In 2009, Pearl (not real name) a transgender man, was nearly burned alive. The town where he worked believed he was a lesbian and when he would not confess to the police he was released to the community to face ‘mob justice’. He had gasoline poured on him and he was being taken to a bonfire when his father intervened. In an attempt to “cure” him he sent him to a prayer camp in Benin. At the camp he was physically abused and raped. He escaped the camp and returned to Ghana. Now Pearl is an activist for transgender rights and health. “I always hate to share my story because it brings back sad memories and makes me feel very down. I have faced a lot of violence, mob attacks, police cases because of my sexuality, rejection from landlords, family rejecting me as a terror. But at the end of the day, it's never changed who I really identify as, but rather, made me stronger and served as a mentor to a lot of LGBT's.“ Explaining why people from the LGBTQI+ community in Ghana cannot be open he says: “Coming out in Ghana can be very dangerous. It can even cost your life. It can even make you flee from where you stay because I remember when my pictures went viral. I had to leave from where I was staying to a different community because the people in mine wouldn't sell to me. They wouldn't respond my greetings. My landlord was giving me hell of a time and all that, so I had to move to a different community that people do not know my issue or my situation.” Ghana, Accra. 08 March, 2018. Photo Robin Hammond/Witness Change

Pearl /

“I always hate to share my story because it brings back sad memories and makes me feel very down. I have faced a lot of violence, mob attacks, police cases because of my sexuality, rejection from landlords, family rejecting me as a terror. But at the end of the day, it’s never changed who I really identify as, but rather, made me stronger and served as a mentor to a lot of LGBT’s. I’ve always used myself as an example to educated others and I must say, I am happy to be a trans man, an activist, and a mentor to the LGBT community.”

Share this story:Share on FacebookTweet about this on Twittershare on TumblrEmail to someone