Journalist, media personality, and fashionista Njeri Makena has finally talked her truth and what the grandest way to do that than standing on a TEDx stage through the TEDx Parklands.
Njeri Makena gave a brief story about her life growing up and how she finally became a proud member of the LGBTIQ+ after getting the confidence she thought she never had in the first place.
Makena confessed that it took her years for her to accept and admit the same to herself talking to herself in the mirror convincing her that she’s gay and she should be proud of her identity without any fear.
“I remember for the first time in my life after very many years, I looked at the mirror and said to myself ‘I am gay, I am unique and this is my truth’,” she said.
Adding;
“I believe that gender identity is one’s personal experience and perception of self”.
She even shared how she suffered depression for three months when little to no people standing on her corner to support her when she needed them the most.
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She opened up on that fateful day in July 2019 when she trended on Twitter and almost every other social media platform after an alleged woman claiming to be her girlfriend vandalized her Mercedes Benz car.
Makena vividly remembers waking up to over 1,000 messages and slightly over 500 missed calls after she trended on Twitter for a few days.
“I remember that cold morning of July 2019 when I woke up and looked at my phone. I had over 1,000 messages and over 500 missed calls. My blood went cold. I knew something was wrong,” the former BBC Journalist said.
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Makena who is a former Tahidi actor almost always wanted to take up challenging roles that would be normally get played by men but was always shut down facing criticism when she brought up the idea.
Njeri Makena was called out and attacked on social media receiving hateful comments because of her choice of being outspoken and appreciative of herself being different from a lot of people since she’s into suits which is always considered to be a thing for men.
Actually, Njeri Makena rocks suit beautifully and elegantly than most men you know today.
“I believe that gender identity is one’s personal experience and perception of self,” Makena explained.
At the moment, Njeri Makena who is a former BBC journalist is keen on building up her organization called Bold Network Africa, a company that she’s the founder and CEO.
Her organization is bent on making sure that the perception of the members of the LGBTQ community in Africa is changed for the better in the eyes of the general public.
