We Are Family
WE ARE FAMILY! - SAME LOVE SAME RIGHTS! We are Family is an Amsterdam queer family with more than 120 friends from diverse cultures, genders and ages. During…
Description
WE ARE FAMILY! – SAME LOVE SAME RIGHTS!
We are Family is an Amsterdam queer family with more than 120 friends from diverse cultures, genders and ages. During Pride Amsterdam, WE ARE FAMILY! comes together to celebrate the freedom we feel in the Netherlands to live as we choose. This year they take action under the motto: SAME LOVE SAME RIGHTS!
This year marks 25 years since same-sex marriage was introduced in the Netherlands — a huge step forward at the time. We celebrate that milestone. We are Family sails by in a dreamy white glittering, flower-filled boat full of potential wedding guests. All genders appear in the fairytale world we create. Seemingly sweet and joyful, we travel along the canals. But somewhere during the act, the mood shifts.
The freedom we experience in the Netherlands is not guaranteed everywhere. Homosexuality is still criminalised in 63 countries. In the Netherlands, 4 in 10 young people view LGBTIQA+ people as inferior. Our sense of freedom and safety is under pressure both nationally and internationally. Pride is not just a big party — it is also a protest. Under the slogan SAME LOVE SAME RIGHTS!, the We are Family boat turns into a protest. Still joyful, but delivering the message that every love deserves the same rights and safety. Those rights are worth defending, at home and abroad. We are Family believes it is important that these fundamental rights are defended and become reality for everyone. That can only happen if we do it together.
About we are family
WE ARE FAMILY has been sailing the canals since Pride began in 1996! Our boats have won prizes several times: in 2024 with “Yin Yang”, 2023 with “You Are Us”, in 2018 and 2017 together with Dolly Bellefleur, and in 2004 the Piemelboot. Our entries always promise a crowd-focused spectacle — a live show with choreography and a distinctive queer statement. Our friends range from 18 to well into their 80s; many of them describe the Canal Parade as the highlight of the year.
Collaboration
This year WE ARE FAMILY is organising a photo exhibition in collaboration with three photographers around the theme of Pride Unity. In this way we also make a meaningful contribution to the Arts & Culture programme of Pride Amsterdam. Each photographer will, from their own perspective, explore the meaning of the theme “UNITY”. The results will be on display during the Pride weeks.
