Linda Mabuza spoke from his heart, shared with the participants his life story and the challenges he is faced with.
He was born intersex and was raised by his parents as a little girl. Soon in his life he realized that he rather wanted to identify as male, even not knowing the terminology and what the whole process would entail he started to pursue a male life. He played soccer and wear the same uniform to school as the other boys.
He needed to leave school early to look after his disabled uncle. Later in life he approached the medical clinic in the rural area where he lives. After six unsuccessful surgery attempts he is left unsatisfied with the results and struggle daily with this. The clinic also never supplied any hormones and he is not having any hormone producing gonads.
On the other hand, he is also facing huge difficulties regarding his legal documentation at Department of Home Affairs. Being an intersex person, he was by default registered as female person and wants to alter his documentation to reflect his male identity instead. Having the medical back up in form of documentation by various medical practitioners, which one letter even clearly states that he is intersex, and should be able to re-register his sex description at Department of Home Affairs he is unsuccessful in that. He applied April 2006 at the Department of Home Affairs for the alteration of sex description on the birth register. 13 Months later, in May 2007 he is still not having any joy or positive outcome with this regard.
“When we as  LGBT people come out, to our parents or any other people, we usually claim to say our sexuality and sexual orientation is only but one aspect of our lives” – was the words Liesl Theron started her half of the presentation, following Linda’s open, honest evidence of intersex life experience. We are made up from many other components too! But when trans and intersex people are faced with such real and difficult challenges, which influence their everyday live – that “one aspect” become an overwhelming, over ruling part of a very real set of challenges.
Where does one start touching this subject of imbalances that polarize gender related inequalities? Many times trans people are unemployed, merely because their Gender identity is not acknowledged at Department of Home Affairs. Without an ID book that reflects the person’s gender identity, it is impossible to apply for a driver’s license or open a bank account. Many don’t even have the luxury to complete school and are also not able to obtain higher education.
Users' Comments (0) 
|
|
|
