For over thirty years Pink Saturday has been celebrated in The Netherlands: a manifestation for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders (LGBT) organized by a different Dutch city on the last Saturday of June every year. This year Pink Saturday was held in Amersfoort on 26 June 2010. On Pink Saturday, Hivos draws attention to the violation of fundamental rights of gays and lesbians in developing countries and attracts sponsors for its LGBT programme.
Death penalty
The Hivos information stand consisted of a wall with articles reporting stories from developing countries. In Malawi, for example, Hivos partner
CEDEP campaigns for two gay men who were sentenced to fourteen years of imprisonment in May this year because they intended to get married. In Zimbabwe, two employees of the gay organization
GALZ were arrested because allegedly they had broken censorship laws. Homosexuality is still an offence in 76 countries. In five countries and in parts of Nigeria and Somalia the death penalty applies.
Free to be me
During the debate that Hivos had organized Hivos partner Frank Malaba pointed out the crucial role of the media in combating homophobia. Malaba reaches the gay community in Southern Africa with his gay talk show ‘Outspoken’. "We are the voice for those who are voiceless, particularly in Africa where homosexuality is often illegal and still a taboo. ‘Outspoken’ has become an extensive show for all layers within the LGBT groups.”
It is particularly the visitors of Pink Saturday (whether they are gay or not) who are touched by the terrible position of gay and lesbians in other countries. "They are shocked by these stories and want to stand by the gay community. We managed to get over a hundred new sponsors", says Communication Officer Nicoline van der Torre. T-shirts with the words 'I am free to be me. Are you?' were selling like hot cakes.
Written by Global Village Media / Margreet van der Hel.
