Eva Frenaij is a finance staff member and identifies as queer. She was part of the project team for our Pride boat, which took part in WorldPride Amsterdam on August 1. Hans Wijnands is the director of De Regenboog Groep.
H: “How did you come up with the idea to participate this year?”
E: “We’re called De Regenboog Groep! So it was actually a no-brainer that we’d participate at some point. But our message was more important.”
H: “And what was that?”
E: “That there are 3,000 queer people in Amsterdam who are homeless or without a place to stay. That’s why we chose a ‘silent’ protest boat featuring some tents and other improvised sleeping spots. As a symbol of homelessness. Designed by artist Jan Hoek and fashion collective The Patchwork Family, in collaboration with several homeless people from our LGBTIQ+ shelter who also rode along on the boat.”
H: “Research has been conducted in the U.S. to determine why the population of queer homeless people is so large. It shows that in many parts of the country, being queer is still not accepted. This makes it difficult to rely on a family support network. That makes you, as a queer person, especially vulnerable to homelessness. I think that applies to some extent in the Netherlands as well? Certainly for people from other cultures.”
E: “Absolutely. I’ve also understood that, as a queer person, you’re more likely to face exclusion, loneliness, and a lack of safety within social services.”
[brief silence]
E: “Did you like that we sailed as De Regenboog?”
H: “It was beautiful. I especially thought it was powerful that our concept stood out from the rest of the boats. Of course, Pride is always about emancipation, but there had never been specific attention paid to the large number of homeless and house-less queer people before. That’s how we set ourselves apart and spoke out for something important.”
< Read more about De Regenboog at WorldPride Amsterdam >
Shelter for queer people
A study by Movisie (2020) revealed that the situation for homeless LGBTIQ+ people is very concerning: there are few safe shelters, and bullying, violence, and abuse are more common. Every Monday, there is now a special day shelter for them at the Rita Community Center, and every Thursday at the Makom walk-in centre. The Princehof walk-in centre offers overnight shelter for LGBTIQ+ individuals every day.
< More info about LGBTIQ+ shelter at Rainbow Locations >