Fun Fast Facts:
Updated: 18 Feb 2013 (Multiculturalism challenges liberal standards)
- First country to legalise same-sex marriage – in 2001.
- Homosexuality first legalised in 1811 – or ceased to become illegal.
- Amsterdam Pride March is walking on water! Why? It takes place on the canals.
- Two-thirds of anti-gay hate crimes are attributed to Muslim youth.
- Over $100,000 Euros were spent erecting the homo-monument.
- The Dutch are the tallest people in the world.
Broadcast: 9 Jun 2015
Gay Utopia?
W3JOY interviewed: Bart van der Werf – Dutch born world traveller
Listen to the podcast to discover:
- what life is like growing up in the Netherlands as a queer person
- what drives progressive policies in The Netherlands
- where the overwhelming public support for LGBT equality comes from
- school teachings on the political persecutions of gays and other minorities
- what the differences between LGBT communities in Australia and the Netherlands are, from an outsider’s perspective
Listen to the podcast
Broadcast: 18 Feb 2013
Multiculturalism challenges liberal standards
LGBTIQ-friendly organisation: Pink in Blue
- Pink in Blue works from within the Amsterdam Police Force for the LGBT community.
- It is entirely funded by the Police Department.
- The network’s members carry out all their regular duties as well as duties from the network.
- Pink in Blue co-operates with the National Homonetwork Police (Dutch: Landelijk Homonetwerk Politie), COC Amsterdam (an interest group for LGBTs), Foundation ProGay and Anti-discrimination Agency Amsterdam (Dutch: Meldpunt Discriminatie Regio Amsterdam).
W3JOY interviewed: Nico Schermers of Royal Dutch Embassy in Canberra
“We have the most liberal standards in the world in that respect.”
“Our government has just taken a number of measures because we feel that the rights are in place, but people are not always taking them for granted and therefore discrimination is still taking place. The government has just ordered measures to punish violence against LGBT people in a stronger way.”
“We have a number of families, of same-sex parents, and they did not have similar rights before the court. The second parent always had to go to administer for parenthood, and that is going to be changed as well.”
“Discrimination against LGBT has been prohibited by law since 1994.”
“We had the problem of HIV which made it impossible for LGBT people to be blood donors, and currently the government is looking into that.”
“Whenever they arrive in the Netherlands, they are granted the same rights…for other refugees in other countries, we try to convince the governments who are responsible for the refugees to be responsible in that respect.”
W3JOY interviewed: Elco
“Amsterdam has long lost the title of being the gay capital of Europe. That’s gone to Berlin.”
“There is a visibility of gay people in Holland mainly because very early on, gay characters were appearing on Dutch television. There were well-known gay artists back in the days before there was television. People used those famous people as role models.”
“Mainly we look at people for what they are instead of who they are. If you are a great sportsman and you happen to be gay, who cares?”
“There is only one kind of marriage in Holland and it’s open to people of the same gender.”
“Religion does play a big role in Dutch society, the role is getting bigger…believe it or not, we’ve got a Bible Belt in Holland…they regard same-sex [relationships] as the biggest abomination in the eyes of the law.”
“When they [LGBT people] get spat on in the street, in Amsterdam, it will always be Moroccan youth.”
“The Amsterdam police have been great.”
“What you see in general is that Dutch society is getting more polarised….I foresee that the entire GLBT issue might polarise as well.”