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NOS News•today, 08:44
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Pride breaks loose in Amsterdam this weekend. After two editions that were small-scale due to corona, the event will again manifest itself massively in the capital until August 7 with more than 300 activities dedicated to the visibility and emancipation of the LGBTI+ community.
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The event starts with the Pride Walk, organized by the Homomonument Foundation. That is a protest march that starts at 11 a.m. on Dam Square and is dedicated to the struggle that queer people in the Netherlands are facing. still fight against discrimination and exclusion. Because Pride is also protest, according to the Pride organization, which supports the march financially.
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This protest also takes place within the LGBTI community. For example, the action group Reclaim Our Pride joined the Pride Walk last year to draw attention to the position of the most marginalized groups within the rainbow community.
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This year there are also interest groups that are committed to more diversity and solidarity. “Because violence against LGBT+ people cannot be separated from (institutional) racism, sexism or Islamophobia,” says Aynouk Tan on behalf of Queer Network Amsterdam, a network of 22 interest groups that focuses on the representation of the experiences and activities of black and colored people and transgender people.
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Canal Parade
“Pride’s major events are not inclusive for these groups,” says Femke Hurkmans, who is involved in the network like Tan. Hurkmans specifically mentions the Canal Parade. “I once saw people throw gnawed chicken legs at my head from the side,” says Hurkmans. “I also once heard a father say to his child: ‘that’s actually a guy’, pointing to someone on the boat.”
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Tan also mentions the boat parade as part of Pride where she has experienced unpleasant things. “People wanted to touch me or kiss me without being asked,” she says. “As if I was entertainment. That didn’t feel good at all.”
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That members of the LGBTI+ community feel unsafe during Pride is also one of the conclusions of an investigation that was published last spring on behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam. “For example, many public places in the city become unsafe for the LGBTIQ+ community during Pride and that is diametrically opposed to the goal,” it says in a statement. the report from Flowz.
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Other image
Other research by bureau R2 Research, also carried out last year on behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam, paints the opposite picture. This shows, among other things, that a majority (65 percent) of the LGBTI+ community believes that Pride Amsterdam draws attention to the importance of safety for and within the queer community. The Canal Parade is seen by LGBT people as one of the most important parts of the Pride week.
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The latter conclusion is therefore more in line with the experience of Ronald Benita, this year one of the nine ambassadors for Pride. “My very first Pride experience was very special and coincided with my coming out,” he says. “I wore make-up in public for the first time, people I met on the street cheered me on and said I looked good.”
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In his role as ambassador, Benita is committed to inclusion, including by increasing the visibility of queer people of color. “For me, that means raising my voice and discussing things I used to miss so much, like representing black queer people,” he says.
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Alternative events
The organization of Pride Amsterdam says in a response that it is working on making Pride more inclusive. There are committees that contribute to the content of the event, such as a religious, trans and youth committee.
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To make the boat parade safer, Pride has turned the route into an event area. “Now we know exactly which boats are there, so that we can prevent nuisance as much as possible,” said a spokesperson.
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Not enough, say Tan and Hurkmans of Queer Network Amsterdam. They therefore organize alternative events with the 22 organizations that fall under the network. “The safety of LGBTI+ people is leading here,” says Tan. “Pride should play a much bigger role in ensuring that security, not just for a week, but 365 days a year.”
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Tan, Hurkmans and Benita and will all join the Pride Walk this afternoon. “Today we are protesting for our rights,” says Benita. “On August 6 we will celebrate that we can be ourselves.”
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