admin
The Mzansi Viewers’ Choice Award winner stated on Twitter, in a thread of images and inspirational quotes, that “she is happy that she no longer has to pretend to be a boy” and that she identifies as female.
According to Zalebs, the fact that Selbeyonce Mkhize had the courage to come out as a transgender female was met with both positive and negative feedback, including offensive commentary.
Selbeyonce has always identified as being a feminine queer even though she is not the first transgender celebrity in the local entertainment industry. The Moja Love show The Way Ngingakhona introduced us to Tholong Motsumi, who identified as female. The other example was found with another reality show Becoming which detailed the journey of individuals who are transgender males and females.
The negative comments attached to the celebration of transgender individuals and other individuals who identify as non-binary are not only limited to South Africa only, celebrated British singer Sam Smith who currently identifies as non-binary went on to request that their name be removed from gender based categories at music award shows. This was before they released their critically acclaimed album Gloria.
Selbeyonce is an icon in her own right and she can now continue on building her brand and reaching newer heights. The celebration of queer celebrities especially in the entertainment industry is important. There has been many milestone moments celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community which have included Somizi’s marriage despite the controversy surrounding it.
The rebirth of Selbeyonce by identifying as female is a positive step in the fight against the discrimination around individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community. The entertainment industry has been very welcoming and supportive of the community with the support of the Feather Awards and other LGBTQIA+ entertainment related content that shows the real lives of individuals within the community.
