Haiti: ‘My transgender mother is a wonderful woman!’
What life is like for the son of a trans woman in Haiti
Erasing 76 Crimes interviewed Mehu after a webinar on faith and spirituality for same-sex and trans families in the Caribbean. The event was organized by the Global Interfaith Network.
Erasing 76 Crimes: What was it like when your mum came out as trans?
Cedrick Mehu: “It happened when I had just passed my baccalauréat [university entrance exam]. I was 17. Honestly, it went well. Of course, I ended up having to ask questions to find out how I’d been conceived, because I have no memory of my mother before her gender transition when I was little. But overall, from the moment my mother came out, our relationship grew even closer and we became more involved than before. There are fewer barriers between us when it comes to saying things to each other, and as a child I think that’s really great. For me, this coming-out has been nothing but positive.
Then things got more complicated for my mum, because the announcement that she was trans-identified went viral and in less than 2 weeks just about everyone in the community where we lived knew about it. It wasn’t easy for my mother and she had to take all the blame. Nevertheless, she’s a strong, resilient woman and she did her best for us at the time, to protect us from what people would say.
What’s more, with certain parents, this created friction and they no longer wanted to see their children playing with us. I know that for my sister, who was younger, it was an ordeal, but at my level, I lived through it very well and it’s even one of the best things that could have happened to us, to strengthen our family ties”.
Erasing 76 Crimes: Did you get to know your biological mother?
Cedrick Mehu: Yes, I asked my mother lots of questions about the circumstances of my birth and, to tell you the truth, I had already met my biological mother when I was young, but I had no idea who she was. After my mother came out as a transsexual, it took me a while to find my way back to the other part of my family in Les Cayes, Haiti. Today, I visit them too, from time to time. For me, it’s allowed me to expand my family and I think that’s great”.
Erasing 76 Crimes: Your mother is a devout Christian. How did things go with the church?
Cedrick Mehu: From the moment my mother came out, it created a rift with the members of the church we attended. However, just because you don’t go to church doesn’t mean you don’t have spirituality, and in my family my mother’s coming-out as a transsexual helped to strengthen the bonds between us, including spiritually. Now we may socialise with fewer people, but the people around us are more genuine.
Erasing 76 Crimes: “What did you think of the webinar organised by GIN-SSOGIE on gay and transgender families in the Caribbean earlier this year?”
Cedrick Mehu: It was good. At least it allows us children to speak out so people can listen to us and know that we exist. We can tell the story of our lives in a way that takes the drama out of what a transparent family is like. Today, I’m the father of a young child, less than a year old, and I’m a young adult who feels good about myself and my life. Without my mother, I could never have become the adult I am today. My transgender mother is a wonderful woman.
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