World
Gay Nigerian priest makes religion serve LGBTQ people
Rev. Jide Macaulay founded House of Rainbow
It is impossible to speak of queer identity and culture without acknowledging the important role religion has played in shaping it throughout history. Whether it’s Pope Francis praising the work an American priest has done to affirm LGBTQ identity, or a Republican legislator rebuking the existence of transgender people by invoking scripture from the Bible, religion and spirituality unquestionably influence conversations about sexual identity in the U.S. and how American society would like for people to manifest their sexuality.
A significant portion of LGBTQ people in the U.S. are religious.
A study the UCLA School of Law’s Williams Institute conducted in 2020 found that 5.3 million LGBTQ adults are religious with almost half of this metric identifying as “highly religious.” Forty percent of those between ages 18 and 35 are religious, and 65 percent percent of those over 65 identify as religious as well. In addition, 71 percent of Black LGBTQ adults in the U.S. are religious.
The Washington Blade recently spoke with Rev. Jide Macaulay, founder and CEO of the London-based House of Rainbow CIC, to talk about his work as a gay Black African Christian priest.
Macaulay was born in London and grew up in Ikeja, the boisterous capital of Nigeria’s Lagos State. He was born into a religious family to parents who he described to the Blade during a 2017 interview as “very dedicated Christians.” His father was one of Nigeria’s leading theologians, so Macaulay’s upbringing was naturally Christian-centric, with him being involved in the church from a young age.
As a budding adult, Macaulay pursued theology as a profession and became an ordained minister in 1998 after training with his father. After a two-year hiatus from the church, he joined the Metropolitan Community Church in London to study theology and later joined its congregation as a minister in 2003. Macaulay says it was there that he became confident in his understanding that “God loves gay people regardless of all these messages of it being a taboo or abomination.”
Sheathed with this conviction, Macaulay moved back to Nigeria to create an environment that mimics that which he had experienced at the Metropolitan Community Church.
“It became important to me to go to Nigeria to create the same space and tell LGBTQ people that ‘God loves you just the way you are,’” says Macaulay. “I embodied a lot of the spirit of the human rights church that came out of the origin of the Metropolitan Community Church.”
Macaulay started House of Rainbow under this ideology on Sept. 2, 2006. This weekly gathering of LGBTQ Christians initially began with 34 congregants, but the congregation grew rapidly to a point where Macaulay “didn’t know what to do with all the people.” He says the growth “perplexed” him as he didn’t realize that House of Rainbow was so popular.
House of Rainbow encountered problems that emanated from operating in a country with virulent homophobic laws, despite its popularity. Many congregants were physically attacked for identifying as queer, and Macaulay recalls individuals emerging to church with broken noses and arms. The media also caught wind of House of Rainbow’s weekly gatherings and chaos ensued.
The culmination of these events forced Macaulay to leave Nigeria after two years. House of Rainbow remained steadfast with its mission to create a community for LGBTQ Christians and soldiered on for a couple of more years before it eventually dissolved.
“It’s unfortunate, now, that as I speak to you we do not have a House of Rainbow community in Nigeria,” says Macaulay. “We still have people connected [to the community], but we don’t have a physical presence or anyone leading it.”
House of Rainbow’s reach has nevertheless now become global, with communities established in 22 countries. The majority of them are in Africa.
‘Homosexuality is not a sin; it is who we are’
The crux of Macaulay’s ideology centers on inclusion and acceptance. He creates a space at House of Rainbow where LGBTQ individuals can not only gather in community, but can also feel seen and recognized as meaningful members and contributors to Christianity
“The important thing [that people need to understand] is that as a minister of the gospel of Christ, I want every LGBTQ person to make [it to] heaven,” says Macaulay. “I want them to be on a path towards salvation and redemption.”
“This whole language that if you are gay, you are destined for hell and eternal damnation is so wrong. That is even abusive in itself,” adds Macaulay.
He further invokes a popular scripture that loosely states, “For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
This scripture is a part of what homophobic Christians use to denounce queerness. Macaulay, nevertheless emphasizes that there is a lack of complete understanding of what the scripture truly communicates.
“[The scripture] didn’t say that anyone is going to hell. It said that we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” says Macaulay. “Having said that, it is important to understand that homosexuality is not a sin; it is who we are.”
