Piccolo declared LGBTQI+ safe space

Piccolo Café and Lounge in Windhoek’s Maerua Mall was officially inaugurated as a safe space for LGBTQI+ people on Friday.

The lively establishment joins Equal Namibia’s ‘Verified Safe-Space’ network which aims to identify and celebrate queer and ally-owned businesses in the country. Verified safe spaces in Namibia include The Village in Windhoek as well as Godenfang Restaurant at Walvis Bay and Bojos Café at Swakopmund.

Equal Namibia’s Omar van Reenen inaugurated the space in partnership with Drag Night Namibia. The event featured a special performance by drag star Gigi Has Arrived, DJ Rise Elders on the decks and a word from Miss Mavis in the context of Suicide Awareness Month.

“We are so thrilled to be inaugurating Piccolo Café & Lounge as our next business to join our Verified Safe-Space network. This is a network of allied and queer-owned businesses that are becoming more welcoming and inclusive for all their patrons. This is the first business to join from a mall in Namibia but definitely not the last,” said van Reenen.

Piccolo Café & Lounge co-owner Julia Gideon welcomed patrons to the space and declared that the establishment is open to all.

“No matter where you come from, how you identify yourself, here at Piccolo, we don’t give a f*ck,” Gideon said.

“We’ve had people come here and cry. We’ve had people come and laugh. It doesn’t matter. You know when you pay and they say VAT included? Piccolo is LGBTQI+ included,” Gideon said.

“Let’s make Namibia an equal Namibia.”

Though safe spaces are a matter of security at a time where anti-gay bills have passed through parliament and violence against LGBTQI+ people in Namibia has escalated in the wake of affirming court rulings regarding same-sex marriage, van Reenen highlights that the safety of LGBTQI+ people is also an economic issue.

“A recent study from the UCLA Williams Institute showed that in South Africa, where LGBTQI+ rights are actually legal and protected, the country loses about 300 million USD annually from under employment and wage discrimination against LGBTQI+ people,’ said van Reenen.

“Open for Business Kenya found that the economic cost of LGBTQI+ discrimination is 1.3 billion USD annually. So, becoming a more inclusive and affirming workspace is not just good for human rights, but good for the economy too.”

Reflecting on the death of an LGBTQI+ friend during Suicide Awareness Month, Miss Mavis underscored the fact that safe spaces and the sense of acceptance and community that they foster, may mean the difference between life and death.

Miss Mavis encouraged patrons to keep supporting Namibia’s LGBTQI+ community in the ways they can.

“Never feel like what you contribute is not enough. Whether you are sharing a post, liking a post or just letting your friends know that ‘Chommie, as jy veilig wil voel, kom na Drag Night Namibia toe, gaan na Equal Namibia toe, go to Positive Vibes, go to IntraHealth Namibia, go to these partners and these places where you can be seen and felt so that you know that jy is nie alleen nie’,” said Miss Mavis.

“We have partners and people who are working on the ground to help you. So do not feel alone. We are all collectively making an effort to make ourselves feel safe,” Miss Mavis said.

“So hou net nog so n bietjie vas. Just hold on.”

– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com