Transexual triumphs over gender adversity

PhnomPenhPost.com – Written by Nguon Sovan

From an early age Leang Sothea knew she was different, but since having a sex-change operation in 2006 she hasn’t looked back

Based on the prediction of the midwife, Leang Sothea’s mother’s was certain the child would be a girl. Before she gave birth, she even started sewing girl’s clothing for her new baby.

Leang Sothea was not born a girl, but the midwife wasn’t exactly wrong either.
Feeling like a woman combined with the heartbreak of unrequited love prompted 26-year-old Leang Sothea, professionally known as “Popi”, to undergo a sex-change operation in 2006, becoming one of the few transsexuals in Cambodia.