Winterswijk council member calls pushback against rainbow staircase 'incomprehensible'

A rainbow-colored staircase at a secondary school in Winterswijk sparked controversy among parents and children alike. A city councilor called the reaction "incomprehensible" during a council meeting on Thursday, according to De Gelderlander.

The stairs at the Gerrit Komrij College were painted in different colors to symbolize the school's acceptance of everyone, regardless of religion, gender or sexual orientation, according to De Gelderlander. However, a petition to paint the rainbow staircase gray again was signed 400 times.

“Incomprehensible," said Loes ten Dolle (D66) at the council meeting. "Parents are calling the school to see if they can get a lift pass for their child, because they don't want him to walk up 'that indoctrination staircase.'"

The D66 councilor broke down in tears during her speech. “But a rainbow staircase is not indoctrination from the government,” Ten Dolle went on, according to De Gelderlander. “As a government, we are there to provide safety to everyone."

Winterswijk's mayor agreed Ten Dolle's speech at the meeting.

"I will try to talk to the school and the parents," Mayor Joris Bengevoord said. "And make an effort to explain why we are a rainbow congregation.”