The First-Ever Virtual Pan-African Pride Is Streaming Now, and You Can Tune in All Weekend Long
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This year has seen many planned events “go virtual” due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, and the latest is a pan-African Pride event called Pride Afrique that has just begun live-streaming and will take place throughout the weekend.
The virtual Pan-African Pride event describes itself as:
A virtual celebration of LGBTIQ pride, which promotes and celebrates LGBTIQ people and groups across the African continent and the Diaspora. It is about who we are, what we do to contribute to our societies, and what resources we have at our disposal.
Pride Afrique 2020 brings you three levels of storytelling: structural, relational, and personal. These three areas guide our choice of stories and events. We believe our stories cannot be one-dimensional as queer Africans.
During these three days, you will hear from, and about the communities within our large collective. You will listen to the voices of Presidents, policymakers, and from a parade of LGBTQI Africans at home and abroad. Inside our storytelling arena, you will discover the rhythms of our resilience, the beauty of our vulnerability, and the kaleidoscope of rainbow colors in languages and dialects that can only be experienced.
The three-day event has quite an extensive program, including exciting moments like statements from the former presidents of Botswana and South Africa, plus performances, story readings, conversations and workshops on mental health.
Day 1 of the pan-African Pride event (today) addresses “Stories that focus on the big picture: Systems, Cultures & Norms.” Day 2 (Aug. 15) addresses “Stories that focus on finding one’s tribe and the telling of our stories.” Day 3 (Aug. 16) addresses “Stories that center our wellbeing in spite of the harsh realities around us.”
Pride Afrique is organized by Ms. Noni Salma, an award winning screenwriter, filmmaker and trans activist who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria.
Tune into the virtual pan-African Pride event now!
The featured image at top depicts Johannesburg Pride 1990, courtesy of PrideAfrique.com and GALA, a South African center for LGBTQ culture and education.
