IDAHO Bijeenkomst Ridderzaal

Toespraak | 17-05-2013

Joinging forces, moving forward

Your Majesties,
Excellencies,
ladies and gentlemen across the gender spectrum,

In her wonderful short story Brokeback Mountain about the love between cowboys Ennis and Jack, Annie Proulx writes:

There was some open space between what he knew
and what he tried to believe.
But nothing could be done about it.
And if you can't fix it,
you've got to stand it.

Brokeback Mountain is set in the year 1963.
A time when homosexuality was often accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt and an utter lack of social acceptance.
If you can't fix it, you've got to stand it – this was the only option for many homosexuals at the time.

Since then, we have made great steps forward,
but we still have much work to do.
This is why we’ve gathered here today.
IDAHO – the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – is the day when we all show that we are proud to be human, with all the diversity that this implies.
It is also the day when we say a resounding ‘no’ to homophobia and transphobia.
A day of unity in diversity.

From Australia to Iran, from Cameroon to Albania – in more than a hundred countries tomorrow, tens of thousands of people will be demanding attention for the same issues.

Demanding attention for the struggle for self-determination and respect.
Demanding attention for the search for companionship and pleasure.
And for the value of individual and collective expression.

Welcome, everyone, to the Ridderzaal – the Knights Hall. Together, we in Europe have shown that we can move forward when we join forces.

As the Minister for Emancipation, I am very proud that the Netherlands is your host country today and tomorrow.
This is in keeping with our role as an international frontrunner.
And it is in line with our ambition to fight at the European level for equal rights for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transgenders.

The fight must continue. Research published today shows that the social acceptance of homosexuality is faltering in Europe.
- In Russia, only a third of the population feels that people should be free to live as they wish.
- In Romania, more than half of the population says they do not want gay neighbours.
- In Lithuania, 70% of the population is uncomfortable with homosexuality.
- And last month we saw anti-gay sentiments flare up in France as people protested the introduction of same-sex marriage.

This has to change. We can fix it. We now see that, against all odds, same-sex marriage is gaining ground in Europe. Nevertheless, change will not come about on its own.

The seed of every emancipation movement is sown in the confrontation with the prevailing norm.
That was the case in the civil rights movement.
That was the case in women’s liberation.
And that was, and still is, the case in the gay rights movement.

Many countries with representatives here today have experienced Gay Pride events that have been disrupted or even marred by serious violence. We have experienced the same here in the Netherlands.

In 1982, Gay Pride day turned into a fiasco.
Conservative youths pelted the four thousand participants with eggs and stones. Later, they surrounded the theatre where the closing ceremony was being held, trapping people inside for hours. Taxi drivers refused to approach the venue, so intimidating was the violence.

Those who witnessed the mayhem in 1982 found it to be a horrible experience.

But it also spawned a movement. On the initiative of the Dutch LGBT organization COC, the Dutch government began developing a comprehensive emancipation policy in 1986, and appointed a minister to coordinate the policy.

- Ultimately, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex civil marriages. That was in 2001 and many countries followed.
- Gay and lesbian couples in our country can now adopt children.
- A mother’s female partner may become the legal parent of their child, without the intervention of the courts.
- And legislation is now pending that will allow transgenders to change the gender on their birth certificate without going through masses of red tape.

Much has also changed in people’s hearts and minds over the course of time.
In 2006, some fifteen percent of the Dutch population had negative feelings toward homosexuality, while in 2012  this figure was only four percent.
This means that almost all Dutch people believe that gay men and lesbians should be free to live as they please – just as in countries like Sweden, Iceland, Belgium and Germany.

However, we must be cautious not to be lulled into complacency now that acceptance is so high in our country, and young people are coming out of the closet at an even earlier age.

Even though we are one of the leaders in Europe, the Netherlands is today still in place six when it comes to the legal equality of LGBT people, behind United Kingdom (1), Belgium (2), Norway (3), Sweden, Spain and Portugal (who share the 4th position) and France.

