Fighting for God: The Church’s War on Trans People in Botswana
Phio Kenosi reflects on his deeply personal journey with faith as a trans individual, the trauma inflicted by the church, and the struggle for LGBTQI+ religious inclusion in Botswana.
When I was growing up, I would go to church with my grandmother every Sunday. I would carry her book bag, and she would ask me which congregation to visit. During the week, we would pray together, and as I got older, I continued to ask her questions about God. She was always willing and ready to answer me. My most lasting memory of my grandmother is of her sitting in her favourite chair, reading the Bible and singing hymns.
Many of us had similar upbringings, learning to understand and love God because of this foundation. After all, in some households, telling your grandmother you don’t want to go to church would be seen as blasphemous! This aspect of myself remained intact long after she passed away and even when I came into myself as a Trans Masculine Non-Binary person (he/him pronouns).
The Church and the Pain It Inflicts
However, I cannot deny that I also carry deep trauma caused by the church—being othered, misunderstood, and experiencing the abrasiveness that comes with ‘Christian love.’ While my feelings about God remain strong, I find the current state of the church to be fundamentally opposed to the teachings of Jesus.
The Bible says: “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this, everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” – John 13:34-35.
Many find comfort in these words, knowing that love is abundant in their creator and their community.
The Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana’s Betrayal
Sadly, the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana (EFB)—a coalition of churches, including the Apostolic Faith Mission, Assemblies of God, the Pentecostal Protestant Church (PPC), and others—has taken a stance against this core tenet of Christianity by opposing LGBTQI+ rights.
Mirroring the broader anti-gender movement, the EFB’s position specifically targets the trans community and gay men, exploiting the fear of the unknown and pre-existing biases against us.
They claim their stance is about protecting children from “indoctrination” by LGBTQI+ individuals. This tactic plays on deeply held fears, making it easier for people to accept the stripping of our rights and the demonisation of our community. The use of children as a weapon is particularly insidious, tapping into everyone’s instinctive desire to protect the vulnerable.
The Rise of Anti-LGBTQI+ Sentiment in Botswana
In recent years, we’ve seen the movement target the LGBTQI+ community with extreme prejudice. When Uganda adopted the Anti-Homosexuality Act, I feared the rest of Africa might follow. But I didn’t expect Botswana to become a battleground for religious intolerance.
Church leaders first took to the streets in Molepolole, with pictures circulating on social media showing children participating in these protests. They didn’t stop there. They went to the capital, where hundreds marched in the streets, protesting against our right to exist.
The rhetoric they use specifically targets the transgender community, misgendering trans women as gay men. They misunderstand the nuances of our identities and see us as something like Frankenstein’s monster—grotesque beings disguising ourselves to deceive people.
Trans People as the First Target
We are always the easiest target when these movements seek to attack the entire LGBTQI+ community. We are visible and clearly marked, making it easier for them to use us as scapegoats. This is a pattern we’ve seen across the global anti-gender movement.
Before the evangelical movement came for us, some churches had begun to accept LGBTQI+ people. We worked hard to educate members of the Botswana Council of Churches (BCC) and gained some allies who took up our mantle, speaking for us in spaces we could not.
African Traditional Churches also seem more accepting. I remember a priestess telling me: “If you are a man, then you are a man, and your God also sees you as a man.” Others in the community have encountered similarly open and welcoming environments in these churches.
The Deep Scars Left by Religious Rejection
Despite these glimmers of hope, deep scars remain from being removed from places of worship and community. I am one of many people traumatised by my experiences—especially in the evangelical church. I was made the topic of sermons and subjected to ‘deliverance’ every Sunday. Many in the transgender community share similar stories. Many have chosen silence, staying away from churches that preach that their existence is against God.
Yet, some choose to take up space in their respective churches. They attend regularly, engage in difficult theological debates with their leaders, and stand up for those who cannot. They ask: “Did God not say, ‘Come as you are’? Did He not say we were made in His image? How then can my fellow man judge me before my own God does?” These questions must be answered by those who use God as a vehicle for oppression.
Holding Onto Faith in New Ways
There are other ways in which trans people hold onto faith—by gathering in fellowship with other trans folk, reading the Bible together, and sometimes attending progressive churches. There have even been instances where transgender people have organised Sunday mass for those seeking a space to worship.
As for me, my faith has been examined and reexamined. I am on a long journey of deconstruction. I still hold onto some of the fundamental beliefs of my Christian upbringing: to love others is to know God, because God is love. But I no longer need God’s validation to love.
I also continue to hope that the Evangelical Fellowship of Botswana and the broader anti-gender movement will one day see us as Jesus would. We are not ungodly or unworthy. Perhaps it is they who have forgotten who He truly was and why He came to save us.
Phio Kenosi is a transmasculine non-binary individual from Botswana who’s been actively involved in the trans and gender diverse activist space since 2017. His work focuses on enhancing the lives of trans individuals and advocating for equality and equity within systems.
This article was made possible with the support of the Other Foundation. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the Other Foundation. www.theotherfoundation.org.
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