Macaulay’s work is therefore enmeshed in the need to fight for social justice causes. He aims to use the church as a platform to bring awareness to and fight for all iterations of LGBTQ rights. Whether it be racism, sexism, or classism, Macaulay aims to “be like Jesus” and emulate his unwavering passion to uplift those at the bottom of society’s hierarchy.
“It’s inconceivable to think that any religious space wouldn’t be a platform for social justice. Jesus Christ was about social justice,” says Macaulay. “Even the Civil Rights Movement in America had the church fighting injustices relating to racism.”
Macaulay stresses that the church needs to “do what is right” and stand up for the rights of LGBTQ people.
“In the Bible in Micah 6:18, it says, ‘What does the Lord require of you but to do justice? To love kindness and work in humility with your God,” says Macaulay. “Therefore, Christian leaders need to have a strong understanding of justice.”
When reflecting on the current state of religion, its diversion from and/or weak approach towards social justice, and also its complicity in oppressing minority groups, Macaulay says, “Jesus Christ would definitely be mad.”
Can you be a gay African and Christian?
Prior to being colonized by European countries, many African cultures had relaxed attitudes towards sexuality and gender. The Shona in Zimbabwe, Pangwe in Cameroon, Igbo in Nigeria and other African tribes all permitted queer existence without any negative repercussions.
The expansion of European global influence brought with it homophobic laws, which were largely enacted under the pretense of “Christian values,” that forced African countries to institutionalize queerphobia, which has now become an undeniable legacy of colonialism on the continent.
That colonialism introduced African populations to Christianity is not an uncommon sentiment among queer Africans and Africans in general. Hence, it is not uncommon to find LGBTQ Africans who denounce Christianity not only because of its association with the racism that fueled European occupation of the continent, but also its functioning as a tool that erased what many of them nostalgically view as a queer-affirming past tainted by the arrival of the white man.
Macaulay both believes and shuns this. He acknowledges that colonialism did participate in the erasure of queer acceptance in African cultures, however, the concept of Christianity being “unAfrican” is fallacious.
He asserts that African and Black African Christians existed before colonialism, and thus, the notion that Christianity is the “white man’s religion” is a false notion.
“Christianity was present in pre-colonial Africa,” says Macaulay. “In the Bible there are numerous references to Africa, including Egypt and Ethiopia where important biblical events happened, [for example], the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt in search of the promised land.”
Macaulay, because of this, spotlights the need for religion to be decolonized.
By reframing how Christians conceive of religion, from unlearning the notion that Jesus is white to acknowledging the existence of Black people in the Bible, one can have a more wholesome and truthful interaction with Christianity.
Also, this will allow for queer African Christians to exist in their queer communities comfortably as Macaulay states that there’s a need for them to occupy space in the community as proudly religious people without bearing the shame that is cast on them by what seems to be an agnostic-leaning landscape.
Lil Nas X and ‘going to hell’
Lil Nas X on March 26 released a single titled “Call Me By Your Name” which garnered massive attention for both its musical mastery through a catchy hook and its depiction of Black queerness. The accompanying video further dramatized the story by drawing from Christian visual imagery of heaven and hell, and God and the Devil.
The song’s video features scenes of Lil Nas X in sensual form, including him giving a caricature of Satan a lap dance. This particularly angered many religious groups, including Christian allies of the LGBTQ community who USA Today reported criticized the video for “going too far to prove a point.’”
Macaulay is a fan of Lil Nas X, who he dubs as his “favorite artist of all time right now, after Michael Jackson,” and for him, Lil Nas X’s discography extends beyond simple displays of queer identity.
Macaulay has one thought at the forefront of his mind when he looks at “Call Me By Your Name”: The concept of hell is abusive and a form of scaremongering.
“The concept of hell is propaganda. It is almost fictional,” says Macaulay. “The idea that if you do something wrong you will go to hell, is wrong in and of itself. Homosexuality was never wrong. Homophobia is wrong.”
He further underlines that God made gay people, and supports this with a scripture from the book of Philippians which loosely points to God’s omnipotent knowledge before, during, and after one’s life on earth.
Macaulay says that people should listen to Lil Nas X’s pain, and not rebuke him, because he speaks for millions of gay people.
“The reality is that when you tell people that they are going to hell, you are excommunicating them from living their own lives appropriately,” says Macaulay.
Macaulay nonetheless has a deep admiration for today’s younger generations, especially because they refuse to align themselves with the bigotry that ravages societal discourse about identity.
