This Boy's Life: Being Transsexual in Kuwait
Published Date: August 14, 2009
By Sahar Moussa, Staff writer
http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NzQ4ODE4Mzk2 (http://www.kuwaittimes.net/read_news.php?newsid=NzQ4ODE4Mzk2)
'Gharam' means passion in Arabic and Gharam is what this young Kuwaiti male- to-female transsexual likes to be called. The first impression you get when sitting with Gharam is confusion. He is tall and thin with short, straight black hair, an obvious nose job and full lips and cheeks. You can see his well-shaped, wide eyes sparkle under the blue contact lenses and clean eyebrows. You cannot help but notice his soft skin and hairless arms under his navy blue t-shirt and his well-defined, lean body under the
tight, white, low-waisted jeans. His smiles and gestures are exaggerated, showing off his well-manicured nails, fake dimples and perfect white teeth.
Family rejection
Twenty three year old Gharam felt he was different from childhood. "I was seven years old in primary school when I first felt that I enjoyed doing female things. I used to enjoy going to buy nail polish or sanitary towels for my aunt. When I was a little boy I preferred to mix with girls and play with them. My dad used to push me to play football with other boys, but I always refused and preferred dancing, putting on make-up and performing female characters in plays," he said.