LGBT equality cannot be taken for granted. We need to defend and protect it. Because even in a tolerant country, intolerance is an ever-present danger, and we must remain awake.

In the Netherlands, but also in an international context, we are seeing a resurgence of conservatism and fundamentalism in orthodox religious circles. LGBT rights - and women’s rights - are being trampled or tampered with.

As the minister for emancipation and education, I find one development particularly disturbing, and that is the current attitude among many young people.

One third of Dutch young people between twelve and eighteen say that gay or lesbian classmates would be better off staying in the closet at their schools.
Over a fifth of Amsterdam school students think negatively about LGBT classmates.
And nearly half of students with a Turkish background and more than a third of students with a Moroccan background reject homosexuality outright.

In a documentary about COC volunteers who provide information to kids at secondary schools, one student says:
“We do have freedom of speech, but if gay people express themselves, they’ll have to face the consequences.”

That attitude has consequences of its own.
Gay and lesbian young people are more likely to experience bullying at school or through social media than their straight classmates.
Just a few kilometres from here, a gay couple was bullied out of their neighbourhood by homophobic youth.
And even in Amsterdam, gay and lesbian couples tend not to hold hands in the street, for fear of homophobic aggression.

Young people determine the future of society together. Social acceptance begins with them. This is why several of my fellow ministers and I visited a school with a Gay-Straight Alliance this morning. An American concept originally, and one that has proven successful. It means that students and teachers at this school, called the Hofstad Lyceum, are actively committed to ensuring a safe and tolerant environment. This is a worthwhile initiative and it has my government’s full support.

The negative attitude among some young people and in orthodox religious circles makes me wonder how best to mount a counteroffensive strategy to ensure that people understand that LGBT rights are in fact human rights. Perhaps you might revisit this issue during dinner.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Equality and social acceptance require an alert and active government.
A government that creates legislation as required, based on the ‘responsibility to protect’ and ensuring the ‘right to a relationship’.
And a government that supports those who spearhead the cause, encourages them and stands up for them.

Last month, the American basketball player Jason Collins unexpectedly came out of the closet during an interview with Sports Illustrated magazine.
President Obama telephoned Collins personally to praise his courage. This was an important signal, not only to the athlete himself, but also to the wider community.

But perhaps even more important was the reaction of a fellow basketball player, who tweeted, and I quote, about ‘maximum respect’ for Collins.

Because ultimately it’s about people themselves embracing and applying the rules and legislation enacted by governments to protect their citizens.

As a society, we are not a collection of individuals.
Each of us exists in relation to others.
Being open to others, accepting them in their ‘otherness’ is a prerequisite for everyone to live in harmony. As partners, as a family, as neighbours, as colleagues, as passers-by in the street.

If LGBT people are not safe when they walk hand in hand in public,
if transgenders encounter harassment at work,
and if stereotypes and prejudices hinder young people in their development – then it’s not just their problem alone.
It’s a problem that affects all of society.

But I prefer to turn the situation around.
A strong and resilient society is a tolerant, creative and innovative society.
It is a society that encourages and embraces diversity,
making it possible for all people to contribute in their own way. In such a society, everyone benefits.
This is precisely what Europe and its citizens need today.

Ladies and gentlemen,

We here in the Knights Hall are also present in relation to one another.
We need each other to be able to move forward in Europe on cementing social acceptance and guaranteeing equal rights for LGBT people. In the coming years, we must endeavour to convert our efforts into constructive and lasting change.

As European  knights of this ‘IDAHO Round Table’ we must throw down the gauntlet.
I call on civil society organizations to keep a sharp eye on their governments and call them to account where necessary. And if one of you feel inspired to organise the next step in this common project, or a future IDAHO conference, this would be wonderful. Let me know.

And I call on my fellow ministers to seize the moment and create a united European front.
So that we can show what ‘joining forces and moving forward’ means for us.

I wish you an enjoyable evening. Thank you.