Call to the alderman: raise the inclusive rainbow flag from 2020
Dear Linda Voortman,
On 11 October 2020, the international coming-out day is over. A day of awareness and support for the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide.
As every year, the Rainbow Flag is ceremonially raised in front of the entrance of the Utrecht City Office. With this, the Municipality expresses its support for the Utrecht LGBTQIA+ community. For many organizations and individuals in the city, this is a historic moment.
However, there is an important element that does not make this day fully inclusive. For many LGBTQIA+ people, coming-out is not self-evident and in some cases even unrealistic. Not everyone shares the same privileges to 'come out' and be visible to the outside world.
It is important that the Municipality also expresses its support to people who prefer not to come out of the closet and/or want to come. Every day, many LGBTQIA+ people of color, fleeing fellow human beings, trans and non-binary persons, LGBTQIA+ persons with disabilities and Roma and Sinti still face discrimination, racism, colorism, validism and other forms of violence.
In order to give these people the feeling that they matter and they are fully supported, we ask the Municipality of Utrecht to raise the inclusive Rainbow Flag as a first step during the coming-out day on 11 October 2020. On this flag the colors black, brown, blue, pink and white are also included (see appendix). These symbolize the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people of color, trans and non-binary persons and persons living with AIDS or who have died from it. I would also like to refer you to the inclusive flag that the Municipality of Amsterdam used last PRIDE for all public expressions.
With this symbolic representation, the Municipality conveys the message that they are there for every LGBTQIA+ member in the city of Utrecht. This would be a positive, first step towards the emancipation of the above-mentioned groups. We only acknowledge the existence of these groups by explicitly emphasizing that they are part of the community.
We hope that you will respond to the above-mentioned proposal.
Best regards,
On behalf of the following organisations:
Art.1 Central Netherlands
Black Queer & Amp; Trans Resistance Netherlands
COC Central Netherlands
COC Netherlands
Colored Qollective
HIV Association
International Socialists
Maruf
Not Normal
Queer Film Festival Utrecht
Savannah Bay
Survibes
The Hang-Out 070
Trans United Europe
Transgender Network Netherlands (TNN)
U.H.S.V. Anteros
Pronounced Queer
Utrecht BIJ1