Woubi Chéri

If you think that having the luxury to be an open transvestite is limited to First World countries, think again. Yes, even in Africa--here, the Ivory Coast--there exist woubis (males who play "the wife" in gay relationships), yossis (bisexual men who accept the role of the woubi's "husband"), and toussou bakaris (lesbians) who are forcing recognition of a gay presence. In this engaging tape, we are introduced to a cross-section of Abidjan's woubi community, some of whom belong to the Ivory Coast Transvestite Association, who describe their world and invite us to a djémé (celebratory feast). We discover that, for the most part, their experiences parallel that of U.S. gays: the teen-years angst, the renaissance of the discovery of like-minded individuals, the harassment in nightclubs, the feeling that one's peers are one's true family. However, African culture being vastly different from that in the U.S., Western audiences may rightly wonder whether the wearing of brightly colored, flowing clothing is a manifestation of transvestite personality, or simply what African men wear. A narrator providing background and perspective would have helped U.S. audiences (many of whom are unlikely to understand references to "spreading magic powder" and "reading the cowlies") more fully understand the emerging woubi community, but, other than that, this tape is recommended for gender studies and gay and lesbian collections. Aud: C, P. (K. Glaser)