A transgender refugee from Uganda has found a community of support in Edmonton. Metro sat down with Adebayo Katiiti recently to talk with him about coming to North America from Africa and his passion for sports, most notably soccer and swimming.
Since arriving in Edmonton, Katiiti has helped start a local LGBT soccer team and plays in a recreational league where, he said, they have “respect for my sexuality and my gender.” He’s hoping to make it to the World OutGames in Miami later this spring.
One of the places Katiiti has found support is his local church.
“I used to go to church every Sunday, but they chased me out,” he told Metro. “They preached every week against homosexuality; an American Evangelical church goes to Uganda to support and fund those churches.
“So I never expected I’d ever find a church where I could worship and be who I am — to be a trans man with faith, after everything I’ve been through, I think is one of my biggest achievements.”
