The Coalition of African Lesbians (CAL) Feminist institute in Maputo, Mozambique invited Gender DynamiX (GDX) to do a presentation on ‘Understanding Transgender’.  This request was a result of the raised interest in trans understanding after the ARC International meeting just two months prior.

GDX decided to diversify the newly established trans representation in the region, by inviting the activists who recently came out as trans to personally represent the trans voice in such spaces. At this stage, it was only masculine identifying trans persons. Tensions were heightened, as all the trans persons who came out recently previously identified as lesbians, and most often took leadership roles in their respective countries’ organizations.

This CAL meeting was very important for the African trans movement because many saw that as the first meeting with the prominence of trans activists. It was the first meeting in Africa where trans activists rejected the perception of seeking male privilege as a reason to transition, from lesbians and feminists in Africa.