Veso Golden Oke | |
---|---|
Born | Nigeria |
Citizenship | |
Occupation(s) | Model, Actress, Activist, entrepreneur |
Veso Golden Oke (born 1993/1994) is a Nigerian trans rights activist, model, make-up artist and hairstylist. In 2019, she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in a beauty pageant in Africa.
Early life
Oke was born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother. She was raised Anglican.
As a child, Oke was feminine and felt that she was a woman; she never identified as a gay man. She has recalled that at age 8, she used to pray she would wake up in a girl's body. At age 14, she learned online about transgender identity and came to terms with her own identity. Although initially when she came out her family thought "the devil had taken over her," her parents soon became supportive.
Career
In 2014, Oke left Nigeria and moved to Ghana. There, she began working as a model and mentor to models in Accra.
In August 2019, Oke competed in Miss Europe Continental, a beauty pageant being held in Ghana.
Personal life
By 2018 Oke was on HRT.
See also
- Bobrisky – Nigerian transgender woman (born 1991)
- Jay Boogie – Nigerian transgender woman (born 1998)
- Miss Sahhara – Nigerian beauty queen and LGBTQ advocate
- Noni Salma – Nigerian transgender woman
References
- ^ "Nigerian-born Ghanaian Trans model: 'I fight every day to look more feminine'". NoStringsNG – Voice of LGBTQ+ Nigeria. 2018-01-26. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- "Trans women speak on Western influence and being transgender in Nigeria". The Guardian Nigeria News. 2019-03-27. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ^ "I'm a woman with shrinking, non-functional penis – Ghanaian transgender". GhanaWeb. 2019-02-26. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ^ "Nigerian model becomes the first trans contestant in a beauty pageant". NoStringsNG – Voice of LGBTQ+ Nigeria. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- "Veso Golden Oke becomes first transwoman to contest in beauty pageant in Africa". India Times. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- ^ "Nigerian Transgender To Compete In Ghana Beauty Pageant -". The Herald. 2019-08-22. Retrieved 2023-11-30.
- 1990s births
- Living people
- 21st-century Nigerian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century Nigerian people
- 21st-century Nigerian women
- Nigerian beauty pageant contestants
- Nigerian expatriates in Ghana
- Nigerian female models
- Nigerian hairdressers
- Nigerian make-up artists
- Nigerian LGBTQ rights activists
- Nigerian transgender women
- Transgender female models