Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in the Netherlands rank among the highest in the world. Same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1811 after France invaded the country and installed the Napoleonic Code, erasing any remaining sodomy laws. No more sodomy laws were enacted after the country received independence. An age of consent equal with that of heterosexual activity was put in place in 1971. During the late 20th century, awareness surrounding homosexuality grew and society became more tolerant of gay and bisexual people. The changes eventually led to homosexuality's declassification as a mental illness in 1973 and a ban on discrimination based on sexual orientation in the military. The Equal Treatment Act 1994 bans discrimination on account of sexual orientation in employment, housing, public accommodations, and other areas. This was extended in 2019 to include discrimination based on gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics. After the country began granting same-sex couples registered partnerships benefits in 1998, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage in 2001. Same-sex joint and stepchild adoption are also permitted, and lesbian couples can access IVF as well.
COC Nederland, also known as COC Netherlands, is a Dutch LGBTQ+ rights group founded in 1946. COC originally stood for Cultuur en Ontspanningscentrum, which was intended as a "cover" name for its real purpose. It is the oldest existing LGBT organization in the world.
Karin Spaink is a journalist, writer and feminist.
The Schwules Museum in Berlin, Germany, is a museum and research centre with collections focusing on LGBTQ+ history and culture. It opened in 1985 and it was the first museum in the world dedicated to gay history.
Erie Gay News is a monthly newsletter reporting news and current events concerning the gay community in the Erie, Pennsylvania, region. It was first published by a local gay man as a double-sided single sheet on a monthly/bi-monthly basis, beginning in early 1992. Beginning in January 1993, it was published on a monthly basis as a multiple-page document.
Centrum Schwule Geschichte e. V., abbreviated CSG, is a German "LGBT" organization based in Cologne (Köln).
The history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the Netherlands has reflected the shades of tolerance or rigidity which were utilized by the rulers of the country at various periods in its history. Since World War II, the movement for LGBT rights has been galvanized by both events abroad and increasing liberalization domestically.
I Love Her is a 2013 Ukrainian drama short film directed by Darya Perelay. It is the first Ukrainian movie about a lesbian relationship and is one of the first LGBT films produced in Ukraine.
Atria, institute on gender equality and women's history is a public library and research institute in Amsterdam dedicated to research and policy advice on gender equality and to the documentation and archival of women's history. Its previous names were International Information Centre and Archive for the Women's Movement (IIAV) (1988-2009) and Aletta, Institute for Women's History (2009-2013).
The Archives, Libraries, Museums and Special Collections (ALMS) Conference is an international event focussed on the work by public, private, academic, and grassroots organisations which are collecting, capture and preserving archives of LGBTQ+ experiences, to ensure their histories continue to be documented and share
International Archives for the Women's Movement was founded in Amsterdam in 1935, as a repository to collect and preserve the cultural heritage of women and make the documents of the movement available for study. The entire collection was stolen by the Nazis in 1940 and only small portions were recovered after the war. In 1988, the part of the archival collection which had not been looted by the Nazis became the foundational collection of the International Information Centre and Archives for the Women's Movement. A substantial portion of the archive was discovered in Moscow in 1992 and returned to Amsterdam in 2003. In 2013, the institution which houses the collection was renamed as the Atria Institute on Gender Equality and Women's History
Marjan Sax is a Dutch feminist lesbian activist, member of Dolle Mina and co-founder of a number of feminist organisations, ethical bank Mama Cash among them. Sax is also an advisor for charity organisations.
Gerhardus "Gert" Hekma was a Dutch anthropologist and sociologist, known for his research and publications, and public statements about (homo)sexuality. He taught gay and lesbian studies at the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the University of Amsterdam from 1984 to 2017.
The Foundation George Mosse Fund of the University of Amsterdam is a Dutch foundation (stichting) that aims to promote gay and lesbian studies. It was founded in 2001 at the University of Amsterdam, with a bequest from George Mosse's inheritance, given out of appreciation for the cultural-historical education and research on homosexuality in Amsterdam. The foundation is known primarily for its Mosse Lectures and its QueerTalk events.
Joke Swiebel is a Dutch policy analyst, writer, politician and activist. Since the 1960s, she has been involved with the feminist and LGBT movements. She was one of the coordinators of the first LGBT action in the Netherlands, a protest against a discriminatory law on sexual relations, held in January 1969. She served as first chair of the Federation of Student Working Groups on Homosexuality and on the board of the COC Nederland while a student. After earning her candidate degree in 1972 from the University of Amsterdam, she led the political science library at that institution until 1977. She was involved in the creation of the women's studies program at the university and worked to coordinate between activist groups to ensure that neither gender or sexual orientation were the basis for discriminatory policies.
Rosa Lila Villa is an Austrian LGBT center situated in the Linke Wienzeile Buildings neighbourhood of Vienna. It is designed as a housing project, restaurant, event and counseling venue for LGBT people in Austria.
Lesbian Nation was a Dutch lesbian feminist activist group, operating from 1976 until the mid 80s. The group was instrumental in the establishment of various cultural institutions in the Netherlands.
