Chedino, backstage, during a Divas in Cabaret performance, Elsies River, Cape Town, 2012.
Divas in Cabaret was a lip-sync group formed by Chedino and which consisted of LGBTQ community members. The group performed covers of songs by Whitney Houston, Gladys Knight, and Tina Turner.
Britney Misty Daniels performs as part of Divas in Cabaret, Fergus Inn, Elsie’s River, Cape Town, 2012.
Chedino gets ready backstage, during a Divas in Cabaret performance at Fergus Inn, Elsie’s River, Cape Town, 2012.
Chedino orders a drink during the Miss Temptation beauty pageant, Athlone, Cape Town, 2014. By this time, Chedino was no longer allowed to take part, as she had begun her hormone treatment.
Chedino at her mother’s house, Heideveld, Cape Town, 2014.
Chedino’s friend Alicia relaxes after participating at the Miss Temptation beauty pageant, Athlone, Cape Town, 2014.
Chedino performs as Divas in Cabaret, Elsies River, Cape Town, 2012.
Divas in Cabaret performed in local bars and clubs on weekends for several years before disbanding in 2016.
Alanzo, one of Chedino’s oldest friends, Matroosfontein, Cape Town, 2014.
Chedino with a hangover in the morning, Ravensmead, Cape Town, 2014.
3 days before her gender- affirming surgery. Chedino poses in the home she shares with her fiancé Keagan and his Deaf parents, Hanover Park, Cape Town, 2017.
Chedino cuts the hair of a friend at Miss Whall’s house, Ravensmead, Cape Town, 2014.
Aside from her job in a call center, Chedino worked as a hairdresser to earn some extra money.
Chedino, a few days before her gender-affirming surgery.
Chedino arrives at Groote Schuur Hospital for check-in, Cape Town, 2017.
The day before Chedino’s surgery, Dr Gertrude van Niekerk (center) and Dr Kevin Adams (obscured by van Niekerk) drop by for a last check up as well as to discuss the position and outline of Chedino’s breasts, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
Chedino cries in a waiting room outside the operating theatre, moments before being wheeled into the operating theatre, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
The surgical information board lists the procedures that were carried out on Chedino during her gender-affirming surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
The bloody bandages were hung up and counted to make sure none are left inside the patient.
Dr Kevin Adams, photographed outside his office, Claremont, Cape Town, 2022.
In 2009, after Dr. Adams founded the Transgender Clinic — a new transgender care project at Groote Schuur — things became more structured. Led by Dr. Adams — a senior specialist in plastics and reconstructive surgery — the clinic, for the first time, brought together psychiatrists, endocrinologists and plastic surgeons to address the unique needs of their transgender patients.
The right hand belonging to Dr. Kevin Adams, during the five-and-half hour gender-affirming surgery of Chedino, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
Two teams of surgeons worked on Chedino during the procedure: one team focused on the "top" surgery — breast augmentation with implants to enhance the size of her breasts — while Dr. Adams carried out her "bottom" procedures — an orchiectomy to remove her testicles and a vaginoplasty to transform and reconstruct her genitalia.
A nurse checks Chedino’s dressings, a day after her gender- affirming surgery, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
In the evening after her gender-affirming surgery, Chedino shows off her new breasts to Keagan and his mother (right) and a few of her friends, Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town, 2017.
Keagan organised a party to welcome Chedino home after she was released from the hospital. While Keagan’s father, Keith (right), prepared the braai, Chedino leans on her friend Coco, for support, while Sandra Dee (left) a so-called ‘older queen’, looks on.
Keagan operates a BBQ or ‘braai’ during Chedino’s welcome home party, Hanover Park, 2017
Keagan slides the last of three wedding rings onto Chedino’s finger during their marriage ceremony, Marriage Office, Department of Home Affairs, Cape Town, 2018.
According to Chedino, Keagan insisted on three wedding rings “ to show me that he will always try and give me nothing but the best.”
Surrounded by curious neighbours Chedino gets into the limousine which will take her to the wedding venue at Muizenberg Civic Centre, Heideveld, Cape Town, 2018.
