The Netherlands, once among the leaders in LGBTQ rights, has been failing to create a more open society for all people lately, according to the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
(Bloomberg) — The Netherlands, once among the leaders in LGBTQ rights, has been failing to create a more open society for all people lately, according to the Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
“In the Netherlands, we for a long time felt we were frontrunners, we were leading the world, we were very proud of our tradition of being very tolerant and open,” Robbert Dijkgraaf said in a phone interview ahead of the annual Pride parade on Amsterdam’s canals this weekend. “But I feel that this is something that we need to push for more because it’s totally not obvious that we’ll automatically become a more inclusive society.”
He attributes the slowing momentum to a wider pushback against LGBTQ rights, with some extreme right-wing political parties around the world promoting division between different groups. Dijkgraaf also said that there is rising complacency as Dutch people consider the Netherlands to be progressive.
While Malta topped ILGA-Europe’s 2022 ranking of the best European country for LGBTQ rights, Netherlands placed 15th. According to a report the advocacy group published in 2023, the community was facing an increasing number of hate crimes, adding that state assistance for trans individuals facing domestic violence was “inadequate.”
The country decriminalized homosexuality in 1971 and allowed for civil partnerships for same-sex couples in 1998. Three years later, it became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. Yet, a rise in conservative voices in Europe and growing disinformation in recent years are weighing on progress the country has made.
Dijkgraaf said that there is a small minority in the Netherlands that is holding back progress. “That minority does not shrink, and it actually becomes more vocal. In recent years, particularly this year, we also have seen more violence, more aggressiveness whether it’s soccer supporters or destructions of memorials,” he said.
Dutch soccer was in focus this year after fans chanted homophobic slurs. Meanwhile, a monument in the Hague dedicated to the international LGBTQ community was vandalized just last month. While model Rikkie Valerie Kolle became the first transgender woman to win the Miss Netherlands beauty pageant, she was soon at the receiving end of online hate.
Similarly at the political level, there appears to be progress that clashes with a vocal group online. For instance, Climate Minister Rob Jetten faced what he called in July an outpouring of homophobia after announcing his candidacy for party leadership. Dijkgraaf is a member of Jetten’s progressive Democrats 66 party. If elected, Jetten would become the first openly gay Prime Minister of the Netherlands.
Rising aggression against the LGBTQ community is concerning, Dijkgraaf said. “I’m particularly worried that the tone of the debate is hardening, it’s getting more polarized,” he said.
–With assistance from Diederik Baazil.
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