#11 Youth Pride commissie

This year’s edition of the Amsterdam Pride, we are happy to host more than 100 youths of our community on the Youth Pride Committee’s boat. With these young individuals, we wish to communicate the idea that our younger generations are very grateful for all the progress achieved by those before us: the activists who have fought for our future, the media that has been able to give a more accurate and interesting portrayal of our LGBT+ stories, the schools where education has become more inclusive, the parents of our youths who can take a more informed and active role in the happiness of our children, the parents in our community who have dedicated themselves to giving our young people a warm welcome, the government who keeps investing in our safety with new policies and statements, and let’s not forget the parts of our community who, through visibility and uniqueness, are a beacon for our community and those who still do not know what to do with themselves. This boat wishes to celebrate the victories made by our community over the years.

Unfortunately, the story has yet to reach a satisfactory conclusion. Many victories have been achieved, but many more still need to be claimed. Our youths are the future, and they wish to serve their part. They are very motivated to fight for and speak about gender, mental health, freedom, and their future. Many stories still need to be told, many countries need to put in the work for our safety. This year, the young members of our community not only wish to celebrate our victories but also want to dedicate ourselves to the future we deserve.

ART 1. Constitution: “All persons in the Netherlands shall be treated equally in equal circumstances.” Discrimination on the grounds of religion, beliefs, political opinion, race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or any other ground whatsoever shall not be permitted.”

The fact that this law had been adjusted to explicitly mention sexual orientation is a primary example of our statement. It serves as an example of the progress that has been made in recent years, but it is also an example of a reality in which our rights still need to be mentioned explicitly. This law shows that the next generations will be raised in a world where the state is increasingly aware of our community, but it is also apparent that it is still deemed necessary to explicitly ask for equal treatment. Progress is being made, but every day we must continue to work towards the future that we wish for.