“I’m really glad for the young people that have stepped out. They are fighting back. They are the warriors and heroes saying, ‘Enough is enough. I’m proud, queer and African,’” says Macaulay. “I think that the sad reality for the Christian community is that they’re missing out on the gift and talents of the queer community [by being exclusive].”
Macaulay and House of Rainbow have created “GAYMoment,” a weekly online service that centers queer worship. Each Sunday, queer people from around the world gather online for prayer, sermon, and testimonies, all provided by queer people.
Macaulay champions sex positivity
Discussing sex and sexual identity is a topic from which Macaulay does not shy away. In fact, it is one that although he is a religious leader, he also approaches as a person of faith.
Macaulay, who lives with HIV, is a proponent of sex positivity.
“I think it’s important for every adult human being to experience a sexual relationship that is appropriate, suitable, and consensual,” says Macaulay. “It is important that everyone in their lifetime engages positively with sex, particularly adults. I don’t recommend it for minors though.”
Macaulay is also a vocal advocate for having honest and open conversations about sex and sexuality. He gives credence to the fact that society needs to address the lack of comprehensive sex education.
“Countries that have [addressed sex education] are doing better. They have less cases of STIs and teenage pregnancies,” says Macaulay. “Also, students get more opportunities to know more about various sexulities.”
Sex education should be age-appropriate and geared towards protecting children, minors, and vulnerable adults, says Macaulay. He believes that children should know about their bodies and be armed with the confidence to talk to adults when their boundaries are violated.
Thus, by keeping advocacy as the focal point, Macaulay, who is affectionately known as “Mama Jide” functions in a quintessential role in the queer community, one similar to that of house mothers in ballroom culture who outstretch themselves to the limits to ensure that their children not only have their basic needs, but also reach a point of complete self-actualization and realization of their purpose in life.
El Salvador
‘Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo’: memoria, resistencia y celebración marcan inicio del Mes del Orgullo en El Salvador
Actividad reunió a cientos de personas en un espacio de encuentro, cultura y reivindicación
Entre los sonidos vibrantes de la batucada, las luces de colores, la música y los mensajes de reivindicación, el 5 de junio se llevó a cabo una nueva edición de “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo”, un evento que durante los últimos cuatro años se ha convertido en una de las actividades más emblemáticas para dar inicio a las celebraciones y acciones de incidencia política, cultural y comunitaria del Mes del Orgullo en El Salvador.
La actividad, organizada por la Federación Salvadoreña LGBTI en conjunto con el Centro Cultural de España en El Salvador, congregó entre 200 y 300 personas que se dieron cita para compartir un espacio de encuentro, reflexión, memoria histórica y celebración de la diversidad.
Desde las 7 p.m. y hasta las 10 p.m., el recinto se transformó en un punto de reunión para activistas, artistas, organizaciones de la sociedad civil, personas de la comunidad LGBTQ y aliados que año con año encuentran en esta actividad una oportunidad para reafirmar su identidad y fortalecer los lazos comunitarios.
Más allá de una fiesta, los organizadores destacan que “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo” representa un acto político y social de gran importancia, pues marca oficialmente el inicio de las actividades que diversas organizaciones desarrollan durante junio y permite posicionar públicamente las demandas, preocupaciones y aspiraciones de la comunidad LGBTQ salvadoreña.
Cuatro años construyendo comunidad y visibilidad
La iniciativa nació hace cuatro años como una propuesta para abrir el Mes del Orgullo desde un espacio cultural, inclusivo y accesible para todas las personas. Desde entonces, la actividad ha evolucionado hasta convertirse en una referencia dentro de la agenda de junio, permitiendo que organizaciones, activistas y miembros de la comunidad encuentren un espacio para compartir experiencias, fortalecer alianzas y proyectar mensajes de incidencia.
Para la Federación Salvadoreña LGBTI, uno de los aspectos más significativos ha sido el respaldo constante del Centro Cultural de España, institución que ha abierto sus puertas para albergar la actividad y contribuir a la promoción de los derechos humanos y la diversidad.
“Para nosotras y nosotros es muy gratificante contar con el apoyo del Centro Cultural de España, que ha sido un aliado importante para poder desarrollar este espacio y hacerlo crecer cada año”, destacaron integrantes de la Federación.
