Namibia Pride Week Kicks Off in the City

This years LGBTQI+ Pride is more than simply a parade, as a host of civil society organisations, social movements and local businesses band together for Namibia Pride Week which kicks off in Windhoek on 27 November.

This years LGBTQI+ Pride is more than simply a parade, as a host of civil society organisations, social movements and local businesses band together for Namibia Pride Week which kicks off in Windhoek on 27 November.

Opening with The Feminist Festival hosted by the Voices for Choices and Rights Coalition, Namibia Pride Week is a multifaceted and holistic happening where conversations about intersectional bodily autonomy, civil rights and reproductive justice precede an evening with Lioness, Khadijah, SHE, Waters, DJ Alba Nalo, DJ Kiki and Loudima.Dreamer at Zoo Park Amphitheatre.

Inviting attendees to sunset yoga and meditation in the park with Ndapwa Alweendo and Melissa Mukaiwa, an LGBTQI+ Quiz Night, a screening of the multiple award-winning gay love story Kapana (2020) as well as #LoveisLove, an exhibition in memory of queer artist Bewise Tjonga, Namibia Pride Week will also include the ever popular Drag Night Namibia and draw towards a close with a Pride parade where Mr Gay World, Louw Breytenbach, will serve as grand marshal.

Finally, Pride Pop-Up will end the week with a celebration of its one year anniversary featuring a meet and greet with Mr Gay World 2021 and a special performance by Lize Ehlers.

“For the first time, Pride will not only be celebrated on one day but for an entire week. Namibia Pride Week will feature an intersectional array of events, centered around the theme: Celebrating Intergenerational Equality,” says Equal Namibias Omar van Reenen.

“This year is known in our community as the year of LGBTQI+ liberation fights for civil and human rights. Namibia Pride Week is reflective of the accomplishments obtained by our freedom fighters in our courts of law and of the fact that equality will reign supreme,” van Reenen says.

“Freedom will only ring when every marginalised and vulnerable community is emancipated from the shackles of discrimination and state-sanctioned homophobia,” says van Reenen.

“We recognise that as much as weve had many wins that recognise our communitys dignity and right to equality, we still have many civil rights to fight for.”

Aimed at building a society based on love rather than hate, van Reenen believes it speaks volumes that diverse organisations are working together to celebrate intersectional Pride.

Namibia Pride Week is hosted by Equal Namibia, Voices for Choices and Rights Coalition, ShutItAllDown, Transgender, Intersex And Androgynous Movement Of Namibia, Sister Namibia, Power Pad Girls, EFANO EFANO Gallery, Pride Pop-up and Café Prestige.

“Namibia Pride Week is a result of collective solidarity, movement building and the need for intersectional advocacy for the social issues that hold all marginalised persons back,” says van Reenen.

“We are working together to celebrate an intersectional Pride where every Namibian can believe in the promise of equality our nation was founded on and every Namibian can believe that they belong, regardless of who you love or the colour of your skin.”

Namibia Pride Week – a week-long mostly free, celebratory, educational and community building festival – will take place at various sites in the city and everyone is invited to attend.

“The spirit of this years Pride is to show our fellow Namibians of this born-free republic that we belong,” says van Reenen. “We are queer and we are here. Omashenge Ovanhu.”

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