On Monday, September 27, it was discovered that the International Gay Monument had been defaced with texts and drawings. There is graffiti on three sides of the ground up to a height of approximately two meters. It has become clear from statements by passers-by that this must have happened between last Sunday afternoon and Monday afternoon. The board of the International Homomonument The Hague Foundation has filed a report and reported it to the municipality.

The board of the International Gay Monument Foundation deeply regrets this disrespectful act: “The International Gay Monument is a place where oppressed and persecuted LGBTIQ+ people, anywhere in the world, are commemorated. It is also an official memorial site of the municipality of The Hague. In recent years there has been a number of less extensive vandalism, which has been repaired each time. Nowadays people also come to the monument to commemorate deceased loved ones, or to reflect on the fact that the Netherlands is a country where you as an LGBTQ+ person are relatively free to be yourself, although there is still a lot to improve. Flowers are laid regularly. Unfortunately, the atmosphere is no longer as relaxed as it was a few years ago. For example, there are almost daily loitering and sleeping homeless people, who sometimes scare off visitors. The board understands the problem of being homeless, but also considers social safety at the monument important. We call on the municipality of The Hague to think about how visitors can continue to visit this place with a feeling of safety. Let this place symbolize acceptance and freedom.”

Photo: Ton van Zeeland