Holland, Europe

The Netherlands is a popular destination for gay tourism especially Amsterdam where an LGBT gay pride festival occurs in mid-August. Many gay-owned or gay-friendly hotels, nightclubs and cafes operate in the city. In 1973 Dutch mental health institutions stopped treating homosexuality as an illness and the military lifted its ban on homosexuals. More Dutch LGBT people started to "come out", gay publications such as "Gay Krant" started to be published and the liberal and left-wing Dutch political parties started to support LGBT rights as part of an overall support of social tolerance and liberalism. Isolated verbal and physical attacks on LGBT people tend to come from the socially conservative leadership of the Muslim community and their followers (more than 5% of the population). Political leaders of the conservative Christian parties (accounting for another 5%) oppose gay-rights legislation, however, they do recognize the gay community, and they are all opposed to discrimination of LGBT's. A recent 2006 European Union member poll showed the Dutch to be the strongest supporters of same-sex marriage at 82%.

 

 

Partners Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud will compete on same Olympic team in Tokyo

Gal and Minderhoud have been together for many years and will compete in dressage together in Tokyo. Edward Gal and Hans Peter Minderhoud are gay partners who will compete together in equestrian for the Netherlands at the Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. Marlies van Balen will round out the Dutch team with the couple. The… Read more »

The Dutch are writing LGBTQ rights into their constitution

While America keeps sliding backwards…. A constitutional amendment to ban discrimination against LGBTQ people has moved forward in the Netherlands. The lower chamber of the Dutch legislature voted 124-26 to add “sexual orientation” to the list of protected categories in Article 1 of the Netherlands’ constitution. Article 1 of the Dutch constitution requires that everyone… Read more »

‘We need freedom’: Sehaq, the party space for Amsterdam’s queer refugees

As well as contending with racism, queer refugees face homophobia and transphobia – even from their fellow refugees. One Dutch group is trying to carve out a safe space At the dinner table, conversations bubble around people as they tuck into a three-course meal. A plethora of different nationalities and identities have pulled up a… Read more »

Christian leaders and MP in the Netherlands sign anti-LGBTI manifesto

The manifesto says homosexuality is ‘unclean’ Hundreds of Christian leaders and one member of parliament have signed a manifesto expressing their opposition to LGBTI people. Some of the points on the manifesto included expressing their belief that marriage is between and a man and a woman. The manifesto also expressed a disapproval of transgender identities… Read more »

All you need to know about Pride Amsterdam’s suggestive Canal Parade

Rainbow barges floating down the canal? We’re on board! This year’s Pride Amsterdam week-long festival will kick off on 28 July, culminating in the annual Canal Parade on 4 August. More than 80 contingents will float down the canal, one of the most suggestive Pride locations in Europe. A pride on water in Amsterdam The… Read more »

King of the Netherlands to make historic visit to LGBT group

The King of the Netherlands will make a historic visit to a Dutch LGBT rights group later this month, in a historic first. It was announced today that King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, who ascended to the throne in 2013 when his mother abdicated, will meet with activists from COC Netherlands, a Dutch advocacy group… Read more »

Gay refugees rehoused in the Netherlands after threats

Five gay refugees have been rehoused in the Netherlands after being threatened by fellow refugees. According to Dutch News, the five men, three from Syria, one from Iraq and one from Iran, were moved after the Salvation Army said it could not guarantee their safety. The men were originally housed in the Parool, a refugee… Read more »

Gay refugees rehoused in the Netherlands after threats

Five gay refugees have been rehoused in the Netherlands after being threatened by fellow refugees. According to Dutch News, the five men, three from Syria, one from Iraq and one from Iran, were moved after the Salvation Army said it could not guarantee their safety. The men were originally housed in the Parool, a refugee… Read more »

That Gay Guy: Yareth Talks Gay Life in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

That Gay Guy is an interview series with, you guessed it, gay guys from all over the world. Instead of focusing on my own limited homo travel adventures, this series gives me (and you, hopefully) the chance to discover just what life is like for gay people in different parts of the world. This time… Read more »

Proud Healthy

Factors such as stigma, discrimination, violence, gaps in the knowledge and attitudes of health-care workers, and the criminalisation of same-sex acts have adversely affected the access to and uptake of health-care services by LGBTIs in Southern Africa. To address the need to build and strengthen the capacity of LGBTI organisations in Southern Africa in the… Read more »

LGBT Rights: Advocacy Chief Wins Dutch Award

Jos Brink State Prize for Boris Dittrich (Amsterdam) – Boris Dittrich, advocacy director for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Rights Program at Human Rights Watch has been awarded the Dutch government’s prestigious Jos Brink State Prize for 2013. Jet Bussemaker, Dutch minister of education, culture and science, presented the award to Dittrich in… Read more »

What Do We Do With The Sissies? Homophobia, Gender, Stereotypes And Emancipation Stratigies Among Young And LGBT People In The Netherlands

Introduction This report analyses the results of two researches carried out in the Netherlands. The research was done in the context of the NISO Project “Fighting homophobia through active citizenship and media education”, a two years initiative co-funded by EU (DG Justice) through its Human Rights and Citizenship Programme. The aim of the NISO project… Read more »

What do we do with the sissies?

One third of Dutch secondary students keep a distance to gay and lesbian peers or feels insecure about having contact with them. 32% does not want to sit next to a gay classmate during lunch break. Only one third thinks homosexuality “a natural sexual orientation”. These are some of the results of the research EduDivers,… Read more »

Poll: Gay men take twice as many holidays

A new poll suggested gay men take double the national average number of holidays each year. Ipsos Mori polled 2,174 gay men for Gaydar and has released both the pattern for gay holidays and the most popular destinations. San Francisco was the most popular city, followed by Amsterdam. The resort of Gran Canaria came third… Read more »

Gay Holland News & Reports 2011

1 Amsterdam looks to attract the pink dollar 3/11 2 Netherlands Celebrates 10 Years Of Gay Marriage 4/11 March 22, 2011 – Monsters & Critics 1 Amsterdam looks to attract the pink dollar by Thomas Burmeister Amsterdam – Amsterdam is one of Europe’s most popular destinations, drawing millions of tourists each year looking to savour… Read more »

Gay Holland News & Reports 2008-10

1 Princess to attend gay meeting and discuss prejudice 2/08 2 Dutch stand up for gays at UN Human Rights council 3/08 3 Gay Marriage Costs Him Citizenship 5/08 4 Gay Couple in Netherlands Helps Raise 100 Children 5/08 5 Muslim gang attacks gay catwalk model 6/08 6 Dutch gala raises 800,000 Euros for HIV/Aids… Read more »

Gay Holland News & Reports 2006-07

1 Dutch official moves to deport gay Iranians 3/06 2 Muslims and Gays play soccer to fight prejudice 3/06 2a Five years of gay marriage 3/06 3 Dutch Suspend Deportation of Iranian Gays & Christians 4/06 4 Iran calls upon Islamic countries to block second part of the film ‘Submission’ 4/06 5 Mayor of Amsterdam… Read more »

Gay Holland News & Reports 2001-05

1 World’s first legal gay weddings held in Amsterdam 4/01 2 Dutch Law Allows Same-Sex Marriages 3/01 3 Dutch Gay Marriage Stats Released 12/01 4 ‘Marlene’ stars at Dutch gay fest 8/02 5 Doctrine Meets Practice–Dutch take on Vatican over gay marriages 9/03 6 Gay youth face ‘alarming’ discrimination 9/03 7 Dutch say gay marriage… Read more »