Srey Champa’s life has been one long battle. As a child who realised she was a girl trapped in a boy’s body, she was beaten and shackled by her family.
As Cambodia’s first openly transgender boxer, she was attacked and threatened by other fighters. As a sex worker, she contracted HIV.
But now she has, at last, found a sense of belonging.
August 08, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa is the first openly transgender boxer in Cambodia. Because of the discrimination she endures as a transgender boxer, she was forced to quit her profession and became a sex worker. She now earns her living educating sex workers about their rights and occasionally turning to sex work herself. She was diagnosed with HIV twelve years ago. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
August 05, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa holds an old photo of her taken for an ID card. Aside from the general provisions in its Constitution, Cambodia has no laws specifically protecting or recognizing members of the LGBT community against discrimination or violence. The authorities also seem to have gone back on their promises to include lesbians and transgender women within the ambit of an action plan to stop gender-based violence. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 22, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa gets ready to go out to work. She is the first openly transgender boxer in Cambodia. Because of the discrimination she endures as a transgender boxer, she was forced to quit her profession and became a sex worker. She now earns her living educating sex workers about their rights and occasionally turning to sex work herself. She was diagnosed with HIV twelve years ago. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
August 05, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa buys fruits in a market stall in front of her house. Champa is the first openly transgender boxer in Cambodia. Because of the discrimination she endures as a transgender boxer, she was forced to quit her profession and became a sex worker. She now earns her living educating sex workers about their rights and occasionally turning to sex work herself. She was diagnosed with HIV twelve years ago. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
July 13, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa talks with a sex worker and a group of clients along the riverside of Phnom Penh, one of the places frequented by tourists and "sexpats" of the capital. At the age of 42 years, Champa works for the Women's Network for Unity, an organization that helps Cambodian sex-workers and transgender people. She spends many of her evenings talking and educating them about safe sex. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 22, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa practices a song in preparation of a wedding ceremony. In addition to her work for the NGO, Champa makes a living singing, performing at weddings and birthday parties. An activity that, as she says, brings her a "infinite joy". © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 22, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa practices a song in preparation of a wedding ceremony together with her former boyfriend. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 22, 2014 - Phnom Penh. A transgender sexworker prepares herself for the night. Contrary to what is happening in neighboring Thailand, the vast majority of transgender people in Cambodia do not have sufficient financial means to afford the cost for sex reassignment and spend a little money in hormonal pills of poor quality and of dubious origin. In many cases, the transition takes place with just a touch of mascara, a cheap foundation cream and some lipstick. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
March 16, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa during the 80th birthday party that her lesbian friends organized for their mother in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. © Thomas Cristofoletti
March 16, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa’s friends dry themselves after a swim in the Mekong river. Together with Champa, they were participating in the 80th birthday party that their lesbian friends organized for their mother. © Thomas Cristofoletti
March 16, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa dances during the 80th birthday party that her lesbian friends organized for their mother in the outskirts of Phnom Penh. © Thomas Cristofoletti
August 08, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa takes pills for HIV treatment in her home. Having been herself a sex-worker full time and being HIV positive for more than 12 years, she is very aware of the dangers related to the profession and spends much of her time working as a sex educator. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom
July 13, 2014 - Phnom Penh. Champa talks with a group of sex worker along the riverside of Phnom Penh, one of the places frequented by tourists and "sexpats" of the capital. At the age of 42 years, Champa works for the Women's Network for Unity, an organization that helps Cambodian sex-workers and transgender people. She spends many of her evenings talking and educating them about safe sex. © Thomas Cristofoletti / Ruom