La continuidad del evento también refleja la capacidad de resistencia y organización de la comunidad LGBTQ en un contexto que continúa presentando desafíos relacionados con la igualdad, el reconocimiento y la garantía de derechos.
Durante estos cuatro años, “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo” ha servido como un espacio de expresión artística, pero también como una plataforma para visibilizar las realidades que enfrenta la población diversa en el país.
Un hecho histórico: la participación activa de la Asamblea Feminista
Uno de los aspectos que marcó esta edición fue la participación activa de la Asamblea Feminista, organización que desde el año pasado se ha incorporado de manera más directa a la coordinación y desarrollo de las actividades del Mes del Orgullo.
Aunque históricamente mujeres lesbianas y bisexuales han formado parte de las marchas y acciones impulsadas por la comunidad LGBTQ, su participación en los procesos organizativos había sido limitada. La incorporación de la Asamblea Feminista representa, según activistas, un paso importante hacia la construcción de un movimiento más amplio, inclusivo y articulado.
Para Karla Guevara, secretaria general de la Federación Salvadoreña LGBTI, este acercamiento constituye un hecho sin precedentes dentro de la historia reciente del movimiento.
“Creo que esto es inédito, y a nosotras y nosotres como Federación nos llena de orgullo que las compañeras lesbianas y bisexuales se hayan podido sumar a estas actividades del Mes del Orgullo”, expresó.
La participación de organizaciones feministas también evidencia una creciente convergencia entre distintas luchas sociales que comparten principios relacionados con la igualdad, la dignidad humana y la defensa de los derechos fundamentales. Para muchas personas asistentes, esta articulación representa una oportunidad para fortalecer redes de apoyo y construir agendas comunes frente a desafíos que afectan a diversos sectores históricamente excluidos.
Arte, música y celebración como herramientas de resistencia
La jornada estuvo marcada por expresiones artísticas que aportaron energía y color a la celebración. La reconocida batucada Las Musas fue una de las agrupaciones encargadas de animar la noche, aportando ritmos vibrantes que acompañaron gran parte de la actividad.
Asimismo, la participación de la DJ Drag Alexa Evangelista contribuyó a crear un ambiente festivo y diverso, donde la música se convirtió en un lenguaje común para las personas asistentes.
Más allá del entretenimiento, las expresiones artísticas desempeñan un papel fundamental dentro de los movimientos sociales, especialmente en aquellos relacionados con la diversidad sexual y de género.
El arte, la música, la danza y las expresiones culturales permiten construir comunidad, fortalecer identidades y generar espacios seguros donde las personas pueden expresarse libremente. En este sentido, “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo” demuestra cómo la celebración también puede convertirse en una forma de resistencia frente a la discriminación y la exclusión.
Un manifiesto dedicado a la memoria y la gratitud
Uno de los momentos más significativos de la noche fue la lectura del manifiesto del orgullo correspondiente a este año. A diferencia de otros años, el documento estuvo enfocado principalmente en la memoria histórica y el reconocimiento de quienes construyeron los primeros espacios de organización y resistencia en condiciones mucho más adversas.
El mensaje recordó a aquellas personas que, en décadas pasadas, comenzaron a construir comunidad desde la clandestinidad, cuando la discriminación social era aún más intensa y los espacios seguros prácticamente inexistían. También rindió homenaje a quienes fallecieron durante la pandemia del VIH/Sida en las décadas de 1980 y 1990, una de las etapas más dolorosas para la población LGBTQ a nivel mundial.
El manifiesto destacó además la importancia de recordar la primera Marcha del Orgullo realizada en El Salvador en 1997, un acontecimiento histórico que marcó un antes y un después en la visibilidad pública de la comunidad diversa. Asimismo, se hizo un reconocimiento especial a las personas adultas mayores de la comunidad, incluyendo mujeres lesbianas, hombres gays, personas bisexuales y mujeres trans, cuyas experiencias y luchas han contribuido a abrir camino para las nuevas generaciones.
Para muchas de las personas presentes, este enfoque representó una invitación a mirar hacia atrás con gratitud, reconociendo que los avances actuales son el resultado de décadas de trabajo, organización y valentía.
El orgullo como memoria, comunidad y esperanza
Aunque junio suele asociarse con celebraciones, desfiles y manifestaciones públicas, para muchas organizaciones LGBTQ el orgullo también implica memoria, reflexión y compromiso con las generaciones futuras.
