The inaugural International Pride Awards honoured Namibian artist and co-chief executive of Drag Night Namibia Lize Ehlers with the Extraordinary Ally award at the ILGA World Conference in Cape Town last week.
The International Pride Awards are a joint venture between The United Nations Development Programme and the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA) World, and invites nominees from all over the globe.
Ehlers was honoured for her contributions to Drag Night Namibia, a Windhoek-based performance art and community building platform that celebrates drag artistry while offering safe and developmental spaces to Namibia’s queer community.
British political activist and co-founder of UK Black Pride Lady Phyll presented Ehlers with the Extraordinary Ally accolade, which commends ally activists working towards queer equality and inclusion.
“The importance of this particular role is when someone is standing up when we are in conflict as queer people, as black queer people, as disabled queer people, as young queer people, as trans queer people as many, many different things as queer people in this global movement,” said Lady Phyll.
“They stand shoulder to shoulder, side by side. They don’t just pick up in the moment. They are there for the movement and they stand tall in the face of adversity.”
An emotional Ehlers took to the International Pride Awards stage and thanked ILGA, the International Pride Awards, Drag Night Namibia, Equal Namibia, Positive Vibes Trust, the Namibian Pride Consortium, Alkimia, and her family.
“The world can be a very cruel place but there is no peace and safety without inclusion. There’s no safety and peace for anyone,” said Ehlers. “Even if your voice is trembling and your body is shaking, please speak out against injustice. You might just save somebody’s life that day.”
Ehlers joins a cohort of five international awardees, each honoured for their unwavering commitment, resilience and contributions to the global movement for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, intersex and other (LGBTQI+) equality and inclusivity.
The awardees are Immani Da Silva (Angola) who won the award Celebrating Diverse Lives, Aaditya Rai (Nepal) awarded Emerging Leader, Ruslan Savolainen (Russia) honoured with Movement Building in the Face of Hostility and Sonia Corrêa (Brazil) who won the award Lifelong Pursuit of Equality.
In an interview after the awards event, Ehlers reflected on the achievement.
“This win is an affirmation and confirmation of the effort and vision we have at Drag Night Namibia. ILGA solidified our intentions to make a global impact as an organisation of change,” said Ehlers.
Regarding what it takes to be an ally to the LGBTQI+ community, Ehlers advises consistent presence and determination.
“Being an ally is not just about showing up at pride – it’s about showing up every day and standing against discrimination in every form,” said Ehlers. “Being an ally means using my voice to amplify theirs, to stand with them even when it’s not easy.”
As many countries report increased intolerance towards LGBTQI+ people fuelled by growing anti-rights movements, and as Namibia’s queer community grapples with the recent murders of six LGBTQI+ people, Ehlers expressed her hope for the country.
“My hope is that hearts and minds will be changed in a way where more ‘on the fence’ allies will get on board and speak up and speak out,” she said.
– martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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