We no longer ask for space, we claim it. Women first!
The history of Women & Pride
Women & Pride exists because women have always been part of the lhbtiqa+ community: as activists, allies, leaders and caregivers. Because the ‘L’ at the start of the abbreviation is there for a reason: as recognition for support during the AIDS crisis, as a tribute to decades of activism, and as a promise that women in the queer community will not be erased again.
From from invisibility to leadership
To far into the 2000s women within Pride Amsterdam were largely invisible and their stories remained underexposed because the programme was mainly aimed at gay men. It was only from 2007 that things slowly began to change with the participation of the Proud Lesbian Boat in the Canal Parade and in 2009 with the explicit visibility of women in the official programme with LesBian Pride, the predecessor of Women & Pride. What started as an exception grew into a movement in the years that followed.
But visibility alone is not enough. Women & Pride therefore stands for intersectional feminism: the awareness that women within our community have different, unequal experiences. Trans women, women of colour, neurodivergent women, women with physical disabilities, women with HIV, older and younger generations; we are all here, and all our voices matter.
With Pride we take the space that has always been ours. We celebrate female leadership, feminine strength and the enormous diversity within our community. And we call on the entire queer community to support us—not as a symbolic gesture, but as a necessary condition for a strong and inclusive movement. The fight for lhbtiqa+ rights is inseparably linked to the fight for women’s rights, trans rights, racial justice and safety. Women & Pride therefore embraces the understanding that all different identities within the rainbow community are intertwined and that freedom for one can never be separated from freedom for another.
Women & Pride Community
Women & Pride is a community-driven programme, shaped by and for women in all their diversity. Activities arise from what matters in the community: what is needed, what needs to be shared and what should be celebrated. This creates a programme where recognition, protest and support can stand side by side.
Stay informed about Women & Pride
Within Women & Pride several community events take place each year, from small meetups to larger cultural and celebratory moments. New events are added in the lead-up to World Pride.
For the full overview: view all Women & Pride events in the Pride Amsterdam event calendar.
