female) kii se ise ojo kan, ohun to gba awon dokita ni aimoye odun ni pelu opolopo owo. Leyin eyi ni omokunrin naa bere si ni sise lori ewa ara re lati mu di orekelewa obirin eleyii ti pupo ninu akitiyan re ni i se pelu ise abe (Plastic Surgery) .

Lara ohun to daju nipa imo isegun aye ode oni ni wi pe ko si eya ara ti awon dokita ko le mu kuro lara, kosi si eya ti won ko le seda re si ara eniyan. Eyi ni wi pe ti okunrin ba ni oun ko fe je okunrin mo, won le ge nnkan omokunrin re kuro ki won si gbe iho si nidi eleyii ti yoo ma lo gege bi obirin.

Iru ise abe yii ni won se fun Clifford Oche to yi pade di obirin asiko. Ewa omobirin yii da loju to bee gee to je wi pe o dije fun idije Oba Orekelewa eleyii to se ipokeji. Clifford Oche ti yii oruko re pada bayii, Iris Sahhara Henson loruko tuntun to n je to si n mu gbayii kari gbogbo agbaye.

Ki n to tesiwaju, mo fe ki e ka apileko Omidan Iris Sahhara Henson (Clifford Oche) eleyii to ko ni ayajo ojo ti won fi n sami awon eniyan ti won yi iseda wan pada si ako tabi abo lagbaye.

Clifford Oche

I am standing in front of the mirror looking at my reflection. Tears of joy trickle down my rouged cheek before going on stage.

I am in tears because I just can’t believe how realistic my dreams have become. I am a woman! Living my life freely. Accepted and respected for my achievements as a model and a performer.

My fellow transgendered sisters and brothers paved this way for me. They fought for acceptance, understanding and respect. Some died while fighting for what they believed in and others fell before their time due to hate, rejection and society’s unfairness. Every single story gave me strength to fight on and never to give up.

I wish I could tell the younger me who tried to commit suicide twice that life gets better and dreams come true.

I did not imagine life could be this amazing many years ago after being released from a horrid Nigerian prison for being different. Then all I could think was I could die in this prison and no one will know or care.

Being imprisoned felt justifiable, considering I was being punished for being ‘gay’ – something they assumed due to my feminine features and mannerisms.

I wasn’t gay, I am a woman born differently due to natural defects. What I felt did not match my outward appearance, Being assigned male at birth doesn’t make me a man or a woman, nobody was born a man or a women, you develop into your preferred gender as you grow up. For me that gender was female. I was born male but my brain, gestures, features and carriage functioned as female.

Growing up and not knowing what was happening to my body made me confused and lost. I couldn’t discuss it with my family because my femininity was frowned on due to religion and I could not talk to my friends because they would not understand what I was going through. I found solace in music and dreams.

I dreamt of being free to be myself, free of insults, free of judgment and free from harassments.

That freedom came when I moved to the United Kingdom, finding girls like me gave me hope of not being alone in my journey of self-discovery.

I found out what I went through growing up in Nigeria was quite common with transgendered people. Having freedom, acceptance and knowledge are the key most important elements to a successful transition.

Knowing I am not alone in my struggles helped me to reevaluate my views on life and how I should go about my transition wisely. I researched my transition and reconciled the conflicting emotions involved in the process of accepting myself as the woman I am.

It is a lonely world during transition, as your body changes so do your emotions, which leads the mind into the darkest path in life. If the chemicals are not professionally controlled, you can feel suicidal due to rejection from loved ones and society.

In life perfection doesn’t existent, but for me having the freedom to be my true self feels almost perfect. As a black transgendered woman I am faced with many daily challenges such as transphobia, a complicated love life, poor career prospects and racism. But when I remember my life history, these challenges become water under the bridge.

That is why I will always remember those who built this foundation for freedom and knowledge. Also those who never got the chance to enjoy the acceptance we have achieved so far.

Transgender Day of Remembrance today is particularly import to me because I have lost close friends to suicide and have seen many more wishing to commit suicide as a final fix to their gender dilemma and rejection by society.

The media is silent on the subject of transphobia and the effects it has on young transgendered people of today, because they don’t see transgendered people as ‘normal’ members of our community.

Remembering my fallen friends helps me to keep their memories alive. It also encourages me to carry on the fight to be respected, understood and accepted for whom I am.

I dream of a world where we are given some sort of understanding and tolerance to live peacefully as able, intelligent fellow human beings who make positive contributions to society.

Transgendered people are human too. We are your brothers, your sisters, your children, your friends and your lovers. Stop the hate!

