Friesland is the last Dutch province to hoist the rainbow flag. A majority of the Provincial States agreed on Wednesday to the proposal to become a rainbow province
By raising a rainbow flag on Coming Out Day (11 October), Friesland will send the signal to commit itself to the safety and acceptance of the LGBTI community.
In addition to rainbow provinces, the Netherlands also has rainbow cities. These dozens of cities are also committed to the safety and acceptance of LGBTI persons. In 2014, they signed an agreement for this with then Minister Jet Bussemaker (Emancipation).
This collaboration inspired Drenthe to declare itself the first rainbow province in the country in 2016. Groningen, Overijssel, Gelderland, Flevoland, North Holland, North Brabant, Utrecht and Limburg followed. The list was supplemented in 2019 with South Holland and Zeeland.
Only Friesland was still missing. A first attempt by the Frisians to become a rainbow province died in 2016, but on Wednesday 30 of the 43 members of the Provincial Council voted in favor.
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