Tribute to Liz "Neyehma" Morton

When I met Neyehma, I was completely struck by her flamboyant demeanor and beauty as well as the impenetrable command she seemed to attain whenever she walked into a room.  She was tall and dark-skinned, and she walked confidently as if she owned the very space into which she entered.  All eyes would quickly turn to look at her.  Her smile and her grace were magnetic, and I found myself secretly envious of the attention she garnered where ever she went.  And, like her effervescent presence that seemed to light up the room, her style of belly dance captured the awe and attention of all her audiences.

Soon after, a friend of mine told me of Neyehma’s secret and I was completely dumbfounded.  And it occurred to me that she had gone to the ends of the world to become that which she wanted to be come more than life itself.  I was so impressed by the very fact that what she wanted in life was what she had chosen for herself that I approached her and offered her a night to dance at The Grapeleaf restaurant.   My desire what to provide the space for her to live out the dream she had wanted for a very long time, and I had the space and means to give that to her.  Neyehma accepted and for five years she danced on Wednesday nights.

Neyehma was a pioneer in the trans community.  Defying all odds, she was one of the first to transform herself into the sexual identity she wanted, and she walked and danced proudly in that identity.  I so admired her conviction, and did my utmost to embrace and support her in her life’s choice that I employed her, as no one in the San Francisco Bay Area Middle Eastern establishments with live entertainment would.

When The Grapeleaf closed at the disillusionment of my marriage to Gabe, all dancers were let go; but because Neyehma had danced at The Grapeleaf for five years, the Marrakesh on O’Farrell Street would now employ her as a dancer, and she danced there for several years after.  Neyehma passed away of pancreatic cancer in January 14, 2013.

YouTube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfuf8GE_Yns

Below is a mini biography about Neyehma's life written by her own hand.