Morchen, 24, a transgender woman who has lived in London for 10 years.

"My name is Morchen. I prefer to be called Moshi. I am from Linfen, Shanxi, China, and a fashion designer living in London."

"I was more curious about girl stuff from a very young age. One of the main reasons was that I took Latin dance lessons from six to twelve. Then I would also go out with girls a lot, and every time I performed, I would feel pretty instead of handsome. And then, growing up, I would also like all kinds of shiny things like glitter and feathers because I would wear them every time I performed.

I was called a sissy a lot in primary school because I had a much thinner voice than the other boys and growing up. I hated being called a sissy because I thought it was an insult.But I'm very, very grateful that as a child, I could keep taking Latin dance lessons because it gave me a solid foundation to accept my sexuality and my perception of my gender when I came to the UK. It made me feel that wearing women's clothes was not something to be ashamed of and that it was not a shame to feel like a girl."

"One thing I still can't forget is that when I was in junior high school, I followed a group of boys teasing a gay boy in the class next door. But I knew at the time that I liked boys, but I wasn't sure why I wanted to act like I was part of the heterosexual community in that way.

It was as if I followed the group of boys as if I had become a member myself. In it, I wouldn't be bullied, I wouldn't be teased, and I wouldn't be treated like a deviant. But I wasn't happy then."

"Before I came to England, I thought about pretending to be straight and marrying a girl. I knew it was terrible, but I didn't know what to do because my family was too traditional."

"I feel more at home in England because I have experienced the most important and happy seven years of my life here. But that doesn't mean that Linfen, Shanxi is not my home, which is a flashpoint in my memory and my hometown. Due to my current personal choices, I must stay in the UK. And I want to get married in the future and have my children like everyone else, so maybe the UK is that home I've been looking for."

(Excerpts from interviews)

29/09/2022

Pictures: Morchen