NDN Staffer
Berlin, Germany, July 19 — A delegation from Namibia Pride, a coalition of organizations working to promote LGBTQIA+ rights in Namibia, will be attending Berlin Pride on Saturday, 22nd of July.
The delegation is made up of:
- Deyoncé Naris, representing The Transgender Intersex Androgynous Movement of Namibia (TIAMON)
- Hildegard Titus, representing Power Pad Girls and A Curt Farewell
- Omar van Reenen, representing the African Queer Youth Initiative (AQYI)
- Patrick Reissner, representing Equal Namibia
- Rodelio Lewis and Jean-Paul Scheepers (known as Miss Mavis and Selena Dash respectively), representing Drag Night Namibia
The delegation will be participating in a variety of LGBTQIA+ events and engagements leading up to the CSD Parade in Berlin, including:
- A panel discussion at the Technical University of Berlin / Zentrum für Interdisziplinär Frauen- und Geschlechtsforschung (Interdisciplinary women’s and gender studies), sharing the triumphs and challenges of creating LGBTQIA+ safe spaces in Namibia.
- The CSD Pride procession as invited guests on the parade’s first float, which will be followed by a solidarity speech on the event’s main stage in front of the Brandenburg Gate.
- A drag performance at the well-known LGBTQIA+ Club, S036 in Kreuzberg.
The delegation’s visit to Berlin is a historic moment for Namibia’s LGBTQIA+ community. It is the first time that a Namibian delegation has been invited to attend Berlin Pride, and it is a sign of the growing international support for Namibia’s LGBTQIA+ community.
The delegation’s visit is also a timely one. Namibia is currently facing a number of challenges to its LGBTQIA+ rights. In recent months, there have been a number of homophobic attacks in Namibia, and there are a number of proposed state-sanctioned homophobic bills that could threaten the country’s constitutional democracy.
The Namibia Pride delegation is determined to stand in solidarity with Namibia’s LGBTQIA+ community and to fight for their rights. They are confident that their visit to Berlin will help to raise awareness of the challenges facing Namibia’s LGBTQIA+ community and will help to garner international support for their fight for equality.
Namibia Pride festivities will be taking place this year from mid-November until early December, in Windhoek. More information to be announced soon.
To follow the delegation’s journey through Berlin, be sure to keep up with the Namibia Pride social media pages on Instagram and Facebook.
