The Namibian Institute for Democracy (NID) held a two-day workshop to educate media practitioners and the public on the implications of hate speech and discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community.

"Although Namibia is a fairly tolerant society, sexual and gender diverse persons still lack a comprehensive legal framework that protects them from hate speech, from discrimination, from involuntary removal from work, and all those things. I think though we are tollerent, there is a lot more that could be done in order to safeguard the rights of LGBT+ persons," said Jacinta Kasume, the Programme Manager for NID.

She explained that the Constitution only protects them on the grounds of sex, but it is not the same as sexual orientation or gender identity.

The Programme Manager at Namibia Media Trust, Linda Baumann, said the booklet targets religious groups, lawmakers, media, and community members to ensure that internalised homophobia is addressed.

"This book is advancing information. It's like a source of information for Namibians but also to be able to create an enabling environment that would demystify discrimination, inequalities, and injustices. So basically, this book is going to be part of the archive of documentation for the LGBTQ+ community."

Baumann further stated that the community left behind is not properly heard or understood, which necessitated the need to produce the guide.