For lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) people across the world, June is Pride Month.
Designated as a month to honour global movements for the recognition of LGBTQI+ people’s human rights and to celebrate queer culture, Pride Month was recently commemorated with a colourful march against hate in Windhoek.
The peaceful demonstration was held after weeks of increased hate, anti-LGBTQI+ protests, and threats of violence against LGBTQI+ people, following the Supreme Court’s ruling to recognise same-sex marriages concluded outside Namibia.
The march aimed to send a message of love over hate, particularly in the wake of anti-LGBTQI+ comments made by political leaders.
Demonstrators, who later enjoyed a day of community building and healing at Zoo Park, marched from Ausspanplatz Circle, pausing at the parliament, the central police station, and at the Ministry of Justice as LGBTQI+ activists reflected on a fraught few weeks.
This is what they had to say on the day.
Irene //Garoës
“When they say in this country’s national anthem that their blood waters our freedom, whose freedom are they talking about? We were born in this country.
“Even the heroes and the heroines who fought for this country, they were LGBTQI+ people in that. We belong in this country. There is nowhere we can go.
“We will not be distracted by people who are trying to use us as scapegoats. There is poverty in this country. Every day someone is killed and murdered in this country. We go to sleep hungry in this country.
“The price of food is increasing every day, so instead you want to come and cover up that corruption. But what we’re saying is we will show you with love who we are.
“You can throw stones at us, we will hug you. At the core of it, we understand diversity. We celebrate diversity. We are Namibians, and we do belong here.”
Mama Afrika
“We are voiceless when it comes to decisions in this country. I was there in the days of the struggle. Others were there. I was from Swapo. I was from the Namibia National Students Organisation. I have been violated with others in this country, so the time has come for us to really think.
“We are planning to register a political party so we can voice for ourselves in the august house, because we have been violated for 33 years in this country.
“Some of us will be on the ballot paper next year. We will be showing them we are Namibians.”
Abigail Solomons
“We’re standing in front of the Ministry of Justice, because we are queer and we are here. We’re fighting for our rights. We’re standing for the minister of justice who is seeking justice for all of us.
“We are together with the Ministry of Justice, because we are seeking justice for ourselves. We are standing for everyone who has been outed, who has been hurt because they are different. We are standing with Wendelinus. We are standing with Mama Afrika. We are standing for Deyonce.
“We are standing with every single ally who is brave to put their face to our cause. We are standing in front of the Ministry of Justice, with our minister of justice, because we are queer. We are Namibians, we are here, and we will fight.”
Omar van Reenen
“We are in solidarity with the Ministry of Justice. It’s really sickening and disheartening to see adults, grown people, people who ran for office, people who expected our votes, people who we look to as leaders in the august house, go and bully their own colleague just because of who she loves.
“Is that the message you want to send young children in this country? That it’s okay to target your own friends, people you go to class with, people you work with? It’s okay to bully them, to be bigots, to be hateful, just because they love differently from you?
“Are those the types of leaders we want? Because to me, it looks like it’s queer people who are sending a message of how to be true leaders in this country. It’s queer people who are sending a message of how to love one another.”
-martha@namibian.com.na; Martha Mukaiwa on Twitter and Instagram; marthamukaiwa.com
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