Stories
Laila
‘My extended family members do not want to be seen in public with me. I understand that they are ashamed of me. I feel disheartened when they isolate me.’
Laila, a trans woman, revealed that she experienced banishment from her family members, who rejected her offers to spend time with them, especially in public spaces. ‘Sometimes, they want to go out and if I were to tag along they don’t want [that], especially my cousins. Like they don’t want to be together with me. My extended family members do not want to be seen in public with me, so I just go out with my friends and community. Sometimes my big family doesn’t want to be seen in public with me. I cannot force them. I understand that they are ashamed of me. I just do things with my community. Sometimes I feel disheartened when they isolate me.’
She also shared how the lack of family acceptance led to them running away from home and suicide attempts, ‘For example, my mum. If you want me to be a man again, if you want to change my personality, you want to change my inside, you want me to do everything inside out, better I die. If you don’t want to accept the way I am, better I die. I called my brother and I said that. Give me time to change a bit. I cannot change 100%. This has to do with our soul. Maybe outside I can change, but inside cannot. How to change inside? You want me to be a hypocrite? I have tried to commit suicide because my parents don’t accept who I am. I also ran away from home.’
Source: Justice for Sisters. (2021). Freedom of Expression and Transgender Women in Malaysia