October 11, 2016 
Text Arnout JO van Kooij / Chairman of the board of COC Haaglanden.

Dear attendees 

”A day to be proud of!”

Today, October 11, is International Coming Out Day. Today, which is celebrated worldwide, acceptance of who you are regardless of sexual orientation and/or gender identity is central. And that's a day to be proud of.

Unfortunately, a so-called coming out (coming out of the closet) is still not a matter of course for everyone. That is why the two LGBTI interest groups COC Haaglanden and DWH Delft, together with the rainbow municipalities of The Hague, Zoetermeer, Westland, Delft and Leidschendam-Voorburg, have joined forces this year in a joint awareness campaign from 11 to 15 October.

Together we stand for an inclusive society in which everybody can be itself.

The collaboration with and between the municipalities is unique in the Netherlands. A result that I am proud of as chairman of COC Haaglanden. And what would it be like when the 4 other Haaglanden municipalities join the initiative next year?! I have a list of tips for you that you can share with these municipalities.

During this kickoff, the 5 aldermen of the participating rainbow municipalities will talk about the successes achieved in the field of their LGBTI+ policy.

Policy stands or falls with the availability of sufficient resources.

We all realize that although extra government funding for the rainbow municipalities will stop at the end of this year, the anchoring of the results achieved and the continuation of the LGBTI emancipation policy require continued attention and action.

Action aimed at the more vulnerable groups in our community: the elderly and the young. For example, they have a smaller network, fewer informal carers and more often suffer from psychological problems.

As a municipality, you can include specific attention for LGBTI young people and pink elderly in municipal policy. After all, the possibilities of the municipality to do something for these groups in an integrated policy have become much greater with the decentralizations.

A municipality can also:

  • explicitly include in tender guidelines for providers in care and welfare that attention is paid to lhbti+. Have the WMO counter provide up-to-date information and make it clear that it is open to questions from LGBTI+ residents.
  • Make employees in care and welfare institutions more aware of the differences in sexual and gender diversity among residents and visitors.
  • Actively encourage the provision of information lessons about LGBTI. Incidentally, the COC has specially trained information officers at its disposal
  • Provides support in setting up Gender and SexualityAlliances
  • Think of the major role that the GGD offers by feeding back data from the youth monitor regarding sexual and gender identity to schools through their JGZ or prevention department, in order to increase awareness of the LGBTI-specific safety and insecurity of schools.
  • As a municipal council, you should regularly be informed about the feeling of safety among LGBTI residents and take measures if necessary.

I am honored but also proud of the presence of the aldermen of The Hague, Zoetermeer, Westland, Delft and Leidschendam-Voorburg.

Again, welcome and thank you dear ambassadors!

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