Gogo’s story is a journey in self-acceptance

RETHABILE MOHONO

QUTHING – In the rolling hills of rural Qomo-Qomong in Quthing, a beacon of hope shines bright. Meet Gogo, a 42-year-old transgender woman who has faced unimaginable challenges yet stands tall with unwavering resilience.

Gogo’s journey is one of unrelenting struggle, from being bullied by teachers and learners alike at school to facing rejection from her community. But despite the odds, she remains unbroken, her spirit fuelled by a deep understanding of her true self.

“I was born this way,” Gogo says, her voice laced with determination. “I had to soldier on, no matter the rejection and discrimination I faced on a daily basis.” Growing up, Gogo, born Liteboho Seisa, knew she was different but lacked the language to express her truth. It was not until she stumbled upon a television programme at 17 that she discovered her identity as a transgender woman.

The road to self-discovery was long and arduous, but Gogo’s family stood by her, a constant source of love and support. Yet, like many transgender people, she faces discrimination in the workplace, her gender identity a barrier to employment.

But Gogo refuses to be defined by her struggles. She embraces her true self, dressing as she pleases, wearing lipstick, and living life on her own terms. Believing she is one of the only openly transwomen in her community, Gogo’s story is one of hope and triumph.

She may not have had the same access to information and resources as younger generations, but she is determined to use her experiences to support and uplift others.

“Unlike this young Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer Intersex (LGBTIQ+) community who are vibrant, full of information, and who are able to know who they are, I faced massive challenges because I did not know any support group or anyone like that,” she says, adding that up until today she has not met transwomen of her age within her community.

“I may not have friends my age,” Gogo says, “but I am proud to be a grandmother to this community.” So to celebrate the LGBTQI+ community Gogo’s story was documented by Carl Collison, a journalist, photographer, filmmaker, and researcher who focusses specifically on producing LGBTIQ-related content from across Africa.

Prior to this, he was the Other Foundation’s Rainbow Fellow at the Mail & Guardian. Features he had written have twice been nominated in the Best Human Interest category of South Africa’s national MDDA/Sanlam Local Media Awards.

He is also the Founding Director of the non-profit company Beyond the Margins NPC, which is responsible for the website Beyond the Margins, a publication that produces free-to-publish, queer-affirming content from across Africa.

In 2017, he represented South Africa as a participant in the US Government’s States Department’s International Visitors Leadership Programme.

He was shortlisted for the 2018 Gerald Kraak Award and Anthology. He was also included in the inaugural #Awesome50 list, which recognises the work done by people across Africa to better the lives of the continent’s LGBTIQ people.

Documentary films (and photographic exhibitions) he has put together have been screened by the Swedish Embassy (South Africa), Brighton Pride (UK), and the 2020 Pride Afrique. They have also been screened in film festivals in Argentina, Kenya, Canada, Brazil, and Mozambique.

In 2023, he held his first solo international exhibition at Western Oregon University. Titled Islanded (No More), the exhibition is made up of short documentary films, photographs, and text.

Collison is a former researcher with Human Rights Watch, where he worked on projects centred around LGBTIQ+ migrants and asylum seekers in South Africa as well as the impacts of Uganda’s most recent  anti-homosexualit bill.

Speaking about the Gogo film, he says it was part of a short series of pieces he did for Beyond the Margins looking into the lives of LGBTIQ+ persons in Lesotho, which was released in February 2024.

“I chose to put the film and this series together because there is very little information out there in mainstream publications on queer lives in Lesotho — especially queer lives in rural areas of Lesotho.

“So I found Gogo’s story deeply moving because she speaks with such honesty about the numerous challenges she faced — and continues to face — but there is also this immense sense of self-awareness and agency in her story — in her voice,” says Callison.

“Despite the pushback Gogo received from the broader community for simply being true to herself, she has found acceptance with her family, but more importantly, within herself. To me, this is a universal lesson in self-acceptance. A lesson so many others—whether LGBTIQ or not—can take power from.”