Dutch government allocates €22.9 million to improve LGBTI safety

The Dutch government will set aside 22.9 million euros in the coming years to improve safety for LGBTI people, as new research showing troubling attitudes among students has prompted concern among senior officials.

A study published earlier this week found that nearly half of Dutch students believe people with a different sexual orientation are not equal, and fewer than one in three support holding Paarse Vrijdag in all schools. Paarse Vrijdag is a day when students and pupils can show solidarity with LGBTI people by wearing purple.

State Secretary Judith Tielen (Education, VVD) called the findings alarming. “As long as people are still being excluded for who they are and whom they love, we must take action against it. And as long as women are not simply safe to walk the streets, there is work to be done. Everyone must be able to feel safe being themselves.”

Prime Minister Rob Jetten said he had not been aware of the study but was not surprised by its outcome. “And that is perhaps even worse. In recent years, we have seen that LGBTI emancipation is under pressure and that the way women are viewed is under pressure.”

Jetten said politics has a key responsibility in addressing these trends. “We must set the right example but also ensure sufficient time and money for proper education.” He also criticized remarks made by members of parliament who, he said, “made suggestions about what is included in educational materials.”