Eventos como “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo” permiten recordar que detrás de cada conquista existen historias de personas que enfrentaron discriminación, violencia y exclusión para abrir espacios de participación y reconocimiento. Al mismo tiempo, estas actividades fortalecen los vínculos comunitarios y generan oportunidades para que nuevas personas se integren a los movimientos de defensa de derechos humanos.
La edición de este año dejó en evidencia que la comunidad LGBTQ salvadoreña continúa apostando por la organización colectiva, la construcción de alianzas y la recuperación de la memoria histórica como herramientas fundamentales para avanzar. Con una asistencia que superó las expectativas de los organizadores y una creciente participación de distintos sectores sociales, “Mani Fiesta tu Orgullo” reafirmó su lugar como una de las actividades más significativas del inicio del Mes del Orgullo en El Salvador.
Más que una celebración, fue un espacio para recordar, agradecer y reconocer que cada paso dado en la búsqueda de igualdad ha sido posible gracias a quienes, desde distintos momentos de la historia, decidieron levantar la voz y construir comunidad. Y precisamente allí radica la esencia de esta actividad: en recordar que el orgullo no solo se celebra, también se hereda, se construye y se comparte.
The Dutch Senate on Tuesday approved a bill that would ban so-called conversion therapy in the Netherlands.
NL Times, an online Dutch newspaper, reported 57 of 75 senators backed the proposal. The Dutch House of Representatives, the lower house of the country’s parliament, approved the measure last September.
Conversion therapy practitioners could face up to two years in prison and a €25,000 ($28,980) fine under the bill once it becomes law after King Willem-Alexander gives his royal assent.
“We have been fighting for the ban with victims and colleague organizations for almost 15 years and are very happy with this result,” said COC Nederland, a Dutch LGBTQ and intersex rights group, in a statement after Tuesday’s vote. “We see it as a victory for the victims.”
Seven EU countries — Belgium, Cyprus, France, Malta, Norway, Portugal, and Spain — have banned conversion therapy outright.
Greece in 2022 banned the practice for minors. German lawmakers in 2020 passed a law that prohibits conversion therapy for minors and for adults who have not consented to undergoing the widely discredited practice.
The European Parliament in April voted in favor of prohibiting conversion therapy across the EU. The European Commission last month said all EU countries should ban it.
Rob Jetten, the country’s first openly gay prime minister, took office in February.
This year’s World Pride will take place in Amsterdam from July 25-Aug. 8.
World
War, geopolitical tensions with U.S. overshadow Pride month events
Hungary’s new government has lifted Budapest Pride ban
Activists around the world are marking Pride month this year against the backdrop of war and geopolitical tensions with the U.S.
KyivPride on June 21 will hold its annual Pride march in the Ukrainian capital. The group, which is raising funds for the country’s air defense, on June 14 hosted KyivPride Park, an event that highlighted LGBTQ service members and veterans.
Russia in 2022 launched its war against Ukraine.
Oleksandr Demenko is the head of Ukrainian LGBT Military for Equal Rights. He also fought to defend Azovstal, a sprawling steel mill in Mariupol, a city in eastern Ukraine that Russian forces occupied after a months-long siege that ended on May 20, 2022.
Demenko in a KyivPride press release said that “almost no one talked about LGBTIQ+ servicemembers” before the war.
“Today we have our own platform, and every year more and more people are ready to speak openly,” he noted. “This is the best proof of how the country is changing.”
“When we talk about rights and equality, we are talking about specific people — service members who defend Ukraine. We carry out the same duties as everyone else, yet we still do not have the same rights,” added Demenko. “That is why it is so important that the state finally recognizes our families. On June 21, we will remind everyone of this at the KyivPride March.”
More than 100,000 people participated in Tel Aviv’s 28th annual Pride parade on June 12.
“Each year, we share a joyful day in Tel Aviv-Yafo,” said Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai. “It is a day when we come to celebrate the society we strive to be: one where people are valued not for who they are, whom they love, where they fall on the spectrum, or the kind of family they choose to create.”
Tel Aviv authorities last year cancelled the parade, which was to have taken place hours after Israel launched airstrikes against Iran. Tehran, in turn, launched hundreds of missiles toward the Jewish State.
President Donald Trump on June 23, 2025, announced a ceasefire that ended the 12-day war.
