Meet the First Openly Queer Miss South Africa Contestant

Sibabalwe Gcilitshana getting ready to take the stage.

By Itumeleng Letsoalo

AUG. 28, 2019

Sibabalwe Gcilitshana talks pride, representation, and beauty pageants with Global Citizen.
Why Global Citizens Should Care
Visibility not only plays a role in changing society’s view on being queer but also sends a message to members of marginalised communities that they matter and are heard. You can take action here to support the UN's Global Goal 10 for reduced inequalities, which works to end discrimination based on sexuality, age, gender, disability, race, ethnicity, or any other status.
It's the evening of the annual Miss South Africa pageant and for the first time in its history, the rainbow flag flies high as the first openly queer contestant takes to the stage.

“Molweni bantu abahle (Hello beautiful people). My name is Sibabalwe Gcilitshana. I’m 24 and I’m from Blythswood in the Eastern Cape,” she confidently introduces herself to the crowd gathered at Time Square in Pretoria — home of the pageant for 2019.

Although new to the pageant world, Gcilitshana showed grace and pride as she took on the role of representing a community that is often excluded from certain societal and cultural spaces.

“I am grateful that I was trusted with this responsibility, I would’ve hated for it to be all about me,” she tells Global Citizen, following her appearance in the pageant on Aug. 9.

Sibabalwe Gcilitshana with the host of the pageant, Bonang Matheba.

Looking back on what led to this moment, Gcilitshana remembers her shock when a colleague suggested that she enter the competition.

“Have you seen what those women look like?” she thought, not believing that she could ever match up to the standard of beauty required for such competitions.

But her colleague convinced her to fill out the form and everything changed when she found out she was one of the top 16 finalists.

This was a defining moment in Gcilitshana’s life and she had to decide how open she wanted to be about herself when in the spotlight.

“I just wanted to be me and it felt weird to get there and try to hide a part of myself that means so much to me and often doesn’t get representation on platforms like that,” she continues.

While beauty pageants are often surrounded by controversy, with social commentators debating whether or not they teach girls to aspire to narrow beauty standards, Miss SA was rebranded this year with a group of women who represent South Africa’s diversity.

And Gcilitshana being the first openly queer contender is an important moment in South Africa’s history, in particular the representation of the LGBTQ+ community on national stages.

Gcilitshana, who is passionate about education, strongly believes in the empowerment of girls and women and members of marginalised communities through education.

“Human rights are an intersection of different things, and education allows people to exercise their rights in a way that helps them reach their full potential,” she tells Global Citizen.

https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/first-openly-queer-miss-south-africa-contestant/