Photography: Prisma Compositional
Video: Paradox Productions
Interview: Marco Hohl
Ellie Lust leaves nothing out in life: “The moment you do that, you limit yourself. Think freely. Stand in your own shop and take from the shelves what you want.” It’s an attitude that fits perfectly with her new role as ambassador of Pride Amsterdam. The 52-year-old former police officer became widely known to the public as the police spokesperson on the TV programme Opsporing Verzocht. For almost a year now she has been working as a freelance producer. We spoke with Lust about the ambassadorship, her career change and the polar bears she literally encountered on her path.
Ellie, you have been active for years in the pride community– as you call it yourself – and you were one of the founders of the police network ‘Roze in Blauw’. Can you tell us a bit more about that?
“‘Roze in Blauw’ is a network within the Dutch police that combats behaviour and violence aimed at lesbians, gay men and bisexuals or people with another gender identity. We started just before the Gay Games in 1998 with a small group of colleagues. We wanted to let foreign visitors and participants of the Gay Games know they didn’t have to be afraid of the police here. Only then did we realise we were needed in Amsterdam as well, because many reports were not being filed. We discovered there was more anti-LGBT violence being committed than we knew. My colleagues and I fought for years to set up ‘Roze in Blauw’. In the meantime we have grown into a national network that’s rock-solid.”
We’re very proud that you are this year’s ambassador for Pride Amsterdam. Why did you say yes to the ambassadorship?
“Since I left the police in October 2018 I am no longer professionally connected to ‘Roze in Blauw’, but I think it’s important to keep working for the pride community. There are still enough people who don’t dare to be themselves for all kinds of reasons. As ambassador I want to show that you are good as you are. That no form of love should be condemned. Boris Dittrich always puts it beautifully: ‘The future is not in front of you, the future is inside of you.’ And that’s how it is! I hope I can be an inspiration for others. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if young girls struggling with their identity could draw strength from my story. Life becomes more beautiful when you come out because you no longer deny yourself. It does get better!”
You worked for the police in Amsterdam for 31 years. What is it like to switch from police officer to producer and presenter?
“That was quite intense. It wasn’t necessarily my choice to leave the police, but that’s how it worked out. A few months on, I enjoy the freedom. I do what I want and I no longer have to ask anyone for permission. Then one day I look at my diary and realise I only have to do CrossFit. I love that! But there are also weeks when not a day goes by without doing nothing. That’s nice too! So many great projects are coming my way right now that I feel very confident and excited about the future.”
From April the second series of ‘Ellie op Patrouille’ will be shown on AVROTROS on NPO1, in which you join police teams around the world. What is it like making this programme?
“When I applied to the police I couldn’t have imagined that one day I would travel the world for my own TV programme. The new series ‘Ellie op Patrouille’ is tough. For instance, someone dies in my arms in Argentina. We were in El Salvador – one of the most dangerous countries in the world, where 25 people are murdered a day – but also in Churchill, Canada – a town on the route of polar bears that migrate north at the end of October. Sometimes as many as six polar bears pass through the village in a week. The local police – three officers, with Ellie Lust it’s four – then mainly keep the streets polar-bear-free. In Churchill car doors are always left open, because if a bear suddenly appears in front of you, you must get to safety immediately. I spoke to a woman who was walking home from a party with friends. Suddenly they saw a polar bear turn the corner. It grabbed her in a seal-like manner; its jaws over her head. It shook her and she was scalped. She survived because a neighbour bravely attacked the bear. I also went to Jordan for the series. I join raids, but I also patrol on a camel in the desert. I plod along on such a huge ruminating animal through the sand. It’s grueling work, but fantastic to do. I have won many lotteries in life: I grew up in a loving and close family; I live in a country where I can freely and safely be myself; and I get to make this programme. I am very grateful for that!”
Finally, let’s return to pride. How do you interpret this edition’s theme for yourself, ‘remember the past, create the future’?
“Pride Amsterdam this year centers on 50 years of Stonewall. Those riots in New York were a turning point in the fight for equal rights for our community. We wouldn’t be where we are now if that past hadn’t happened. Past, present and future are inextricably linked. I want to challenge people to think about where they want to be in a year – as an individual and as a community. What role will you play in creating a better future? What will you do to achieve it? How wonderful would it be if everyone wanted to contribute a little to that. For example by being open about who you are. I almost never see male couples walking hand in hand in the street. The same goes for women couples. People don’t dare because they feel unsafe. That is intolerable. You should be able to show affection! My police heart still says: do be careful! I’ve spoken to enough victims who later said: ‘It already didn’t feel right.’ You have to listen to that, because that feeling doesn’t lie. I invite everyone to join me peacefully on the barricades, with the ultimate goal of a better future for all generations after us.”
“VOLUNTEERING IS NOT OPTIONAL”
Pride ambassador since 2019
