The Pride Photo Award is an international contest for photographs about sexual and gender diversity. The organisation hopes the competition will contribute to broadening societal acceptance of gay men, lesbians, bisexuals and transgender people and that LGBT people are 'just ordinary folk'.

First prize in the second annual pride photo competition went to Dutch photographer Trea van Drunen. The winning photograph shows Leon, a 12-year-old transgender boy, as he poses for the camera, naked from the waist up. According to the jury, "it is a strong, iconic image that challenges the viewer both with the strength of Leon's expression and the astonishing story of his young life as a transgendered person."

The organisation looks for photos that show LGBT people in all their diversity, avoiding the stereotypical images that are usually shown in the media. They also want photos that reflect the fact that gender is not a binary concept (male or female) and shows many variations of gender as there are people.

When it comes to societal acceptance off LGBT people, the Netherlands is still far ahead of the rest of the world. Research published on Tuesday by the Netherlands Institute for Social Research (SCP), just 10% of people in the Netherlands say they have a problem with homosexuality; a five percent improvement over five years ago. However, 40% of people in the Netherlands still find it difficult to see two men kissing in public and the SCP research also found that LGBT people regularly have problems at work. Despite the problems, the situation in the Netherlands is far better than most other parts of the world.

Touching or shocking
There are six categories in this year's competition: straight back at you, sports, documentary, current topics, gender and open category, which is for photos about sexual and gender diversity which do not fit in any other categories. 'Straight back at you' is the thematic category and the organisation was looking for photographs that show the way the outside world responds to people who are visibly different from gender and sexual stereotypes. Some of the images are shocking, while others are tender and touching or even funny.

A selection of the winning photos on display in seven squares across Amsterdam and all of the photos can be seen at Het Sieraad until 2 October. The photos can all be seen on the organisation's website (www.pridephotoaward.org/ ) and the exhibition will also tour the world.