Pride Afrique 2021 to celebrate Afroqueer resilience

A coalition of African LGBTQI+ activists, continental grassroots organisations, and allies are preparing for the second Pride Afrique pan-African virtual Pride.

Inaugurated last year during the pandemic lockdown, Pride Afrique returns once again as a virtual platform to celebrate and uplift LGBTQI+ persons and groups across the African continent and the diaspora.

“The event will be centred on diverse voices, actions, and stories of queer Africans. It aims at inspiring and informing LGBTQI+ African communities and allies that gender and sexual identities are never a barrier to what each queer African can achieve,” said Vasilis Onwuaduegbo, one of the co-producers of Pride Afrique 2021.

The 2021 event will be held on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube on Saturday 14 August, under the theme ‘Stay The Night’.

“Stay the Night is a call for resilience. It is a call for a trauma-informed LGBTQI+ Africa. Pride Afrique 2021 turns the camera inward to spotlight our people,” said the organisers in a statement.

“We want to celebrate our staying power by showcasing how we have continued to exist in spaces despite the harsh realities of our various communities.”

Key leaders from the regions will share their stories of resilience that are aimed at inspiring others. The event will also highlight personal stories through multiple digital media content in diverse languages.

Two short films co-created by Afroqueer storytellers across the continent will premiere in the week of 14 August on the PrideAfrique YouTube channel.

Yet again, this year’s event prides itself in being wholly community-led and 100% volunteer-driven. In this light, Pride Afrique has called on the queer community to participate in their ambitious collection of video stories spanning the continent.

Community members are invited to visit the virtual Pride Afrique recording booth at www.prideafrique21.capsule.video to record a video sharing a story about their or someone elses’s resilience and bouncing back from trauma.

“This year has seen an unprecedented rise in attacks on the queer persons on the continent from Ghana to Uganda, Cameroon, South Africa and Senegal. We’ve witnessed state-sponsored discrimination and social stigma, and we recognise the traumas these attacks have caused to the community both at home and abroad,” said the organisers.

“Nevertheless, Pride Afrique intends to find a way to support our community by encouraging us to hold on as we believe change is still on the way, and our continent will be more inclusive, respectful and welcoming to its queer offspring.”

Pride Afrique 2021 takes place online on Saturday 14 August: 18:00 RSA/Paris, 16:00 Ghana/Togo, 19:00 Kenya, 17:00 Lagos/London / 12:00 NYC. To watch or for more information, check out the event’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or YouTube profiles.