Namibia's Rainbow Project

The Rainbow Project, referred to as ‘trp’, is an NGO in Namibia that advocated on behalf of LGBT people and provides resources to these marginalized communities across the country. It was unique in that, at its inception, it was the only organization of its kind that focused on the injustices and abuse of rights of all sexual minorities in the country in contrast to other prominent Namibian lgbt organizations like Sister Namibia that are primarily directed toward lesbians in the country.  trp is engaged in work to counter the consequences of homophobia for sexual minorities and the broader Namibian community. Namibian leaders have publicly attributed the HIV AIDS epidemic to homosexual people in the country even as official government reports demonstrate that heterosexual individuals engaged in intercourse without protection is the main way that the disease is transmitted in Namibia. trp advocates for HIV AIDS prevention that is sensitive to the unique experiences of sexual minorities and void of homophobic misinformation in prevention of mass transmission and in pursuit of an end to the epidemic. Central to the mission of trp has been its work documenting hate crimes against sexual minorities across the country beginning in 2006.

Origins

Prior to 1989, Namibia was under the colonial rule of South Africa. Upon becoming an independent nation, the SWAPO Party came to power in the country. Under South Africa's Apartheid government, homosexuality was condemned and after independence LGBT Namibians hoped they would finally be able to live in peace. The SWAPO party had a political platform of "equality for all Namibians" even as LGBT people were not granted equality under their leadership. In 1996, The Rainbow Project was formed in response to the "political homophobia" characteristic of the SWAPO Party. TRP collaborated with Sister Namibia to respond to public attacks, both verbal and physical, on sexual minorities in the country and forged networks with international human rights and LGBT organizations to draw national attention toward the "invisibility" of their community.

LGBT Advocacy

During a public commemoration for Heroes’ Day on August 26, 2005, Namibia's Deputy Minister (PM) of Home Affairs and Immigration, Theopolina Mushelenga made a speech and is quoted as having claimed that “lesbians and gay men betrayed the fight for Namibian freedom, are responsible for the HIV/AIDS pandemic and are an insult to African culture.” Three organizations, The Gays and Lesbians of Zimbabwe (GALZ), Sister Namibia and TRP, issued individual responses to this claim as documented by Outright International, an international lgbtq human rights organization based in New York City. On September 8, 2005 the statement issued by trp expressed that the Deputy Ministers homophobic statement was a “direct attack against the civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (lgbt) people of Namibia. (742) In response, trp called for the resignation of the PM and President Pohamba’s enforcement of her resignation, asserting that her endorsement of homophobia poses a threat to the lives of all Namibians.

In July of 2006 the Rainbow Project issued an official statement condemning the remarks of former SWAPO Party President, Dr. Sam Nujoma. Nujoma used the term “homosexual” to refer to the director of NSHR. The SWAPO party while in power carried out government sanctioned repression of LGBT identified and suspected individuals across Namibia. In their statement, The Rainbow Project explained that Nujoma’s use of the term “homosexual” to refer to NSHR director Phil ya Nangoloh was an attempt to use him “as a scapegoat to avert attention from the current controversies within the SWAPO Party. Further, the statement was an appeal to current Namibian president, Hifikepunye Pohamba, to condemn the verbal attack and to “maintain his government’s pro-human rights stance.”