, Marais, C. And Wellbeloved, J.R.
The authors provide a clear image of the challenges faced by transgender individuals in general, and the particular challenges they face within societies that are less open-minded than some Western nations. Even in more liberal and open-minded societies, transgender individuals are frequently misunderstood. They are assumed to be part of the homosexual community by mainstream culture but often do not fit within that population either. Alternatively, they are viewed as recreational fetishists like transvestites who enjoy cross-dressing.
One of the most difficult aspects of life as transgender individual is that many of them are heterosexual but have an undeniable feeling that they are locked into the body of the wrong gender. It is rarely a matter of choice for them, since they typically have felt that way since early childhood. Moreover, in most cases, their compulsion...
That, in particular, is a source of tremendous confusion and alienation, even within communities that are more sensitive to alternative lifestyles. The most frequent question they encounter is why would a man who dates women want to become a woman and still date women. The fact that some transgender individuals are also homosexual only compounds the confusion they all encounter in society.
However, the most difficult issue faced by transgender individuals is in connection with the social ostracism they face, including from their own families, especially within societies (such as in Africa) where alternative sexual identities and practices (including homosexuality) are highly stigmatized in connection with so-called "traditional" religious beliefs and values about morality as it pertains to human sexuality.
