• Youth

Pride Month highlights progress - and continuing challenges

• 2 Days Ago

Commemorating Pride Month is more than an annual event for members of Namibia's LGBTQIA+ community. It is a moment of visibility, resistance and affirmation in a society where many still face stigma and discrimination.

In countries such as South Africa, Pride Month is often marked by colourful street parades and public festivals, reflecting broader constitutional protections and, in many cases, greater social acceptance. For many LGBTQIA+ Namibians, however, such public expressions of identity remain more limited. Community members say fear of discrimination, family rejection and social hostility continues to influence how openly they live and express themselves.

This is despite a series of landmark legal victories in recent years.

In 2024, Namibia's High Court declared the common law offences of sodomy and "unnatural sexual offences" unconstitutional, effectively decriminalising consensual same-sex relations between adults. However, the matter remains before the Supreme Court following a government appeal.

According to the Southern Africa Litigation Centre (SALC), while the ruling marked a significant constitutional victory, many LGBTQIA+ people continue to face discrimination in their daily lives.

SALC programmes officer Daniel Digashu told Network Media Hub (NMH) the High Court ruling extended far beyond the decriminalisation of same-sex relations. "Regardless of the appeal to the Supreme Court, the ruling stands until the Supreme Court has heard and handed down its judgment."

He said the judgment dismantled one of the legal foundations historically used to justify discrimination against LGBTQIA+ persons. It also affirmed constitutional rights to equality, human dignity, privacy, freedom of expression and freedom of association.

However, Digashu cautioned that legal victories do not automatically translate into meaningful social change. "Court victories in Namibia matter, but they do not automatically translate into social and systemic change," he said.

According to Digashu, many LGBTQIA+ people experience discrimination not through the law itself, but in their interactions with landlords, healthcare workers, police officers, taxi operators and other service providers. "Even when criminalisation falls away, violence, hate speech, harassment and discriminatory practices remain," he said.

Lack of specialised training

Healthcare workers interviewed by NMH acknowledged that while discrimination may occur, Namibia's healthcare system currently offers no specialised training on LGBTQIA+ healthcare needs.

Christoff Uirab, a healthcare worker at iCare, said healthcare professionals are trained to uphold the dignity and rights of every patient. "In healthcare settings, patients should receive the same quality of care without judgment or discrimination."

He acknowledged, however, that some LGBTQIA+ patients may still feel uncomfortable accessing healthcare services because of limited understanding of sexual orientation and gender diversity among some healthcare workers.

"In many cases, this may not be due to intentional prejudice but rather a lack of understanding or awareness about LGBTQIA+ issues," he said.

An experienced nurse, who asked not to be named, was more direct. "There is no training provided," she said.

Activists, meanwhile, argue that significant legal and institutional barriers remain.

Patrick Reissner, co-founder of Equal Namibia, said the country still lacks comprehensive legal protections for LGBTQIA+ people. "We have no protection under Namibian law, no hate speech bill, no recognition of same-sex partnerships, no gender marker rights," Reissner said. "Our community faces discrimination on a daily basis, with zero judicial recourse."

Court decisions undermined

Reissner also expressed concern about what he described as attempts to undermine recent court decisions. "The government's pattern of choosing to ignore court rulings is deeply alarming and an insult to our democracy," he said.

Despite these challenges, activists say progress continues. Reissner pointed to legal victories involving transgender rights, surrogacy citizenship, recognition of same-sex marriages concluded abroad and the decriminalisation of same-sex relations. He also highlighted the 21 LGBTQIA+-related recommendations made to Namibia during its Universal Periodic Review at the United Nations in May.

Youth activist and Sister Namibia Trust board member Buitumelo Mushendami said the experiences of LGBTQIA+ Namibians cannot be separated from the country's colonial history. "The impacts of colonial violence and divide-and-rule tactics continue, and LGBTQIA+ persons continue to navigate ways to live through and despite it," Mushendami said.

She argued that, despite significant constitutional gains, some political leaders continue to promote exclusionary rhetoric.

Citing a 2021 survey, Mushendami said more than 70% of Namibians indicated they would tolerate having an LGBTQIA+ neighbour. "Acceptance exists among ordinary Namibians. However, some government officials insist on division, exclusion and the promotion of inequality," she said.

Mushendami described the 2024 Dausab judgment and the 2023 Supreme Court ruling recognising same-sex marriages legally concluded abroad as significant milestones for equality.

She added that advocacy during this year's Pride Month includes documenting attacks on equality and reporting them through international human rights mechanisms.

The death of transgender woman Sexy Fredericks, she said, remains a painful reminder of the violence many members of the community continue to fear.

For Deyoncé Naris, interim national coordinator of the Transgender, Intersex and Androgynous Movement of Namibia (TIAMON), participation in Pride Month activities is also shaped by broader social and economic realities. "Urban youth are generally more involved than rural youth, but even in urban areas socio-economic and cultural factors affect participation," Naris said.

The struggle continues

"'What use are my rights when we don't have food or jobs?' is a question many young people ask.

"There is work needed to address youth apathy while taking social, political, cultural and economic realities into account."

Despite the ongoing challenges, activists say the return of a full Pride Month programme, featuring seven community-led events, reflects growing resilience and visibility within Namibia's LGBTQIA+ community.

"The pursuit of peace and equality is still alive," Mushendami said. "A luta continua – the struggle continues."