It’s okay to be out and proud about who you are, no matter what your sexuality or gender identity. Celebrating and embracing who you are is important. This is why I’m celebrating queens from the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, intersex, and asexual or allied) community in this article Choma. There are so many individuals in the LGBTQIA community who are worth celebrating, here are just five of them.

Portia Modise

Image via sports.co.za

Portia Modise is one of South Africa’s best performing soccer players. She has had an amazing career with major achievements that made us all proud. She’s the only African player in history to score over 100 international goals. She also received the South African Sports Star of the Year award and won the 2006 player of the year championship at the Women’s African Football Championship. She’s been open about the fact that she’s lesbian and celebrates her sexuality. She’s also spoken up about the treatment of women in sport, standing up for her right and her fellow female sportsmen’s right to fair treatment in the industry.

Toya DeLazy

Image via Facebook

You might already know Toya Delazy for her crazy hair and hit songs “Pump it on”, “Are you gonna stay” and “Love is in the air”. You may have also already seen from her music videos that she’s a bold musician. But did you know that she is also openly gay? Toya Delazy has played a big role in representing the LGBTQIA community in her music. She actually won an international LGBTQIA music award in New York for one of her music videos – because it embraced love and identify in different forms. She’s been a great role model and is a proud supporter of gay rights and sexual freedom.

Thandiswa Mazwai

Image via instagram

Thandiswa Mazwai, AKA King Tha, has come a long way from being the lead singer of Bongo Maffin. She’s now making waves on her own and in the process she’s learned to embrace who she really is. Although she’s a very private person, she has slowly revealed her sexuality, referring to herself in some ways as lesbian. She recently gave a sweet shout out to the woman she was dating. She’s become more outspoken about LGBTQIA issues, promoting messages of love, anti-discrimination and equality on her social media.

Lesiba Mothibe

Image via instagram

You may not have heard about Lesiba Mothibe, but she is a transgender queen living out and proud. In 2003 she won the Miss Daveyton beauty pageant, which is a beauty pageant that recognises transwomen and gay people. She is now a director of the pageant and she’s also a fierce trans rights activist who co-founded Uthingo the Rainbow for the LGBT community. She also co-runs The Village market, which is a platform that offers small business the opportunity to market their art products. So she not only believes in progress for herself, but for others too.

Deonay Balie

Image via Instagram

Deonay Balie is 7de Laan’s first transgender actress. Her role on TV is important because there aren’t many roles for or about the LGBTQIA community, especially in South Africa. There also aren’t a lot of roles about transgender people played by actual transgender people. So Deonay’s role on TV is a big deal. She’s also using her new celebrity status and her role on TV to educate people about the trans and the LGBTQIA community.

These are just five women who are worth giving a shout out and celebrating for not only being open about their sexuality and gender identity, but for using their fame or status to speak out and educate others. Do you know of any other women from the LGBTQIA community who need a shout out? Let me know in the comments below.

Also remember that if you need advice or help, you can contact me here on Ask Choma, send me a Facebook Message, a Twitter DM, or a WhatsApp Message (071 172 3657)