This Video Will Open Your Eyes And Your Heart
KOKUMO’s new video explores the issues, the struggles and the lives of transwomen and the men they love, and shows how complicated their love can be.
KOKUMO, a transgender artist and activist based in Chicago, released the new music video for her debut track off her EP, “There Will Come A Day.”
Her new video has come at the perfect time as the world continues to deconstruct and analyze the recent controversy revolving around New York City’s Hot 97 on-air personality DJ Mister Cee, who allegedly was recorded soliciting sex from a transgender sex worker.
Many activists have seized this moment to push the conversations around this ‘scandal’ away from the DJ’s sexuality and towards the very real fact that men are shamed and not allowed to openly voice their attraction to transwomen.
Writer and activist, Janet Mock, published an essay on her personal site last week in response to all the controversy where she hit the nail on the head:
The comments and conversations surrounding hip-hop DJ Mister Cee’s sex scandal-turned-resignation has been appalling and has led me to this essay, which isn’t about him soliciting sex from someone he perceived as a trans woman. The Mister Cee “scandal” sheds light on society’s ignorance, similarly exhibited when Chris Brown, Chingy and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson took photos with trans women; similarly exhibited when folks gender-policed Joseline Hernandez to the point where she Tweeted a nude photo to prove her cis-ness; similarly exhibited when Eddie Murphy, LL Cool J and a list of other powerful men were accused of being “caught” seeking trans women.
This anti-trans woman ideology is harmful, misogynistic and pervasive and travels way beyond the comments section of gossip blogs, and as Sylvia Rivera once said, “I will no longer put up with this shit.”
I am a trans woman. My sisters are trans women. We are not secrets. We are not shameful. We are worthy of respect, desire, and love. As there are many kinds of women, there are many kinds of men, and many men desire many kinds of women, trans women are amongst these women. And let’s be clear: Trans women are women.
KOKUMO’s new video explores the issues, the struggles, and the lives of transwomen and the men they love and shows how complicated their love can be. Not necessarily because of these persons, individually, but because of a greater society that still feels that loving transwomen is something to shame someone for — and not celebrate.
Watch KOKUMO’s music video here and make sure to have some tissues with you. It truly is an incredible piece of work and gives insight into how these harmful ideologies around loving transwomen can produce violence.
Also, check out KOKUMO’s interview with Mia McKenzie over at Black Girl Dangerous here to learn more about the video and her work. 
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnEdhbSO8EE&w=584&h=390]
