I am Tshepo Seoketsi Mooketsi, a first year Communication Sciences and Anthropology student at a South African University. I am an LGBTIQ Activist and a Trans feminist who hails from Schweizer Reneke a small rural town in the North West Province of South Africa. I am a 24 year old transwoman of colour.
Seoketsi Tshepo Mooketsi portrait from her facebook page
My Body, My politics
I believe I am more than just my body. I am a human being , a living warrior who just happens to disagree with the tag society puts on my body. I believe in my bodily autonomy and i no longer live according to the societal fixed norms. I use my body to express my feelings about my own gender.
I personally feel the term ’trapped’ distorts my reality. My body is my platform where i can freely express myself. I refuse to conform to ideals which, denigrate and oppress me. I take charge of my life and my body. I wear and walk and talk in the manner i deem fit.
I am conscious about how i present my body because i want it to reflect the person i am. I adorn my body, so that it reflects my feelings about myself. This boosts my confidence as i have grown to appreciate the smallest to the largest details about it. Yes! There is no such thing, as a perfect body, but making my body feel comfortable, taking ownership and appreciating it counts.
I believe my body makes me unique and sets me apart from others,it immediately tells my story the minute I step on the streets or enter a room.
In my process of self-discovery as i began to embrace my gender identity, i experienced transphobia from the LGB to the church community. This did not break me, instead it motivated me to change these negative attitudes and speak out against violations and injustices. Now i know that loving myself and asserting my gender identity is a political statement.
Please note that this story was published in AfricTrans before.
Related links
2015 April 16: My story as a Zimbabwean Transvestite
and
2014 Aug. 30: I’m a game changer, leader and activist
and
inkanyiso.org 