Namibian LGBTI Community Need to Reflect on Internalized Homophobia and Transphobia

A journalist from a local media and says- Hello Ms. Baumann … 

I am **** from the **** … 

I am busy writing an article on LGBTI community- Looking at internalised homophobia, transphobia within your community and why homophobia and transphobia is only placed on persons who do not identify as homosexual… 

And finally I want to know about the mushrooming of LGBTI organizations in the country. 

Now that is an interesting story to match up to because rarely do we as persons who identify as LGBTI ever reflect on internalised phobias that shifts bridges as our focus is always on persons from the outside…

In our community the rifts are so high that we do not even understand nor tolerate the diverse background, identities and expressions within the LGBTI community. 

The conflict, internal violations amongst each other and just the general lack of comprehension of who we are a community and our role in this dispensation… 

When it comes to the mushrooming of LGBTI organisations… Well that clearly carries its social philosophies of establishment with very minimal political foundation hence the continuous attack from within and outside… 

I wonder at times what it would take to have us as the Namibian LGBTI convene to engage on the basics that would lay a collective agenda, collective understanding and having collective modalities that would advance and benefit the greater LGBTI community and nation at large… 

30 October 2017

14h10

MY MATRIARCH

 My Mother 

Our Mother
Someone's Daughter

A Parent's Child
An Offspring
An Innocent Soul
A Pure Being
A Reality in Flesh
A Human with Purpose

My Mother
Our Mother
Someone's Daughter 

A Maiden with Honour
A Soldier portraying bravery
With unimaginable strength
Grace she is
Wisdom occupying her space 

My Mother
Our Mother
Someone's daughter

A human being filled with compassion
An example of unprescriptive love and patience
Truly a pure being
My Mother she is...

Sacrifices she has made not only for me but for so many of us who have seen your liberal character.
A character which refuses to give up and give in to defeat
An innocent soul you remain as you know just how to focus on the good and forgive that which is adverse 

My Mother
Our Mother
Someone's daughter
Unlimited remains your potential, while you prevail unbounded.

By: Linda RM Baumann
15h28
20 September 2017