RAHELI
 

What are your preferred pronouns

​

Her/She is a sexy lady

 

What labels are you comfortable using

​

Bi, I don't understand all the other words...Oh maybe pan-sexual

 

At what age did you have your queer-wakening

​

I have always known I liked boys and girls, I have had crushes on both since I started had crushes. I didn't really know, cause you know when you are young, you just like people. You see a cute boy and go like  Oh, he's so cute, I want him to be my boyfriend. Even though you are like 8 and don't really know what boyfriends are. I had that feeling for both males and females, so I have just always known before I even knew that you can be bisexual.

 

What were the events that led to realizing/ Identifying as bi 

 

Okay, so, this sounds so common but it's  Rihanna, I saw Rihanna on Tv and she had that short haircut and I was just like OMG  this woman is so attractive, she's so beautiful. I just want her. It wasn't even in like a sexual way but I just knew I wanted Rihanna to be my bae, my woman, my mans as well that's how I awakened. If you wanna hear about my first experience...So after that you know as a teenager I knew that I was into girls, you know, maybe I would say I was bi-curious because I never tried so really couldn't be sure, so I transferred to a new school, I won’t say the name and expose the people, I can't say it was a queer school but everyone in there was queer. I think it was cause we weren't allowed to go to funkies, so we didn't have any boys to talk to (So it was a girls school). I swear to god everyone was like hooking up, there was even like the boys. We literally used to call them the boys who were just like a clique of Tomboys who hang out and dance and be cute to teenage girls, I don't wanna say hot because that's giving them too much credit. Anyway, my first experience, I was....umm 16 or 17 and we had just come from holiday and I had just gotten my first kiss from a guy and I was chilling with my best friend from school and we were just hanging out on my bed, telling holiday stories and we talked about how we had been kissed and you know you get that giddy excitement and then she' like Oh my god I miss making out and I'm like me too it felt so nice and she just turned to me and started kissing me. And I was like, you know.... blown away. cause I didn't know that you could just put your lips on a girl especially in Kenya, we don't really talk about things like that. That was my first ever girl kiss and I proceeded to be vicious....in ummm...doing things to girls. That was my experience when I get a chance to be with a girl,  I will be with a girl, when I get a chance to be with a guy, which is more often, unfortunately, because of society standards. NOT MY FAULT! I'll be with a guy

 

Do you find it hard to find other female queers 

​

Ummm I had crushes on straight girls, I think most of the women with have been Bi, a lot of them have had boyfriends. I think it's very interesting. I feel so much power that I can take a  girl away from a guy. I`m like yasss, that's actually what I like. I like meeting girls who are with their baes and they will want me and I'm like, yess. One for the team. Have I ever been with like a lesbian girl?  Ummm I'm too shy around them, also because I like feminine women, when I'm with girls I like hotter girls than me, cause I don't think I'm like.....and I know I'm hot but I'm not like curvy or whatever and I'm also not like a tomboy, I'm feminine, I just really get attracted to girls who have nice curves, nice titties and you know nice face. Girls, who pamper themselves, oh my god am I a stereotype? am I attracted to what men are attracted to. I like them to be really soft and curvy. Like, don't even work out just be soft. that's all I want, softness. I just like women who look nice with their pedicures and their manicures and their hair did and their edges laid. Basically you can look like a model, not even being tall or whatever but if you can look photogenic and if you are confident. Me, I'm into you, if I can take pictures of you, if I could, I've tried photography and I have failed but if I could be a photographer I would only photograph beautiful women.

​
 

Have you come out to anyone in your family?

​

 Oh yeah, my sisters know. I don't even know if I had to tell them, I think I have always expressed liking girls. I don't think I talk about these things with my parents, even if it's about a guy, so no, my parents do not, I would never tell them...I would tell my mum cause she's so open-minded but I think she would be disappointed cause I'm the child bearer of the family, my sisters....yeah my sister doesn't want children, my other one is so career-minded, so I think I’m the one 

​

Do you want children

​

Yes, oh my gosh. When I was young and used to be asked Kuki unataka kuwa nini ukiwa mkubwa? (What do you want to be when you grow up) And I would say nataka kuwa mama kama mum (I want to be a mum), like mum at the top of my lungs, I have always wanted to be a mum. But only when I'm ready. If I was with a partner I would tell my mum but if it's this random sexual exploits, I wouldn't tell her

​

Do Have any queer people who  inspire you

​

Aren't all the best artists queer? Let's just start with that, I mean it's...I feel like all girls are probably bi-sexual. I won't say that because I know that's not scientific but I feel like for a lot of females it's more acceptable to come out as bi. So, yeah, a lot of the artists I like tend to be bisexual or fully gay. They make really good music, MUST BE THE PAIN, you know, I don't mean to say this but it's true a lot of gay people have faced a lot of trauma in their lives, and we all know that strong feeling that have happened in your past really inspire you, That's why I think they make better music, and also a lot of them have inspired me. I like fashion and of course...

​

IS RIHANNA BI-SEXUAL? (We don't know),  someone should go hit on Rihanna and give us the reaction. Honestly, she's so SEXY! Lady Gaga, duh, I had very strange reactions when I saw the Alejandro video. I think I might be attracted to gay guys sexually, so, does any gay guys out there want to give it a chance? you never know unless you try 😉 😉.Ummm a lot of the fashion designers who are gay, I won't name them, but you know them. I wouldn't say that I am inspired by them because they are gay, I don't focus on their sexuality, it just happens to be that...it's just a side fact
 

Would you say your sexuality influences your style in any way?

