How I learned to love people I disagree with (by dressing up as my mother) | Amrou Al-Kadhi

In my mid-20s I was a struggling artist carrying unprocessed feelings from conservatism of my childhood.

I had been raised in a religious environment where my sexuality was not only suppressed but outright prohibited.

I have been diagnosed with complex PTSD , and as I’ve learned in therapy, black-and-white thinking is a common trauma response.

The drag I engaged in at the time was angry, a protest sometimes a fulfilling one and felt like a kind of militant superhero protecting my wounded inner child at all costs.

It might help us all coexist in a world where we’re being taught to hate each other. - Amrou Al-Kadhi is performing Glamrou : Drag Mother at the Soho theatre in London from 20 to 25 January . Their feature film Layla is available to stream now.