INTERSECTION OF CULTURE, ECCLESIA, AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS NAVIGATING IDENTITY, BELIEFS, AND ACCEPTANCE

Abstract

Transgender persons in Kenya, Africa and the world continue to face discrimination in various facets of their lifetimes, which has negative impacts on their wellbeing. This is evident right from their respective homes, among their neighbourhoods, in educational institutions, in public and social places, and in their workplaces. The Church, as a public and social place, is crucial for the wellbeing of individuals, communities, and society in general, including transgender persons. In addition, Kenyan citizens practise various cultures and traditions, alongside other faiths that they have earned their conversion, with majority practising Christianity, followed by Islam, and other religions. These African cultures and traditions are integral in socialisation at the community level, given the fact that, by and large, it still ‘takes a village to raise up a child’. As such, discrimination of transgender persons in the Church and in the local African cultures and traditions does not bode well for the wellbeing of these transgender persons. That said, there is need for the above trio to embrace transgender persons as Christ embraced all, and as African cultures and traditions also embraced different genders and sexualities. This will serve to demonstrate a workable and/or logical intersection of love, inclusivity and community. This research article utilizes an extensive review of literature to arrive at the key points. Analysis of these key points has been done in our bid to understand the intersection between the trios.