Photography: Prisma Compositional
Video: Paradox Productions
Interview: Paul Hofman
Ambassador Dinah Bons is a woman with a CV that stands as a house. An activist for the rights of sex workers and bi-cultural LGBT people, among others, Moluccan trans woman Dinah has made a name for herself in the pink world. Her motto? "Do beautiful things for others and yourself."
AGENDA
Her diary, meanwhile, fills with lightning power. In between her travels, we speak to her in Amsterdam. She currently lives and works in Berlin as executive director of strategy for policy organisation Transgender Europe. A position that suits her down to the ground. She also works as duo chair for the bi-cultural foundation Trans United Netherlands. And as if that were not enough, she is still politically active and works as a nurse.
Her initial reaction that she had been chosen as an ambassador of Pride Amsterdam could be explained in one way: "What an honour and joy for the trans community I represent." In this role, Dinah is well placed to tell about this commmunity to a wider audience. "Also to the political field, this is important."
EUROPEAN
Last year she was on the PvdA candidate list for the Amsterdam city council. Unfortunately, she was not elected but that did not stop her from becoming even more active.
"In my work, I am used to doing political work on LGBT issues at the European level. I can work on issues that affect all trans people. I speak a lot in public. This allows me to promote the message and work of Pride Amsterdam well in the media."
FIGHT HARDER
"The message I am going to convey is that the fight for LGBT rights is far from over. Again and again we have to defend our rights at local, national and international level.Because not every LGBT person has the same rights." For example, healthcare is not easily accessible to everyone. "Bi-cultural LGBT people often have to fight harder to hold their own. Also, there are still many stigmas and taboos within our community resulting in loneliness and gloom. As an ambassador, I can try to break down prejudice by talking about it. That is a task I set myself."
MURDERED
Struggling, Dinah says: "I think I will reach the goal if no more trans people are murdered because of their identity. "She could not have dreamt of becoming an ambassador. Secretly, she has thought about it. "With that role and my politically engaged message, I can contribute to Pride Amsterdam. Because besides a celebration, the struggle and work of activists and pink non-governmental organisations are important. These also shape Pride."
THEME
Her professional background has an absolute added value. When we ask Dinah what the theme 'Remember the Past, create the Future'means, she immediately bursts into action: "Without knowledge about the struggles and history of our community, you cannot fight the future. It is important for everyone to understand the stigmas and taboos that have been broken. you can't understand the safety of vulnerable groups either if you don't know anything about that past. I gained my life experience in the 1980s and 1990s. But I am also in the midst of the present. Realising the blows the AIDS epidemic has dealt to the community , you can understand the fears but also the resilience of LGBT people.
SELF-DISPOSITION RIGHT
On what could be better in the field of transgender people, she is clear: "Self-determination and human rights should be central within trans-specific healthcare." This is where her nurse's heart beats faster, as it turns out. "The right to decide for yourself who you are is SO important. " And at the last minute, "I also go for stretching or abolishing the concept of gender inmunicipal basic records."
Besides doing nice things for others and herself, an addition to her life motto springs to mind: "Life is too short not to enjoy it. It can be over before you know it."
"VOLUNTEERING IS NOT OPTIONAL"
Pride ambassador since 2019
View all Pride ambassadors.