Israel and the U.S. on Feb. 28 launched airstrikes against Iran. The Jewish State continues to carry out airstrikes against Hezbollah, an Iran-backed Shia militant group the U.S. and Israel have designated a terrorist organization, in Lebanon.
Reports indicate the U.S. and Iran this week are poised to formally sign a ceasefire agreement. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday said his government would continue its efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Hamas militants on Oct. 7, 2023, killed roughly 1,200 people, including upwards of 360 partygoers at the Nova Music Festival, when they launched a surprise attack against Israel from the Gaza Strip. The militants also kidnapped more than 200 people.
A case that South Africa filed with the International Court of Justice accuses Israel of committing genocide against Palestinians in the Hamas-controlled enclave after Oct. 7.
Roma Pride organizers earlier this month banned two Jewish LGBTQ groups from having floats in their June 20 parade in the Italian capital because they refused to categorize the Israeli government’s post-Oct. 7 war in Gaza as a genocide. The decision has sparked outrage among Jewish organizations around the world.
“The participation of a float in Roma Pride therefore also assumes — regardless of the sexual orientation, identity, religion, ethnicity or nationality of the person you see — a clear and unequivocal position of condemnation of the genocide perpetrated by the Israeli government,” said Roma Pride in a May 26 statement. “The history of our republic is a history of resistance. The history of our movement is a history of resistance. Roma Pride, therefore, supports the right to exist and to resist (for) the Palestinian people oppressed by Israeli government’s criminal and genocidal conduct.”
Sipineq+, a Greenlandic LGBTQ rights group, organized its annual Pride parade that took place in Nuuk, the mineral-rich island’s capital, on June 13.
Trump since he took office for the second time has called for the U.S. to take control of Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory with a population of less than 60,000 people. Trump claims the U.S. needs to control the island in the Arctic Ocean between Europe and North America because of national security.
Cuba’s National Center for Sexual Education, a group that Mariela Castro, the daughter of former Cuban President Raúl Castro directs, last month held a series of events that commemorated the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia.
The IDAHOBiT commemorations took place against the backdrop of widespread blackouts and a severe fuel shortage after Venezuela stopped oil shipments to Cuba after American forces seized now former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, on Jan. 3. Federal prosecutors last month also indicted Raúl Castro over his alleged role in the 1996 shooting down of four planes that Brothers to the Rescue, a Miami-based Cuban exile group, operated over the Florida Straits that separate Cuba and the Florida Keys.
Raúl Castro, 94, was Cuba’s defense minister when the incident took place.
New Hungarian government lifts Budapest Pride ban
The Budapest Pride march will take place in the Hungarian capital on June 27, less than two months after Prime Minister Péter Magyar took office.
Hungarian lawmakers last year passed a bill that banned Pride events and allowed authorities to use facial recognition technology to identify participants. MPs later amended the Hungarian Constitution to ban public LGBTQ events.
More than 100,000 people defied the ban and participated in last year’s Budapest Pride parade. The event became one of the largest protests against then-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his government that Magyar and his center-right Tisza party ousted on April 12.
Hungarian police on May 29 announced they will allow the Budapest Pride march to take place.
“We will march freely in fresh air for our rights, for the democratic Hungary,” said Budapest Pride on its Facebook page.
Erika Hilton, a Black travesti and former sex worker who has been in the Brazilian Congress since 2022, is among those who spoke at the annual São Paulo Pride Parade that took place on the city’s Paulista Avenue on June 7. Reports indicate more than 1 million people took part in the event.
Equal Namibia will hold several events in the country.
The Namibian High Court in 2024 struck down Apartheid-era statutes that criminalized consensual same-sex sexual relations — the country gained its independence from neighboring South Africa in 1990. The Namibian Supreme Court the year before ruled the country must recognize same-sex marriages legally performed elsewhere.
Patrick Reissner, co-founder of Equal Namibia, on Monday told the Washington Blade the organization is preparing to file a marriage equality case. Reissner said two Equal Namibia staffers are planning to participate in this year’s World Pride, which will take place in Amsterdam from July 25-Aug. 8.
“By staying visible, engaging with the international (business) community, and pushing for more research in queer spaces — Namibian, regional, and continental — we hope to prove to our government that the economic and social costs of discrimination cause more damage, affect productivity, limit innovation, and hold back our nation’s investment attractiveness,” Reissner told the Blade. “Diversity and inclusion — across the board — are not only social values, but increasingly vital arguments in shaping our local economies for future generations.”
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