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Dutch princess backs gay initiative |
| Wednesday, March 5, 2008 |
THE HAGUE - The future queen of the Netherlands lent her backing Wednesday to an initiative by the minister of culture and education and the four largest Dutch cities to further social acceptance of gays.
Argentinian-born Crown Princess Maxima attended a meeting where the minister, Ronald Plasterk, and the cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht signed an agreement to step up counselling in schools and provide sex education that includes information on homosexuality.
Although Maxima did not speak publicly at the event, her presence lent it extra significance.
"It is the first time that a member of the royal family has shown such explicit support for the emancipation of gays," said Plasterk, who joked how appropriate it was to have "a future queen" attending the signing.
Maxima is the most popular royal in the Netherlands according to the latest poll done in 2007. She previously supported projects looking at microcredit for developing countries and the emancipation and integration of women of immigrant origin.
Queen Beatrix has spoken about tolerance and acceptance of gays in a broad sense, but Maxima was the first Dutch royal to attend a meeting on gay rights.
"Maxima's presence matters to me because it underlines the government's policies," Mieke Manders of gay association COC said.
"It shows how important the minister feels this is by organising this signing and asking the princess to attend".
COC president Frank van Dalen hailed it as "an historic event".
While the Netherlands has been at the forefront of gay liberation for many years -- it was the first country to legalize gay marriage in 2001 -- Plasterk said more effort was required.
Manders felt the atmosphere had changed recently in the Netherlands, with reports of violence against gays and harassment on the increase.
"When I meet my girlfriend at the swimming pool she turns her cheek to me because she doesn't want people to see us kissing on the mouth," she said.
The Dutch government has suggested one factor behind a growing intolerance is a growing Muslim population in the Netherlands.
According to the national statistics bureau CBS, one third of the Dutch of Moroccan origin and 26 percent of the Dutch of Turkish descent are negative about homosexuality.
"Research shows that half of all violent incidents directed at gays are committed by people with an Islamic background while Muslims make up only five percent of our population," Plasterk said.
Chafik Gadir, who runs Nafar an organisation for gay and bisexual North Africans in the Netherlands, said he has felt the climate change.
"Things are going slower now" in terms of gay rights, he said, adding that homosexuality remained a taboo in many Muslim communities where even its existence was often unacknowledged.
For him the presence of princes Maxima at the signing was a big boost.
"I can use that when I talk to people in the community and say: 'Look the princess attended this. How can you say (homosexuality) doesn't exist'," he said.
*turkishpress.com |
posted by 
12:25 PM |
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