Impact
WorldPride must be a fully inclusive celebration where new connections are made and partnerships are forged. After WorldPride, activists should return home energized and feeling part of a new wave of LGBTI+ empowerment activism. In this wave, space has been created by the older generation for the activism of Generation Queer, who in turn has gained respect for the generations to whose struggles we owe the freedoms we already enjoy.
More inclusive universal declaration of Human Rights
In Article 2 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights we aim to get ‘sexual orientation’ added to the list of distinctions. ‘Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political belief, or other ideology, national or social origin, property, birth, or other status.’
The chance that this will succeed within the coming four year is not too great. Therefore, we will simultaneously work together with the equal rights coalition and draw up a universal declaration of equal rights for all colors of our rainbow community, and have it signed by as many governments as possible.
#METOO LGBT+ on the International Agenda
The topic of sexual violence against men is under-reported and widely misunderstood, meaning representation is lacking, and access to victim support and justice is low. Marginalized communities face increased rates of sexual violence. Stigma is a major impediment to better representation. By allowing greater visibility of sexual violence against men, we can work to reduce social barriers. We believe that to tackle sexual violence, we must involve male, trans, and non-binary experiences in the topic of consent, and fight for the recognition of abuse against them.
Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage
Pride Amsterdam was added to the Intangible Heritage List of the Netherlands in 2019 as an essential part of Dutch culture. A heritage can only be added to the list if the community is actively committed to the future of its heritage. It is an official recognition and signal that Pride will be passed on from generation to generation, and that possible bottlenecks will be willingly resolved during the transfer to subsequent generations.
If we are granted the WorldPride License, we will request our government to nominate our pride for the international UNESCO list. That can be done once a year before 31st March, and then it will take about two years to receive an answer if the heritage will be added or not. Once we are on the list, it will be easier for other Prides to join and get onto the list too. How beautiful would it be and what symbolic power would emanate from it.
Some are afraid that once Pride is on the list nothing will change or be added to the heritage, and that it will block any evolution. But in fact, the opposite is true. UNESCO encourages heritage to continue to develop and to keep up with the times. That is the only way in which heritage can continue to exist and survive.
Let’s make history together
A celebration of love, unity, and connection. The whole rainbow family and their supporters from all around the world will come to this bustling metropolis below the North Sea. Safety, accessibility, and affordability are the key concepts for a successful event where history will be written by all participants and spectators.
In 2026 we will celebrate:
- 10 years of the Equal Rights Coalition
- 15 years since the Declaration of Amsterdam
- 25 years of Marriage Equality
- 30 years of Pride Amsterdam
- 80 years of the COC Netherlands
A WorldPride below sea level
