Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema wins an award for LGBTQ+ advocacy

Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema received a Winq Award Friday evening for her active support and defense of LGBTQ+ rights, including her participation in a banned Pride march in Budapest earlier this year.

The awards, presented by the Netherlands’ only queer magazine, were handed out at the Internationaal Theater Amsterdam (ITA). Halsema, 59, was recognized for both her public statements and actions advocating for the rainbow community.

Other awards highlighted achievements in culture, media, and activism. In the culture category, director Dennis Alink won for his film OUT, which follows two teenage boys in love who leave their small, conservative hometown for Amsterdam, only to discover that life in the city is not without its challenges. The film has received international recognition, including screenings in the United States.

The Winq Inspiration Award went to the Videoland series I Kissed A Girl, the Netherlands’ first queer dating show for women, which documents participants searching for potential partners in a remote foreign location.

In media, the VPRO podcast En niemand bleef onaangeraakt received an award for its portrayal of the lingering effects of stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS on queer individuals growing up during the AIDS crisis.

The Winq Community Award was presented to Queer Boxing, a free initiative in Amsterdam run by coach Jay Muller that empowers LGBTQ+ individuals through boxing and builds self-confidence.

The Hivos International Activist Award was awarded posthumously to Muhsin Hendricks, the world’s first openly gay imam, who was murdered earlier this year in South Africa.