Rainbow Canon to focus on LGBTQIA+ history in Netherlands

Many believe it is time that the history of the LGBTQIA+ community gets attention. This is why a special Rainbow Canon is in development, which should tell the story of this group's cultural and social history. The Rainbow Canon Foundation calls on people to give ideas about events, places, and people that deserve a place in the overview.

According to the foundation, which made this call on Sunday - a day before Coming Out Day, the Canon of the Netherlands includes nothing about the LGBTQIA+ community. The Canon of the Netherlands is a list of fifty people, places, and events important for Dutch history. That is why there will be a Rainbow Canon with 75 windows for the 75th anniversary of interest group COC. "We want to make something ourselves and add stories," said a spokesperson for the foundation.

The aim is to have the first windows online this year. According to the spokesperson, these include the AIDS epidemic, the introduction of the Trans Act, civil marriage for same-sex couples, and the first Gay Pride. Although the subjects' focus on the Rainbow Canon will likely come from after the war, the foundation will also try to go further back in history. 

"We see again and again that the LGBTQIA community has been pushed to the margins of history for centuries, which is why I am thrilled with the initiative of the Rainbow Canon," said Astric Oostenburg, chairman of interest group COC Nederland, who assists the foundation.  "We must not forget the people who have gone before us in the struggle for emancipation. If we continue to learn from the past, we can look to the future with optimism."

LGTBQIA+ stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and asexual. The plus is for all other genders, sexual orientations, and gender identities.