Interview: Paul Hofman
Rolling smoothly in her wheelchair, Sherry Jae enters the hotel lounge. As one of the six ambassadors, she is certainly the most striking. As a baby she arrived in the Netherlands from Biafra at the end of the 1960s, during a violent civil war. Sherry Jae (53) had to fight many prejudices: she was a person of colour and had had polio. Eight years ago she discovered she is transgender. “I am a survivor. Period.”
Polio
She softly talks about her earliest years. “As a baby I was severely malnourished. At that time there was no polio vaccine. In Arnhem I met my foster parents. They took me to Naarden where I had a wonderful childhood.” She smiles as she recalls her mischievous exploits. Sherry Jae was a curious child who faced the world with openness. Her disability was never an obstacle, she says. “My parents were strict and encouraged me to do things myself. Especially my father was like: if you want something, you go and work for it.” That wasn’t just empty words. She takes on a paper route.
Although it shaped her, she admits her father could sometimes be too harsh. “It could have been dialled down a bit.”
Mischief
She didn’t like school much; she preferred to play. “Getting up to mischief was more my thing.” After finishing secondary school she started working. She was 21 when she left home. “I wanted to go to the big city. To be independent.” She moved to Amsterdam Zuidoost, a district with more than 170 nationalities. “I enjoyed it and still do. But I feel firsthand that the tolerance threshold here is low.” Sherry Jae never felt unsafe, though she did witness unpleasant things around her. She pauses for a moment.
What are her plans? Her eyes light up as she says enthusiastically that as a Pride ambassador she will work to increase the visibility of trans people, trans migrants and people with disabilities. “Within the LGBT+ community we may be a bit of an odd duck, but I want to show that we exist. For many people it’s still unfamiliar. I want to change that.” As an ambassador she can make a difference.
Wow moment
When Sherry Jae was asked to take on this role she didn’t hesitate. “I really had a wow moment. It’s such an honour to do this. I will be visible everywhere during Pride and will work hard for visibility.”
The passionate activist herself works atTrans United Europewhere she is the hub within the Amsterdam office. “I’m basically a jack-of-all-trades.” Trans people can come here with all their questions. “Here you can also talk to other bicultural trans people and find a listening ear.” She emphasises that trans people can end up in vulnerable and complicated situations. “That’s why our work is invaluable.”
Her skin colour, disability and gender identity make her unique. Laughing: “I’ve never met a second me.” In 2005 she permanently hung up her crutches. She is glad that from that moment she has used a wheelchair. “The quality of my life went up. I regained my independence.” Regaining control over her own life meant a lot to her.
Her life motto? Without hesitation: “Never make your heart a murder hole; speak your truth. And never let anyone treat you like rubbish.” Fighting injustice is in her nature. About herself: “What you see is what you get.” In her forties Sherry Jae realised she was ‘different’. “It didn’t come like a bolt from the blue. It confirmed the feelings I had: I am a woman.”
Take Pride in Us
Not long after this discovery she began her transition. It was a long process, but she assures it was worth it. “I feel okay like this.” She emphasises that she is proud of herself. The theme of Pride this yearTake Pride in usis therefore perfectly applicable to her and the transgender community. “My dream of being one hundred percent happy has come true. I fought for that myself. I followed my own path and had to fight battles. But it was more than worth it.” It’s hard to imagine a better representative for trans people’s interests. She is eager to get started as an ambassador. She recognises that a lot is expected of her but she is ready. “Inclusivity comes first. I fight hard for that. We matter too.” No one can ignore Sherry Jae Ebere anymore.
Pride ambassador since 2021.
