The historical and courageous story of a trans Somali woman. An open and honest biography of Lola Lorenzo, the first Somali woman in history to appear publicly as a trans woman. Although Lola's life has been marked by racism, bullying, violence, and abuse, she has continued to fight.
Lola was born in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, in 1990, but moved to Finland with her family soon after the start of the civil war. At the age of 7, she was sent to Somalia for four years to learn her mother tongue, religion and Arabic. At the age of 11, Lola returned to Finland. She forged a career as a trusted make-up artist for Somalis who was flown to weddings around the world. In 2013, she came out as a woman.
The powerful work depicts what it is like to grow up in the squeeze of cultures when people around them are not accepted: abandoned by family and the Somali community, and discriminated against by Finnish society. When there is a small trans community in Helsinki, Lola gets a reason to continue. In ballroom culture performances, Lola gets to fulfill herself.
Available via adlibris.com
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