HELP OUR FELLOW LGBT

Hello John.

Growing up in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) prepared me for a lot of things, but nothing could have prepared me for this.

My name is Kamavinga. I was born into a family of five girls and assigned male at birth. But I always knew I was a girl. The day my family found out about my gender identity, my father tried to force me to marry a woman I didn't even know. I didn't know what to do, so I fled.

I ended up settling down in another town where I befriended a small group of other trans women. But we weren't safe for very long.

Because we are different, some people in the community accused us of being witches. They said we were poisoning their fields and called for us to be burned at the stake. The town's chief proposed to punish us with a life of forced servitude instead. Faced with the choice of death or servitude, we were forced to flee.

Now, a local organization called Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko is partnering with All Out to raise the funds needed to urgently get us to safety.

Valérie, can you donate to help fund our urgent relocation?

Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko will use the funds raised to pay for safe and secure housing and essentials like food for the next six months for me and the six other trans women who were attacked.

Even though there is no explicitly anti-LGBT+ law in the DRC, many people here have a very negative view of LGBT+ people. Any deviation from traditional gender roles or gender presentations is often treated with hostility, violence, and persecution.

The six months I spent living on the streets was the worst period of my life.

I don't want to go back. I was physically assaulted, forced to undress in public, and raped. It was hell.

Rainbow Sunrise Mapambazuko can help make sure I don't have to return to that kind of life. But we desperately need you to chip in to help fund our safe house.

Valérie, a safe place to stay will make a huge difference in our lives. Please donate today.

Thank you for listening to my story,

Kamavinga

(She/her)

https://campaigns.allout.org/emergency-drc?akid=70789.989642.PW6qk0&rd=1&t=2&utm_campaign=drc-trans-women-at-risk-8844890f&utm_medium=email&utm_source=email

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