Rally today in The Hague to protest homophobia in Dutch asylum centers

A rally to protest homophobia and violence against people of diverse sexuality and gender at the Dutch Asylum Seekers Center will be held at 2pm on Saturday at the International Gay Rights Monument in The Hague. rainbow rights activistis an activist group supporting the LGBTQIA+ community in the Netherlands.

Rosalie, 29, one of the organizers who spoke to the NL Times, said the rally aims to draw attention to the issue of homophobia in asylum centers. LGBTQIA+ individuals, who often become refugees because of their poverty, endured daily violence and humiliation in refugee centers, some even suicidal.

She said people in this group do not receive adequate protection or medical care when faced with acts of violence or humiliation, and their problems are often overlooked or not taken seriously. Homophobia has been swept under the rug,” she said, creating a dangerous environment for the LGBTQIA+ community. , noted that turning a blind eye to these acts of violence promotes and normalizes homophobia.

Rosalie, a native of the Netherlands who works in the care sector, described the situation as “especially appalling” in a country that prides itself as a leader in LGBTQIA+ rights. “Our country was the first country to legalize same-sex marriage,” she said, but “the situation is getting worse.” “The situation is getting worse everywhere, not just in refugee centers.”

Organizers noted that the Netherlands has slipped in the Rainbow Index, falling from 4th place in 2014 to 13th place in the world in 2022. Country.

Event organizers are calling for an end to the silence surrounding these acts of violence at asylum seeker centers and demanding “protection and safety” for affected individuals. They are not asking for any specific action, but they want to raise awareness of this often-ignored issue. “The goal is to see and hear what’s going on in these centers and in our society,” Rosalee said.