Earlier this month the popular Afrikaans *soapie 7de Laan made history by featuring their very first gay kiss on local television screens.

It’s definitely a major milestone for the LGBQT community.

Especially in South Africa because conventional soapies like 7de Laan follow conventional narratives and stick to the status quo.

Not only has 7de Laan featured a gay couple; but they have also introduced their very first trans actress – the beautiful, Deonay Balie.

RELATED ARTICLE: Transwoman living her best life

Balie takes on character, Geneviève and will have a half month stint on the soapie.

It is said that Balie does not have any formal drama training but the producers of the show really wanted a real transgender person to take on the role, for it to be truly authentic.

Viewers will see highly emotional moments as Geneviève confronts her sexuality.

β€œI’m able to use the personal disappointments and hurt I’ve experienced to portray GeneviΓ¨ve,” Balie told YOU magazine. β€œI believe you should use moments of conflict to educate people.”

β€œI’d much rather listen to why they don’t like having a transgender woman in the series and then talk about it. I’m a tough cookie.”

I got very emotional when I looked at pictures of my past life. I just ripped them up, because I wanted to forget. 3 years ago the real me slowly started to show. I started slowly but surely to transition. I never wanted to look at pictures of Deon, a broken and disturbed young man who did not even have a vision for his life. He struggled with a lot. I thank Him today for giving Deonay the opportunity to emerge and be her true self. It was a long road this far, but this is really the last time that I will reflect on a life waisted and focus on rebuilding my future step by step. Bye Bye Deon, may I never see you again!!! I am a strong WOMAN, a WORRIOR, a FIGHTER. Thank you God for giving me the opportunity to truely be me!!! I pray that everyone can one day truely be themslves and embrace there diversity. God bless you all for walking this journey with me. πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹πŸ’‹ Love Miss Deonay Olivia Balie.

A post shared by Deonay Olivia Balie (@deonayoliviabalie) on

This is a positive step in the right direction towards people becoming more accepting and embracing their sexual identities.

Let’s hope various other popular series (not just in SA but around the world) follow suit and shed light on issues that affect the LQBQT community in order for audiences to gain a further understanding.

*Soapie is a South African slang word that means a drama series that plays on TV

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