The "A Roof Over Your Head" boat will be part of the Canal Parade

You can see that choice reflected on the boat itself. While many boats are filled with music and people partying wildly, our boat focuses on reality. Only three people are on board, all of whom are spreading the boat’s message.

Together with artist Jan Hoek and members of the queer community who have experienced homelessness, we’ve recreated the kinds of places where people are sometimes forced to stay: tents, benches, and other temporary shelters. These spaces have then been transformed into colorful works of art.

It is precisely the contrast between the festive atmosphere on the canals and the reality on display on our boat that forms the core of this protest. Because even during WorldPride, approximately 3,000 queer people in Amsterdam do not have a permanent roof over their heads.

For many queer people without a permanent place to live, homelessness isn’t just about the lack of a home. Feelings of insecurity, uncertainty, exclusion, and violence also often play a major role.

In the video, an AMOC staff member talks about the vulnerable position of many queer people who are homeless. That is precisely why visibility is so important. Behind every tent, every sleeping bag, and every park bench lies a personal story.

The boat showcases those stories—not to elicit pity, but to draw attention to a reality that often unfolds out of sight in the city.

With the “A Roof Over Your Head” boat, De Regenboog Groep aims to demonstrate that a safe place to live is a fundamental right—not just during Pride, but every day of the year.

On Saturday, August 1, the "Dak Boven Je Hoofd" boat will cruise through Amsterdam’s canals as boat number 39. We hope to see you there.

Starting at 12:00 p.m., you’re welcome to join us at the Wereldhuis at Nieuwe Herengracht 18. Together, we’ll watch the parade and show that this story, too, is part of Pride.

Because visibility begins with daring to see what often remains hidden.