Gay bashing victims invited to kick off Amsterdam Canal Pride parade

From now on Amsterdam will always personally invite people victimized due to their sexual orientation in the city to the Gay Pride celebrations. Mayor Eberhard van der Laan wants to make clear to these victims that the Dutch capital firmly disapproves of what happened to them and that people of all sexual orientations are always welcome in Amsterdam, Het Parool reports.

The mayor hopes that being part of Gay Pride will have a "comforting effect" on these victims. He announced this measure in response to questions raised by the D66 faction in the city following a number of anti-LGBT incidents in Amsterdam over the past months

In the past Van der Laan always personally visited victims of anti-LGBT violence in the city. But due to his weakening health, he now had to ask colleagues in the city hall to take over this task.

Gay Pride will be celebrated in Amsterdam from July 29th to August 6th this year. The canal parade will be on August 5th.