Pride Afrique are set to host the first ever pan-African pride event online from August 14 to 16.
The three day live celebration will be broadcast in four languages (English, Arabic, French and Portuguese) and will tell the stories of queer Africans both at home and in the diaspora.
According to Pride Afrique’s website, the event is set to be a broadcast of “powerful storytelling experience and performances featuring the most critical voices on Africa’s LGBTQI issues.”
John Amaechi is just one of the fantastic speakers set to take part. Amaechi was the first openly gay NBA star and currently works as a psychologist. Phyllis Akua Opoku-Gyimah (AKA Lady Phyll), one of the co-founders of UK Black Pride, is also a speaker.
David Nnanna Ikpo, a Nigerian lawyer and one of the event organisers spoke to the Star Observer about why Pride Afrique is so necessary.
“The global media has been flooded with narratives of a completely homophobic and hopeless Africa,” he said.
“We are never in the news or in discussions until there is a Hollywood script of dusty, poverty stricken, hungry Africa where queer men are only ever lynched. Queer women, children, professionals, healers, artists, parents are invisible and erased.”
He went on to explain that the purpose of Pride Afrique is not to necessarily combat this narrative, but instead uplift the voices of marginalised queer people across the African continent.
The three day event will focus on telling stories about the “intergenerationality of same-sex love, gender transgression, queer parenting, [and] inter-faith queer revolutions”, among many other topics.
For Ikpo, Pride Afrique will amplify stories which are often overlooked or erased.
“We are coming together, calling on all queer stories, we are building our own light, and weaving the rainbow kente in the glare of the sun.”
Pride Afrique will be a two hour daily event starting August 14 at 1:00 p.m. EDT and can be viewed through Pride Afrique’s website.
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