The political fight for gay emancipation in the Netherlands is over, according to Henk Krol, the editor in chief of the Gay Krant (Gay Newspaper).
“We won the fight for equal treatment under the law,” he says in Wednesday’s edition of free newspaper Sp!ts.
Mr Krol points to the parliamentary majority in favour of making it impossible for public registrars to refuse to perform same-sex marriages. "The time when we had to storm The Hague over this kind of issue is behind us.”
As far as these issues are concerned, says Mr Krol, the gay rights movement can be disbanded. But, he adds, that doesn’t mean the movement no longer has a role to play.
“But it has changed. The focus is no longer on equal rights. The gay movement must evolve into a role model. And the violence against homosexual people shows there is still a lot of work to be done, but it is no longer so much a political issue.”
A few months ago, the Gay Krant created a hotline following a number of violent anti-gay incidents in Utrecht, Sittard and The Hague. Mr Krol says the hotline still receives about four reports of serious anti-gay violence each week, with the total number of recorded incidents now at around 200.
(gsh/ae)
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