The Rainbow Group
A roof over your head is sadly not a given for everyone. In Amsterdam an estimated 13,000 people are homeless or without a stable home, of whom roughly 3,000 are part of the LGBTIQ+ community.…
Description
A roof over your head is sadly not a given for everyone. In Amsterdam an estimated 13,000 people are homeless or without a stable home, of whom roughly 3,000 are part of the LGBTIQ+ community. With our participation in the Canal Parade we draw attention to this often invisible group and the overrepresentation of queer people among the homeless. Pride is more than a celebration of freedom and identity. It is also a moment of solidarity with people in our community.
For more than 50 years De Regenboog Groep has supported Amsterdam residents in vulnerable situations. As a city support organisation we assist people experiencing homelessness, mental health challenges, addiction or social isolation. Within these groups LGBTIQ+ people are especially vulnerable to exclusion, discrimination and unsafe situations.
To create a safe space specifically for this community, in recent years we have expanded our LGBTIQ+ services. Our buddy programme pairs Amsterdam locals one-on-one with newcomers and queer people with mental health vulnerabilities. Each week around 100 buddy pairs go out together to explore the city, find support and build a social network. We also offer LGBTIQ+ night shelters and low-threshold drop-in moments for homeless LGBTIQ+ people, and organise activities such as queer coffee mornings, communal dinners and themed gatherings.
De Regenboog Groep only celebrates when everyone can live in freedom and has a safe place to stay. Given the large number of homeless people in Amsterdam, we have chosen the Roof Over Your Head Boat. It is a floating installation of rainbow-coloured tents that draws attention to everyone forced to sleep outside, especially queer people.
The floating ‘homes’ represent individual stories and together form a single visual expression of the theme unity. No people. Just tents. With one overarching message: this should not be a home.
We believe true unity goes beyond celebrating together. It also means caring together, seeing each other and standing up together for everyone at risk of being left behind. Only when everyone feels safe, seen and connected is Pride truly for all of us.
