Rainbow Pride at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. | Photo: Supplied
The first pride parade held in one of the world’s biggest refugee camps was a remarkable success despite being marred in violence.
About 200 people attended the different Pride events at the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya.
Kenyan government officials and representatives from the United Nations attended the events which featured a trans fashion show and pride parade.
About 200 LGBTI refugees live in the camp. They come mainly from Uganda, but all have fled persecution in their home countries for their sexuality or gender identity.
Mbazira Moses of the advocacy group Rainbow Flag Kakuma organised the event and is a refugee himself.
Moses faced threats and homophobia in the lead up to the Pride celebrations.
He is proud of how everything went even though some spectators threatened them with violence.
While Moses hoped the visibility would help raise awareness and acceptance of the camp’s LGBTI population but it seems to have had the opposite effect.
‘The event started with a (soccer) match around Kakuma in the morning,’ Moses told Gay Star News.
‘It was successfully attended by 180 of the LGBTIQ refugees and they were joined by many other refugees in the camp who didn’t know about the event. They initially embraced it but later on proved to be violent.’
The refugees who turned violent started yelling at the Pride participants and according to Moses, spit at them and also tried to throw dirt on the trans models.
Security who had been hired for the event, manage to keep the violent refugees under control.
But later on in the day a group of refugees at the camp allegedly attacked a lesbian and trans refugee. The lesbian received serious lacerations to her heel. The trans woman is in hospital getting treatment after the attackers punched her in the stomach.
Despite the violence, Moses said he’s happy and grateful how the first Pride event at Kakuma refugee camp turned out.
Kakuma Pride photos:
1.
One of the trans models at Kakuma Pride. | Photo: Supplied
2.
Kakuma Pride. | Photo: Supplied
3.
Celebrating Pride at a refugee camp. | Photo: Supplied
4.
Kakuma Pride Parade. | Photo: Supplied
5.
Rainbow Pride. | Photo: Supplied
6.
You better werk. | Photo: Supplied
7.
A trans model struts her stuff in Kakuma. | Photo: Supplied
8.
Supermodels of Kakuma. | Photo: Supplied
9.
Trans model at Kakuma. | Photo: Supplied
10.
Big crowds for the Kakuma Pride. | Photo: Supplied
11.
Kakuma Pride. | Photo: Supplied