Clifford Oche

Gege bi iwadii Olayemi Oniroyin Agbaye, Clifford Oche bere si ni fi isesi re han gege bi 'sisi kola' laaarin odun 2000 si 2002 ni awon igba to fi wa ni Ifafiti ti Ipinle Benue to wa ni ilu Nigeria. Baagi obirin, bata obirin, ati awon imura obirin ni Clifford Oche maa n mu ni awon akoko ti a n so yii pelu awon irin aramanda oge bi igba ti obirin n redi rin ni o maa rin kiri inu ogba ile iwe won. 

Awon omo elegbe okunkun ti won maa ni ajosepo okunrin si okunrin (gay) ni won maa sanwo fun un lati ba ni ajosepo nigba naa ko to wa di wi pe o lo tedo si ilu Abuja. Ilu Abuja yii lo gba wo ilu London, o si seese ko je wi pe orisii ise asewo ibalopo okunkun si okunrin naa lo fi n pawo laarin awon olowo alagbara ilu Abuja ko di wi pe o wo ilu Oba.

Awon oniroyin ti fi oro wa Omidan Iris Sahhara Henson lenu wo ri, e ja ka ka die ninu akosile iforowero to waye naa:

Oniroyin: What was the hardest thing about your coming out?

Miss saHHara: Being rejected by family, friends and society. Islam and Christian religion controls the society in Nigeria. Most Nigerians have radical views on all aspect of human life due to the influence of American evangelical Christians and Sharia Law. Many people have negative misconception and the wrong information when it comes to gender variances.

Oniroyin : What do you think about the present situation of transgender women in the British and Nigerian societies?

Miss saHHara: The United Kingdom has come a long way when it come to human rights and transgender rights; it is a huge contrast to Nigeria, in the UK there are professional healthcare advisers and doctors who treat gender disorders and confusions with great understanding. I have the freedom to achieve like any other British citizen.

In Nigeria, on the other hand, people like me are non-existent, gay people are driven underground by hate and misunderstanding. Most gay men are married to women in fear of persecution and murder. Nigeria is a hundred years behind the western world; the laws are made based on religious beliefs.

The government recently passed an Anti-LGBT law, dishing out 14 years imprisonment for LGBT people; 11 years for friends, family and people who associate with LGBT. It is very sad, what Africa need is education and the separation of government from religion.

Oniroyin: Could you tell me about the importance of love in your life?

Miss saHHara: Love is a beautiful element in everyone’s life. It depends on how the love is disseminated and acquired. I always say, love yourself first then you will attract positive attention from others, if you don’t love and accept yourself as the person you’ve always felt you are, then you can never be happy, thus attracting the wrong kind of people in your life.

If you love and respect yourself, you would be self-sufficient enough to live your life peacefully and happily without needing to get the wrong kind of love from others. So yes, love is important, love and put yourself first.

Oniroyin: Do you like fashion? What kind of outfits do you usually wear? Any special fashion designs, colours or trends?

Miss saHHara: Not really, I wear what suites my body shape, I still have the figure for fun sexy outfits. So I wear lots of figure hugging attires. I love my high heel shoes too, I’m 5’11 and on heels about 6’3 or more, but I don’t care that I look abnormally tall for a woman. Lol

Aimoye igba ni Omidan Sahhara fi koro oju si ofin ilu Nigeria to lodi si ibalopo okunrin si ikunrin. Gege bi ero re, o ka iru ofin bee bi igba ti eniyan fi eto omoniyan dun eniyan.

Opolopo awon omo Naija ni won maa soro idoti si Omidan Sahhara wi pe gbogbo oun to fi n soge bi ojulowo omoge  kii se original, won ni fake ni gbogbo aya re ati oloju-ede ti n sana warawara bi ina elentiriki. Omidan Sahhara naa ki je ko tutu rara ko to gbele won pada, sebi omo Naija ni oun naa.

Lowolowo bayii, ewa Omidan Sahhara ti koja ohun ti eniyan le fenu royin, ewa re ti legba kan jorin lo. Omo naa pon yoo bi osumare, awo ara re n dan boroboro bi egbin, gbogbo igba ni oju re n sana waiwai bi ina keresimesi, irun ori re gun de ibadi bee lo dan yoyo bi angeli funfun, shikishiki aya re duro soke gidigbi bee lo n pese bi soja Idumata, ko si okunrin naa ti yoo wo ibadi re ti ko tun ni tun wo leekan si- ibadi bi ile tiiro ti n wu ni bi afara oyin.

 

Ilu London ni omoge asiko yii n gbe, ise oge sise, orin ati ipolowo oja fun awon alaso oge ni ojulowo ise re bayii. Boya eyin nife lati ba soro, oju opo re nii yii lori Twitter: @miss_sahhara.

Iroyin mii to tun jo iru eyi ni iroyin nipa abaniloyun ni ilu India, maa royin ki e ka iroyin naa [NIBI]. E tun le ka asiri oge awon omoge asiko [NIBI] pleu. E se pupo.

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About Olayemi Oniroyin