Diana King opens up about sexual abuse - Singer’s campaign to ‘get something off my chest’ gathers steam

It's a forthright season for singer Diana King, who has been opening up like never before. The Say a Little Prayer songstress revealed over the weekend that she was sexually assaulted as a child.

"I was 11-12 yrs old [and] I know I'm not alone," she said in an Instagram caption.

The primary post read: "I was a girl who liked girls. Some boys noticed this and planned my gang rape to 'fix me'. Not all the boys knew this. Only the 2 who were my friends. Over 20 boys & men were invited. T'was the 1st time I exited my body. I experienced & observed it for decades... I blocked the reason."

In rallying for an end to rape culture, King encouraged sexual abuse victims to share their story, adding that she is grateful for the power of healing and being authentic on her journey. Her peers, Tanya Stephens and Queen Ifrica, have also recently shared their stories about being sexually violated, also calling for an end to sexual crimes.

King's post comes almost a week since she announced the launch of her GoFund Me account in aid of top surgery. As of yesterday, more than US$5,000 (approximately J$771,000) has been donated to the campaign, dubbed 'I NEED TO GET SOMETHING OFF MY CHEST'. The campaign was launched on April 1.

King, who has set a target of raising US$18,000 (approximately J$ 2.8 million), has thanked the donors.

"Next milestone is 50 [per cent]. Let's go! I truly appreciate your luv & support."

King, who revealed that she was a lesbian in 2012, later announced that she identifies as non-binary, describing it as "multi-spirit, feminine, masculine, everything in-between or just spirit. Genderless."

Healthline describes female-to non-binary top surgery as the removal of breast tissue and contouring of the chest to "reflect a flat, masculine or male appearance".

Though she admits that she is generally private, King said she decided to ask for help due to the financial impact of the pandemic on her income as an entertainer.

"Please support my top surgery fund if u can. It was my intention to do this on my own and it still is. The future is unpredictable but since it isn't possible at this time to do it all alone, I will (be) contributing what I have, when I can, and at the same time, accepting that it is ok to ask for help when u need it without shame."

She said she has contemplated doing the surgery for decades, but suppressed it because of its novelty in Jamaican culture and her era of prominence. She further revealed that she struggles with body dysmorphic disorder, a mental health condition where one is preoccupied with one or more perceived defects in appearance, per the Mayo Clinic.

"This is not the time for me to explain myself to those who may not understand," she said. "I will be 52 years old in November and the fact is, it's never too late to choose to start living your best self and authentic life. Time is not promised."