For a queer woman human rights defender from Kenya, a country where LGBTQ+ rights are constantly under threat, experiencing Pride in the Netherlands was something our Shelter City guest, Malala, had been extremely excited about.
From the beginning of her stay, Malala expressed strong interest in Pride events. While being gay is not officially illegal in Kenya, she told us about a gay club she used to frequent, known as a kind of “public secret” in Nairobi. So, the idea of a day where queer people are openly celebrated was incredibly meaningful to her.
As she began building connections during her stay, she was invited to different events, one of them being The Hague Pride. She shared how incredible it felt to march in the parade, feeling the collective energy of people coming together for the shared goal of queer acceptance.
Later, she also attended the Utrecht Canal Pride. There, she watched boats glide along the water, each showcasing different queer communities: trans people, lesbians, drag performers, and most touchingly, a boat carrying queer refugees. Watching them dance and be cheered on, unapologetically themselves, was a deeply emotional moment.
The energy of that day was inspiring, not only for the work we do here at Shelter City but also for the important human rights work Malala will soon return to in Kenya. For someone who has fought tirelessly for human rights in a place where queerness is still met with stigma and danger, this experience was more than a celebration. It was a powerful glimpse of what safety, visibility, and true community can feel like, a world where people are not merely surviving, but fully and joyfully living.
