Five political parties to share a boat in Amsterdam Pride Parade

This year five large political parties will participate in the Pride Amsterdam canal parade in one boat. In this way the VVD, CDA, D66, SP and PvdA want to show that they stand together to support the LGBTQ community, NU.nl reports.

The parties point out that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York - a clash between the gay community and authorities that is considered the start of the successful battle for LGBTQ rights. The Netherlands also had a "gay mile pole" that year. On January 21st it was exactly 50 years ago that the first LGBTQ demonstration took place in the Netherlands. Around a hundred people from the community protested against the law that made homosexual contact under the age of 21 punishable.

D66 parliamentarian Vera Bergkamp, who took the lead in registering the five parties for the canal parade, said she long had the wish to participate along with other political parties, according to the newspaper. "The past has shown that cooperation in the area of emancipation ensures progress", she said.

This is the first year that the CDA will participate in the Pride canal parade. This is also the first time that political parties will share a boat, in the past they invariably used their own boats.