LGTB policy
Government wishes to foster the emancipation of the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGTB) community. The emancipation of this group is primarily regarded as a responsibility of the people, businesses and organisations themselves. The Ministry has therefore assumed the role of driver and coordinator of initiatives in society. The aim of the policy is to promote the social acceptance of the LGTB community and combat violence and discrimination. To this end, the Dutch government provides direct or indirect support for various social/cultural activities during the year, such as the International Day Against Homophobia, the National Coming Out Day and Pink Saturday. The emancipation of this group is regarded as a precondition for cultural diversity.
Government wishes to foster the emancipation of the lesbian, gay, transgender and bisexual (LGTB) community. The emancipation of this group is primarily regarded as a responsibility of the people, businesses and organisations themselves. The Ministry has therefore assumed the role of driver and coordinator of initiatives in society. The aim of the policy is to promote the social acceptance of the LGTB community and combat violence and discrimination. To this end, the In addition to the above, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science supports another two activities:
- Jos Brink Gay Liberation Award50
The Jos Brink Gay Liberation Award was established by the government in 2009. The Ministry of Education, Culture and Science grants the award once every two years to a person, group or organisation who has made an outstanding contribution to the emancipation of the gay community.51
- International Gay & Lesbian Information Centre and Archive.52
The International Gay & Lesbian Information Centre and Archive (IHLIA) is a library, archive and information and documentation centre on homosexuality and sexual diversity with offices in Amsterdam and Leeuwarden. The aim of the organisation is to identify and provide access to LGTB material from both national and international sources so that it can be used as, for example, background information for education, policy and public information. Last year, IHLIA received approximately USD 391,000 from the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science to support its work.