The Q in LGBTQ+ – What does it mean to be queer in the Dutch capital city then & now?

The Netherlands – a country widely considered to be the birthplace of LGBTQ+ rights after infamously decriminalising homosexuality in 1811. About a decade later the first gay bar Cafe ‘t Mandje was opened and the still-active LGBTQ+ organisation COC was founded. Pride parades date back all the way to 1977, following a protest held mostly by lesbians and trans women of colour. The gay scene really came to life after the opening of the Spijkerbar and The Eagle in the 1980s, and the first same sex marriage ever was legalized on April 1st, 2001. Most of these movements took place in none other than Amsterdam, the vibrant capital city of The Netherlands. Home to the popular Reguliersdwarsstraat (also known as “the gay street”) which sports plenty of queer spaces such as Taboo and Club Nyx, Amsterdam was widely known as one of the safest, most exciting and welcoming cities to visit as a member of the LGBTQ+ community.

However, as of 2024, The Netherlands has been removed from the list of the top ten safest countries for LGBTQIA+ travellers* and scores a mere 56% in terms of queer rights in the Rainbow Europe Map and Index**. For a country that used to be universally known as a safe haven for queer folks, the question is raised: What happened, and where is the current development of LGBTQ+ rights in Amsterdam headed?

The core issue is that in the present day, being queer comes close to being ‘normalised’ in Amsterdam. And while this may seem like a good-natured movement – which it partially is – it also paves the way for dangerous waves of right-wing politicians to not get the attention they demand. We move to a point of normality as queer people in Amsterdam that it becomes easy to forget that at the end of the day, we remain a minority group whose rights dangle on the thin wires of the puppeteer that is our government. The uprising of conservative politics is especially seen in the countryside, which creates the “bubble effect” of Amsterdam citizens and visitors feeling detached from the development of national politics. We are blinded by the casualty and non-chalantness with which Amsterdam meets its queer inhabitants and take our rights and freedom for granted. Alarm bells and calls for actions are ignored as a result, which has led to some of the most shocking political developments with far-right Geert Wilders’ election in 2024.

The bottom line is that in 2024, possibly more than ever, we need Pride. We need brave voices and courageous emancipation and those liberated enough to put their foot down and stand up for the community, to preserve the laws we have fought so hard to maintain. We need people to speak up and to vote, and acknowledge the downward trend visible in our human rights. Queerness and Amsterdam will always go hand in hand, and it is up to us to make sure this is done rightfully so. Only this way, we can change the course of the waves threatening to drown queer folks.