it down!

Denying ourselves of existing at their comfort,

While we are made aliens in our birthplace, homes and even to ourselves.

They say, the more the normality, the better the acceptance.

We have been taught to who we are, of what we've become and at anything that takes our form.

They say you do not have to be out and loud but you, you… While you stay flourishing in the regretful corner of your heart, your freedom is to impose restricting opinions on our expression of self.

PHOTO DESCRIPTION: A candle light reflecting a bright to dark spectrum of lighting on the face of a person.

PHOTO CREDIT: Adunni’s photo archive

POET BIO: Adunni is a trans writer who reflects her sociocultural and political experiences through writing.

Her writing is inspired by her reality, being a woman of trans experience openly living out loud and advocating for trans rights in Lagos, Nigeria.

This piece reflects on the experiences of Trans people being advised and forced to conform, forced to silence, while actively questioning our body autonomy and our existence as trans femmes persons-–a trigger to gaslight us into questioning our existence in society and within the LGBTQ+ community at large.

Support her work: linktr.ee/AdunniTiwatope