gay organising begins

June 1997: The attacks by the President have encouraged gay organising in Namibia.

The Rainbow Project is speaking out in the media and working to repeal the nation's Sodomy law; the group has also set up legal, cultural, counselling and sports committees. "We have been very active in the last few months after many decades of hiding in the closet and suffering in silence," said spokesman Niko Kisting. "The response from the wider society has been very positive and supportive and even the [governing] Swapo [party] politicians have softened their tone somewhat although they still seem to deem it necessary to now and then denounce us publicly."