This South African beauty queen just came out as intersex
South African beauty queen Sharon-Rose Khumalo has opened up about her intersex identity in a revealing interview.
Talking to Glamour magazine, Khumalo revealed her gender identity and took a stance against those who attack the LGBT community.
“Being a person of substance has nothing to do with being straight, gay, lesbian, transgender or intersex,” the recently crowned Miss Mamelodi Sundowns said.
“The most important issue for us human beings is what we do with our lives.”
The beauty queen said she wanted to use the platform to raise awareness around the intersex status after finding out about being intersex when she was 21.
Khumalo explained that she had grown up feeling “traditionally” female.
“For me there was no reason my parents could think otherwise. I grew up seemingly like a normal traditional female,” she said.
The blogger was diagnosed with Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome after she went to the doctors because she did not have a period.
The diagnosis left her “shattered”.
“I remember I just wanted to go home and cry it out because I went to the doctor thinking that he will just say “oh gain some weight, take this medication and then everything will be sorted”.
“And now he just dropped this bomb on me and I didn’t know who I was anymore,” she explained.
“Sometimes I am okay and then on some days I look at other women who have children and I know I will never have that, but I have learnt to accept that this is the situation and I can’t really change it.”
Since her diagnoses four years ago, Khumalo has embraced her status as intersex and is tackling life head on. From dating to competing in shows, everything has become a new learning path for her.
“Coming out to talk about this was me saying “Yes, I may be different from the next “girl” but there is nothing wrong with me and I have absolutely NOTHING to be ashamed of, because at times I felt like there was”.”
She also wants to send a message of solidarity to others who may be coming to terms with an identity change.
“Know darling child, know that whatever you may be going through you don’t have to suffer in silence.”
