Africa backpacking: how was camping with a friend in a homophobic country being gay

By Rafael Leick*

A few years ago, I landed in Namibia for my first and long-awaited visit to the African continent for a low-budget, week-long trip across the country.

As soon as, in a surge for a mega-promotion, I bought my ticket, I realized that I had never specifically thought about Namibia for travel and knew absolutely nothing about the destination, nor that it was an essentially homophobic country where it is a crime to be LGBTQIA+.

Then I started to worry because, besides being gay, I already had Viaja Bi!, a travel blog for LGBTQIA+ travelers.

In other words, if at immigration, someone decided to Google my name, rainbows would jump out, and I would be in trouble.

And not only me!

A friend had decided to explore Namibia with me, and although he was straight, in such a situation, he could be read as my boyfriend and suffer from homophobia as much as I did.

My fear started to become more and more intense, and besides the research for the 9-day itinerary, I conducted a parallel investigation to find out how much we would be exposed.

I ended up virtually meeting a Brazilian woman who worked as a guide in Namibia and was dating a Namibian.

I asked her how this issue was over there, and the answer reassured me on the one hand and made me sad on the other.

She confirmed that, officially, homosexuality is not accepted.

But there is an implicit social rule that people pretend does not exist: men can go out at night, stay and have sex with other guys, and explore themselves sexually.

But the next day, they must act like nothing happened, even if they run into the guy out there.

More or less like the standard gays in the Center-Gardens region of São Paulo do when they meet, on the street, a guy with whom they had sex the day before, you know?

And this story made me curious about how gay men live in Namibia.

At the same time, it is sad to see what they must submit themselves to survive – and how discreet and out-of-the-mainstream gay people in São Paulo have the privilege and waste it by acting similarly.

And it was with “all this” information that we went to Namibia.

Before arriving there, in a connection of a few hours in Luanda, Angola, I met Gustavo.

I have already written about when he was stuck at the border for being gay.

And the stories he told me in the airport lobby, about the search for his cell phone, computer, etc., made me tense.

At the same time, after what he had been through, he seemed quite calm enough to face Namibian immigration.

What also gave me more peace of mind and more fear at the same time was that Gustavo would meet, in Namibia, a group of three other friends, including his boyfriend at the time.

At the same time that I felt welcome to be among peers and not be the only gay to pass by, couldn’t a group of 5 gays (and one straight guy who could be read as such) draw even more attention?

All in all, the entry into the country was super smooth, and my straight friend practically went on safari through the Gay Valley for the first few days. And everything went well.

In the first accommodation, a simple hostel in Windhoek, Namibia’s capital, the room he and I booked had a double bed.

For us, no problem, but I was quite tense if it would be a problem for those working at the hostel and if it would put us at risk.

I slept worried, but we had no problems.

On the other days, I was more relaxed.

We rented a car and would pick up campsites along the way without any prior reservation.

Yes, I know, what some people worry about, is no worry for others.

I would go camping in Africa without preparation or reservation, and I feared the hostel.

Welcome to the LGBTQIA+ world!

For the first few days, we followed our route with the boys we had just met; they were in one car, and we were in another.

Besides one night in Windhoek, we went to the incredible Okonjima nature reserve to see the work of the AfriCat Foundation, which cares for the preservation and conservation of big cats in the region.

It was sensational! And the beautiful guide was a special attraction for our group (except for Rafael, my straight friend).

From there we headed to the main tourist attraction in Namibia, Etosha National Park, where the wildlife is bubbling and requires at least two days to explore.

We took a self-guided tour to have more freedom.

Of the “big five” animals, we only missed the rhino and the buffalo.

But it was beautiful; as soon as we entered the park, we saw three huge giraffes on the road, looking at us.

At this point in the trip, I was no longer so concerned about the issue of my sexuality being forbidden in that country.

The many kilometers of the road showed us that the population density in Namibia is so low that it is possible to drive for many hours without coming across any other cars.

It is bizarrely heartening.

Upon leaving Etosha, we split up with the boys, who would take a different route, and drove on just the two of us for many hours without crossing paths with humans.

We saw many animals along the way, which was exciting each time.

We passed through the following:

• a Himba village – a semi-nomadic native people’s community – where we camped for the night; the rock carvings of Twyfelfontein;
• the Skeleton Coast, where the dunes of the oldest desert in the world meet a very rough sea;
• Swakopmund, the second largest city in the country and home of extreme sports;
• and the giant dunes and petrified trees of Sossusvlei, where we spent a night in the car stuck in the sand, almost getting us arrested for sleeping in a national park.

But that is a story for another time.

In the end, despite the risk of being gay in a homophobic country – which was real, by the way – I had one of the most amazing trips of my life.

If you decide to take such a risk, I recommend doing a good bit of research about the destination before embarking.

Today, six years later, there is much more content available online. So, go for it!

*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of UOL

With information from UOL