I’m a woman with shrinking, non-functional penis – Ghanaian transgender

A Ghanaian male-born-turned-female says it is not unusual of her to be a woman with male genital, indicating that though she gets sexual urges, her penis does not function.

Veso Golden Oke, who is currently on hormone pills ahead of a transgender surgery “in few months”, said the pills “reduces the size and the function” of her penis”.

She said this on TV3 Tuesday when she opened up about her life before and after her decision to transition from male to female and the consequences thereafter, but was reluctant in letting the public in on her private life.

“I was not medically born female but psychologically I’ve always been a woman so I expect to be addressed as a female,” she told Johnny Hughes on TV3 morning magazine show, the New Day.

She revealed the feeling of being a woman had always been there, indicating that at age eight, “I remember I’d pray to God in the night that I’d want to wake up and my male genital is gone…”

She said life was difficult for her growing up in Nigeria because she was a boy with girls’ features; a situation she explained, caused her to hide most times because she felt threatened.

“Growing up was very difficult because you don’t know your gender; you don’t know what you want to do if you should play with boys or play with the girls, you don’t know if you should wear female clothes,” she said.

Not only did she face difficult times outside but also from her home.

According to Veso, her family initially thought the devil had taken over her, saying “I come from an African Christian home. At first they thought it was a devil working”.



The biggest surprise, she said, was when her “strict father” rather understood her condition and offered her support as against what she had initially thought of. She explained it was later that her mother also understood and came along to support her. Veso said the difficult situation she faced prior to her transition was no more because a lot more people, including her pastor and church members, have come to embrace who she is and not being judgmental whatsoever.

When asked by the host the kind of reactions people give on noticing she is a transgender, she replied “right now I don’t really get these reactions anymore. I think I got them before my transition because it was very weird to have a guy looking like a lady. [Now] I just walk the streets freely”.

On whether she will undergo complete surgery, she said “I’m doing a lot. I think by the time I’m done I will be refactoried woman”.

Meanwhile, she has urged Ghanaians to learn to accept people as they are because “that’s the best way to get a better society”.