"Kim, a 23-year-old transgender woman from Cape Town, South Africa, has only just escaped from the damaging effects of the conversion therapy she experienced during her childhood."
"Africa was known for its wide acceptance and reverence of queer identities. Now, Africa is renowned for being one of the most culturally and legally intolerant continents regarding queer identities."
"There is a misconception among African folk that queer identities were imported to Africa by the West. This couldn't be further from the truth."
"In reality, queer identities were deeply woven into the fabric of many precolonial African societies, often integrated into spiritual, social, and political life."
Kim, a 23-year-old transgender woman, escaped conversion therapy that aimed to change her identity. At 14, her mother sought help from a pastor, leading to weekly sessions for seven months. Kim's performance of cis-heteronormativity during high school resulted in deep depression. While she now thrives, many minors face worse outcomes. Africa, once accepting of queer identities, is now known for intolerance, despite misconceptions that queerness was imported from the West. Historically, queer identities were integral to precolonial African societies.
Read at LGBTQ Nation
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