THE STORY OF YAQUB
For Pride 2022, we are honoured to have Yaqub Abdirahman as our campaign ambassador. Yaqub is part of the Copenhagen queer community and being a first-generation immigrant has given him a strong interest in understanding other people and cultures.
“I’m a first-generation immigrant. I was born in a refugee camp in Kenya, and I came here when I was a little less than two years old. I grew up in the most diverse neighbourhood in Denmark with 98 different ethnic groups. I feel like that left a big impression on me.
I’ve always had a strong interest in wanting to understand why people perceive others the way they do. And I feel like religion is a huge factor in how people perceive each other.”
THE NEED TO BE CRITICAL
With a degree in Political Science, Yaqub wants to understand and challenge the status quo.
“I chose my field of education to better understand different structures politically, culturally and in a religious context. I want to understand and explore all these different structures that are enforced in the patterns of human interaction.”
A NATURAL TRANSITION
Queerness hasn’t always been part of Yacub’s life.
“I have this strong passion for helping refugees, and people that are displaced socially in different ways, particularly youth. However, later in my life, my interest became more centralised around queerness. It was a natural kind of transition for me.”
SELF-EXPRESSION
“I believe self-expression is about bravery. Life is so short, so why limit yourself because you are scared of being perceived as offensive, or because you feel society might treat you a certain way. Be brave and stand out from the crowd!”
“I don’t want to look back at my life and think I lived for other people, and I held back in certain ways. I really do not want to look back at my life with regret. That’s why I want to encourage everyone to live whatever way they want to live.”
SUPPORTING PRIDE
Personal freedom and self-expression are at MATE’s core, which is why we honour individuality and choice for Pride. We are proud to be the official sponsors of Copenhagen Pride as well as supporting Pride on a global level.
On the occasion of this year’s Pride, we’ve created an exclusive all white MATE, mirroring a blank canvas, and decorated it with unique splashes of colour. With this bike, we want you to express who you are, to show your true colours!