LEARNING to accept herself has been a long journey for Caroline Kinsey.

Growing up in Darwen, she knew she was different from those around her and Caroline was often bullied.

Only when she was older did she discover the reason why.

Caroline is an hermaphrodite, a condition which means she was born with both male and female sex organs.

The condition affects one in every 2,000 births in the UK and there are an estimated 30,000 intersex people living in the UK.

Caroline is now making a public plea for people in East Lancashire to be more accepting, adding that there has been a lot of misunderstandings about her condition.

And her call has been backed by the UK Intersex Association, which supports people like Caroline.

Dr Jay Hayes-Light, the charity’s director said: “Being intersex is not a life style choice but a medical condition.

“Caroline’s case is typical of that of an a intersex child who had no idea about their condition.

“Members of the public often confuse intersex people with those who are transgender because of a lack of understanding.”

Caroline said she was born in Bull Hill Hospital in Darwen in 1968 to proud parents Monica and Rudolph Baker.

But after her safe delivery their good news was shattered when a nurse said their new baby daughter also had male genitalia.

She said: “A doctor came in and told my mother they should deny me my first birth right, the chance to be a woman in favour of my second birth right, being a man, “The doctor told them it would be easier to hide my female genitalia than the male one, so knowing no different that is what they did.

“They were also advised to keep my secret from me and the rest of the world for as long as possible.”

During her early years, Caroline was brought up as Carl John Baker in the family home in Joseph Street, Darwen.

In 1970, she and her younger brother Martin were taken into care after social workers discovered they had been left at home alone.

Caroline said: “From being young I have always known I was different.

“I could never quite put my finger on why, but it was always there.

“I had a really feminine sounding voice but I was never told I was different to anyone else and I just assumed everybody’s body looked like mine.

“As soon as I got to school I realised I didn’t fit in.

“The boys called me horrible names and the girls thought I was weird. School was a really hard time for me and I never really had a girlfriend.”

Shortly after turning 19, Caroline got back in touch with her family.

She said: “I hadn’t been back with the family long when mum said she was going to share something important with me.

“She told me to sit down and she went and fetched my baby book. In there were pictures of me as a baby and details of my birth.

“As my mum sat down she started to tell me about the day she gave birth to me and the reaction by the nurse.

“Everything all of a sudden started to make sense. My whole life people had sensed I was different.

“She told me they went with the doctors advice because they didn’t know any better.”

Caroline continued to spend her early 20’s as a man working in local restaurants and pubs as a kitchen porter.

For a short period she also married but the relationship quickly broke up.

She said she found herself sinking into depression and in an desperate act to make herself feel better, she decided to try dressing as a woman.

She said: “To start off it was really strange as I had only ever known how to dress as a man. But very quickly I realised it was the right thing for me.

“But even now, two years on, not everyone excepts me. I do a lot of volunteer work and visit the Salvation Army.

“Many of its members accept me for me and can see how taking on my female persona has made be a more happy and balanced person, while others just want to be nasty all the time.

“I am now looking into having surgery to remove my male genitalia forever. Hopefully, this will enable me to put the past behind me and help me move on and find love.

“I just hope that people like me read my story and take strength from it. You are not on your own. If I can get through it then so can you.

“If only people and employers could be less judgmental then this world would be a lot nicer.”

Dr Hayes-Light added: “Discrimination against intersex people is often the unreported abuse of a minority which has for generations, been kept a secret by parents and other family members.

“Gay people are now, rightly so, accepted in to society and have a right to live as part of the community. Intersex people also deserve these same rights.

“I back Caroline’s appeal for people to be more tolerant and hope people realise her condition has been inherited not chosen.”