Prince Acquah

Ghana

The Broken Wing of Adolescence

Growing up wasn’t something easy for me; especially in the environment I found myself in.

The awful name people called me was “Kojo Besia”, which was a shameful name that referred to a boy who behaved like a girl in my local dialect, Twi. That was what everyone knew.

My name became a lost treasure; people stopped using it and couldn’t just imagine how people ignored it and called me “Kojo Besia” instead.

Religious experience had it most. In the society I live in, religion has an upper hand and at a point in time, I had to force myself and try to pray the feminism away. I just didn’t want to accept that I had gay attractions because that would have made it worst. I would be called a wizard, aside from the name “Kojo Besia.”

Before I entered the university, I had to come to terms with my sexual orientation after becoming ill – for being too hard on myself for things I couldn’t change no matter how much I prayed.

I realized hiding in the closet was for clothes, not people. Being called “Kojo Besia” doesn’t matter as long as I am happy with who I am.