Chedino gets out of the limousine at Claremont Gardens, a famous spot for wedding pictures, Claremont Gardens, Cape Town, 2018. The weather was so bad that, moments later, Chedino decided not to go ahead with her pictures, and told the driver to take them straight to Muizenberg Civic Centre.
A private moment between Chedino & Keagan in the limousine on their way to Muizenberg Civic Centre, Cape Town, 2018.
From left to right: Chedino’s cousin Keyoma, Melissa, Chedino’s sister Nikita, Chedino, Diana, Wilma & Jada, Muizenberg Civic Centre, Cape Town, 2018.
Chedino & Keagan relax in bed on their one year anniversary, Hanover Park, Cape Town, 2019.
Chedino shows off her new fake eye lashes, Hanover Park, Cape Town, 2019.
Chedino’s friend Miss Whall, photographed in a bar in Gugulethu, Cape Town, 2014.
Chedino’s friend Mortavia, looks at herself in a mirror in the house she shares with her mother and brother, Valhallah, Cape Town, 2018.
Mortavia (41) has been on the Transgender waiting list —the same list that Chedino was on — for 10 years. Currently, there are more than 300 people on the waiting list. New candidates face a decade long wait before they'll be eligible for a procedure — and the only way to move up the list is if another candidate pulls out, is no longer eligible or dies.
Chedino’s younger sister Nikita at home, Heideveld, Cape Town, 2014.
Wilma in her bedroom, Eerst Rivier, Cape Town, 2018.
Wilma is 30 years old and only joined the Transgender Clinic waiting list a year ago. She was recently told that she will have to wait 25 years for her ‘slot’.
From left to right: Mortavia, Chedino and Wilma share a joke in the courtyard of the home she shares with Keagan and his parents, Hannover Park, Cape Town, 2018.
Chedino & Keagan enjoy a quiet moment, St. James Beach, Cape Town, 2019.
Mjay (right) marks lines and points on the self made tailoring template of the future dress for Chedino. This will be one of many dresses that Chedino is going to wear for the Miss Trans Africa pageant submission.
Mjay is a 2022 Calendar Girl contestant and won third place.
Chedino rehearses a dance routine with her dance partner, Shane, in the living room of her aunt Michelle (second from left), Belville, 2022.
Chedino & Keagan get ready for attending the Miss Gay Legacy beauty pageant, Hanover Park, Cape Town, 2022.
Chedino sorts out her friend Jada's hair, a contestant at the Miss Gay Legacy Extra Over 40s Only beauty pageant at St. Mary's Church in Retreat, Cape Town, 2022.
Chaz, photographed at Alanzo’s house, Matroosfontein, Cape Town, 2014.
Chedino prepares the crowns for the winners of her Miss Calendar Girl beauty pageant at the Retreat Hotel, Cape Town, 2022.
Chedino and Keagan decided to start their own pageant, after Chedino was excluded from other events due to her hormone therapy.
Coco, an old friend of Chedino’s, has a last cigarette before heading home, after attending the 2022 Miss Calendar Girl Pageant.
Chedino and Kiara Vuitton get ready for the Miss Gay Arabella beauty pageant. Kiara will compete in the pageant while Chedino is the head judge.
Taking a break from her duties as head judge, Chedino cheers as drag queen Emogen Moore performs during the Miss Gay Arabella beauty pageant, Grassy Park Civic Centre, Cape Town, 2022.
An experienced queen herself, Chedino is often asked to judge pageants, something she takes very seriously.
Miss Gay Arabella beauty pageant, Grassy Park Civic Centre, Cape Town, 2022.
Chedino poses for a portrait in the outfit that she wore when she won Miss Transgender South Africa 20/21 at the Governor's Office in the Castle of Good Hope, Cape Town, 2022.
Chedino marches against gender-based violence during the first Delft Pride parade, Delft, Cape Town, 2022.
Chedino walks in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Cape Town, 2022. The last time she was in Kirstenbosch, Chedino was still in primary school.
Chedino poses for a portrait as part of her Miss Trans Africa beauty pageant submission. She would go on and win the pageant.
