Namibia: Queer Activist Wins International Democracy Prize

Omar van Reenen, from Namibia, has become the first LGBTQI+ rights activist to win the prestigious Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize, which recognises young leaders aged between 18 and 30.

Van Reenen is a prominent civil rights activist in Namibia and the co-founder of Equal Namibia, an organisation that advocates for LGBTQI+ rights.

Under their leadership, the organisation has become a leading force in challenging discriminatory laws and promoting inclusivity. They have led strategic litigation efforts, including cases against the Namibian government, and played a pivotal role in landmark Supreme Court victories, such as the recognition of same-sex marriages abroad and the end of arbitrary arrests of transgender individuals.

“Despite facing backlash, including anti-LGBTQI+ legislation, Omar continues to fight for constitutional rights and against homophobic laws. Their efforts have mobilised public support, held political parties accountable, and fostered a more inclusive society through advocacy and education,” said the Kofi Annan Foundation and Democracy & Culture Foundation.

Van Reenen attended the 2024 Athens Democracy Forum in Greece earlier this month for the award ceremony, where they were presented with a monetary prize and a twelve-month mentorship with a democracy expert. In their acceptance speech, they thanked the foundations for the award.

“This is the first time in my life that I’m being recognised, respected, honored and acknowledged for a big part of who I am. And when you spend most of your life hiding such a big part of who you are because you think it’s not going to get you far in life, and then you are in Greece being acknowledged for standing up for what your country should be, that’s very big,” said Van Reenen.

They continued with an impassioned message of hope and inclusion for young queer Africans.

“To every young queer African watching here tonight, Never doubt that you are deserving of every chance and opportunity to pursue and achieve your dreams and destiny because we belong,” they asserted.

“There is nothing un-African about us. In fact, our queer existence is African. We are the essence of African values. These values are of love, community and humanity. And they will never and can never criminalise love, because love is Ubuntu and Ubuntu is African, and I am African too.”

Van Reenen also addressed the challenges facing the LGBTQI+ community in Namibia, which has seen resistance from government, politicians, and religious leaders to progressive court judgments affirming the rights of queer people.

“In Africa and across the world, we can understand that the measurement of any society is by looking at how it treats its most vulnerable citizens and marginalised communities. And in Namibia, democracy is being tested to the brink due to the government’s state-sanctioned homophobia. Right now, the youth are seeing democratic backsliding at the hands of an anti-LGBTQ Bill, and we are asking ourselves: is this democracy, or is it a delusion?”

The Government of Namibia is challenging a historic High Court ruling that declared the country’s apartheid-era ban on same-sex intimacy unconstitutional and invalid. It has also introduced a bill that seeks to ban same-sex marriages.

Watch Van Reenen’s full acceptance speech below.