Veso Golden Oke (born 1993/1994) is a Nigerian trans rights activist, model, make-up artist and hairstylist.[2][3] In 2019, she became the first openly transgender woman to compete in a beauty pageant in Africa.[4][5][6]
Veso Golden Oke | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Citizenship | [1] |
| Occupation(s) | Model, Actress, Activist, entrepreneur |
Early life
Oke was born to a Nigerian father and a Ghanaian mother.[6] She was raised Anglican.[6]
As a child, Oke was feminine and felt that she was a woman; she never identified as a gay man.[1] She has recalled that at age 8, she used to pray she would wake up in a girl's body.[3] At age 14, she learned online about transgender identity and came to terms with her own identity.[6] Although initially when she came out her family thought "the devil had taken over her," her parents soon became supportive.[6][1]
Career
In 2014, Oke left Nigeria and moved to Ghana.[6] There, she began working as a model and mentor to models in Accra.[1]
In August 2019, Oke competed in Miss Europe Continental, a beauty pageant being held in Ghana.[4]
Personal life
See also
- Bobrisky – Nigerian transgender woman (born 1991)
- Jay Boogie – Nigerian transgender woman
- Miss Sahhara – Nigerian beauty queen and LGBTQ advocate
- Noni Salma – Nigerian transgender woman