​

No, I would say I just dress... That's a hard question like I don't dress super feminine or super masculine. I'm kinda just in the middle, I mean....No...No, is the answer my sexuality does not influence my style

​

Do you think being Bi-sexual is a struggle

​

No, in fact, I think being Bi-sexual in Kenya...well for my age group at least it's just like a normal thing. A lot of us girls are used to being open about this and also the guys they are becoming more and more open, it's not like maybe 5 years back you couldn't say your gay, you couldn't dress a certain way. It's way easier these days to express your sexuality than it's ever been, and I hope it's only going to get better and better. There are so many gay guys there (USIU). USIU just makes everyone accept who they are. It's true I always say USIU is not the most educational place but it's a very social place... It is educational but... ...What I mean is, it's not the focus. Like in Strathmore I would say it's all about the education when you think Strathmore you think education, you go there to study and to learn to come out with your degree but then you see in USIU it's such a social Uni in that whatever career you wanna do, that's where you start. If you wanna become an artist or radio personality or any kind of thing, even if it's a scientist or whatever. USIU really gives you the tools and enables you. 

 

Do you feel like there is a stereotype played towards bisexual people in Kenya

​

Ummm yeah, not even in Kenya but... 

1) I hate when people call us snakes and tell us to pick a side.

2) I hate when people say... we are just... a lot of people say that Bi people never end up with women and I'm like so what, some people are lesbian their whole life and they meet one guy and they are like maybe this one is the one for me. Maybe it's not about the gender but it's more about the person, also I don't like the thing where when you tell people you are queer they immediately think that you want them. I'm like do you walk around and wanna freak everyone you see. No, you don't so neither do I just. Just because I tell a girl I am bisexual doesn't mean I want to have relations with you. I don't wanna freak everyone, I don't wanna freak you just because you are female or or because you’re cute. It's just like a normal friendship or relationship. It's not like all girls want to be with any girl no matter who the girl is as long as it's a girl. It's the same way if you’re straight and you like the big booty women. it’s usually men who assume that if you are gay or bi that you wanna freak a girl. And it's like I just don't wanna freak anyone but maybe I should ask your girlfriend cause she's been giving me the look, so....who knows

 

How has it been dating as a bi person in Kenya 

​

I don't think I have ever dated any...I've only ever dated one person and it was a guy..so..maybe I'm not the right person to ask that question, I would however...it's been a very queer beginning and end of the year for me so maybe there’s that. But I've been thinking why don't I date a girl, we would treat each other so well, I know what they like (chocolates) they know what I like (chocolates). You know sometimes you ever just sit and your like man this guy is flirting with me and he can't even buy me one chocolate, seriously, that's all I want right now. It would be very nice to date a girl, we could go and eat and no one would even suspect anything, go dancing and no one would suspect anything or you know sometimes when you’re out even if it's with a guy any partner holding hands and people give you a strange look, you are walking to the shop and you know kawaida (regular) Kenyans will just shoot you a look, like why are you showing affection as if it's a thing to show affection. With a girl, it would be way easier cause you know the non-queer public would probably assume you are really good friends unless you look really butch then they will probably ask you why aren't you wearing tighter clothes.

 

Have you used any apps to meet girls

​

No I have tried on tinder, it didn't go so well, no girl wanted to match with me, but I had put it on both women and men I guess maybe if I had put a sexier picture or I want a threesome or something I would have gotten a girl. I guess I am not cute to girls, Girls hit me up, I need some validation. So no, no luck for me.

 

To be honest, this whole time I never clocked you as queer until you sent me the text

​

Maybe you met at a time when I was a boy crazy. I think every time you met me I have probably been having a crush on a boy. I think every girl in the cosplay community is bi especially the ones.....you know yourselves. A very big handful of us are actually bi I don't think we wear our sexuality on our sleeve. 

​
 

Have you interacted with the queer community

​

Not as a community, maybe just individuals and mainly gay guys, but I do have a fair amount of Gay girls.

​

Have participated in the queer community

​

I have never really been to any of the gay events. Mostly cause I only go to cosplay events, **let's be honest here and thrift social which I'm not going to in 2020, Y'ALL NEED TO STOP KICKING PEOPLE OUT AT 10 PM WHAT ARE WE CHILDREN...but that's on me because I have never taken my time to go to those events I see them happening but I've never really gone I heard there was a drag show which was really fun apparently (the final one). I have been to an event, how could I have forgotten about it, NGLHRC they had a really nice art gallery, maybe in 2017 or 2018 and we went and it was awesome, I used to be very social a while back cause I was like 19 or 20 now I'm just a geek who looks at cosplay pictures and wishes that I could do them. 

 

You have done great cosplay

​

Please tell that to people who say that I'm not a real cosplayer. 

 

Have you interacted with any safe space aside  from like NGLHRC

​

No that's the only one I have seen where gay people come together...actually I like that they don't just come together, it's ok to come together and hang but I like that they fight, they actually fight the court,  they fight for laws to be changed, they fight for rights and all that. I think they are the top ones at the moment.

 

What phrase, word or sentence would you use to describe the Kenyan queer community 

​

The ones I have met...I was gonna say FUN, then I realised that all the queer people I know are very artistically inclined, they are photographers, musicians, artists. I have never thought of it like that because we are artists we are used to expressing ourselves, it's way easier for them to be open about who they are, but most of....every queer person whom I know is somehow in the arts. So I would say, ARTISTIC or CREATIVE.

 

Keep Calm and Kiss a Girl 

​

WE ARE... ARTISTIC