Dylan Bettencourt
Empumelelweni engakaze ibonwe eNingizimu Afrika uLehlogonolo Machaba ube ngowesifazane wokuqala oyi-transgender ukungenela umncintiswano wonobuhle kaMiss SA.
“Abesifazane abangama-Transgender cishe ngaso sonke isikhathi bakhishwa inyumbazane kulawo mathuba,” kusho lo wesifane oneminyaka engama-24.
UMachaba ukwenze lokhu kwabazodlala kowandulela owamanqamu kwabangama-30 kulo nyaka ekuqhutshweni okukhulu kokuhluka kwalo mcimbi wonobuhle ohlonishwayo.
“Yingakho bengingakaze ngicabange ukuthi ngiyoke ngibone umuntu onjengami endaweni enjalo. Ngikholwa wukuthi uma ngingakhethwa kungakhuphula ithemba emantombazaneni amaningi afana nami.”
UMachaba wase-Oskraal, e-North West uneziqu ze-fashion design technology azithola e-Tshwane University of Technology.
UMachaba, ophinde abe ngumsunguli womkhiqizo wemfashini i-DeMollies, uthe bekuyiphupho lakhe njalo ukumela umphakathi we-LGBTQI+ ezingeni eliphezulu kakhulu.
“Ngeplatifomu kaMiss SA, ngizokwazi ukumela umphakathi we-LGBTQI+ futhi ikakhulukazi abesifazane abaziwa njengabahlonishwa. Ngingasebenzisa leli thuba ukunika amandla wonke umuntu obhekelwa phansi futhi ngithemba ukuba yisibani sethemba lamantombazane amancane. ”
Umphakathi waseNingizimu Afrika unikwe isikhathi ukugcina kumhla zingama-21 kuNtulikazi ukuvotela abazoncintisana phezulu abayishumi kwi-website esemthethweni kaMiss SA.
Umthombo wesithombe: @ lehlogonolo.machaba