ΚΕΝΥΑ. ΜΙΑ ΙΣΤΟΡΙΑ...

While Western society may have become much more tolerant of people's sexuality in recent years, most of Africa is still largely not accepting of anyone who does not conform to the more traditional roles of sexuality. Homosexuality is still illegal in most African countries. Tolerant governments, however, have allowed some gay communities to flourish in some cities. Transgender Morine lives in Nairobi, Kenya.
Rare are those who identify themselves as transgender. Morine is still identified by the Kenyan government as a male, though from a very early age has always identified herself as a female.

Although unable to have children herself, Morine still feels the maternal instinct very strongly. Here her nephew watches as she applies makeup, while Morine takes care of him for the day.

Unlike some countries such as India, Kenya has no history of transgenders. As a result everything from how society sees them, to how they identify as a community, is all new territory. Here Morine applies hair removal cream to her face in order to remove facial hair without having to shave.

As the owner of a small hair salon, Morine is able to simply be one of the girls when at work

Having already developed quite the reputation as a hairdresser in Nairobi, women come from all over to get their hair cut at Morine's hair salon.

The price of beauty can sometimes be painfull - a lesson that Morine knows all too well.

Morine still keeps up a close relationship with her community's residents - many who remember her as a child.

Despite being largely accepted by her community, there are of course still people who look down on Morine's lifestyle.

Although her hair salon business has allowed Morine to move out of the poverty in which she was born, she still lives very close to the community in which she was born.

(boston.com)

φωτογραφίες: Tobin Jones