The most open-minded country on earth? Nee, 50% of Dutchies think Pride is too ‘extreme’

Ah, the Netherlands: progressive and easy-going, right? …Right? Well, maybe wrong, for the 50% of Dutchies who don’t support Amsterdam Pride celebrations.

Yep. In a recent Event Brand Research survey, findings suggest that out of the 11,000 respondents, half aren’t fond of Pride festivities in Amsterdam — even after 27 years of them running.

Why? Because many are deeming the gathering “risqué” (*cough* that’s kind of the point), reports RTL Nieuws. 👀

Inside vs. outside Amsterdam

Attitudes in and outside of the Dutch capital vary greatly, explains Hendrik Beerda, consultant of the company behind the survey.

He explains that Amsterdammers who are up close and personal to Pride events have a “more nuanced” perspective on them than, say, non-Amsterdammers who only catch a glimpse of the Boat Parade on TV.

The Boat Parade is the one time when people tend to wear their “scandalous” outfits, according to brand consultant Beerda.

The only event that has earned a reputation for being even bolder than pride is the Kamasutra fair (that exists?).

Are more people feeling the love?

On the bright side, many of those who complain about Pride are still “sympathetic” to the event’s cause (whatever that means).

Compared to last year’s findings, which situated Amsterdam Pride at 36th place (out of 50) when it came to Pride support, the population’s encouragement has jumped up to 31st place this year. 🎉

READ MORE | Amsterdam Pride 2023: everything you need to know

Even so, according to Beerda, this might have something to do with the rebranding of the event from “Gay Pride” to just “Pride” in 2017.

In the years since that, people appear to have warmed up to the idea and “softened their minds”. Um…okay? 😬

Do these findings come as a surprise to you? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Feature Image:Depositphotos
Ellen Ranebo
Ellen Ranebo
As someone half Swedish and half Irish who has lived in the Netherlands, the UK, and attended an American School, Ellen is a cocktail of various nationalities. Having had her fair share of bike accidents, near-death experiences involving canals, and miscommunications while living here (Swedish and Dutch have deceptively similar words with very different meanings), she hopes to have (and document) plenty more in future.

3 COMMENTS

  1. Interesting to hear about the perspective on this from the within the Netherlands.
    Also intriguing are the insights of someone – i.e. your good self – who is a citizen of the country but that has travelled so widely and descended from different cultures. I’m familiar with the concept of ‘lost in translation’, of course, but your musings on cycling mishaps and canal misadventures there left me, well, aghast!
    Keep the observations coming!

  2. I think this article overlooks something very important. The Neterlands is in it base a protestant country. Going back to the beginning of the Dutch Republic in 1550+. One of the big dutch phrases is: act normal which is being crazy enough. This translates to: be normal, fit in, do not stand out or act up.
    So I think for the most part people in our Dutch society look at the pride with respected, but the fuss, drama, exuberance is just being perceived as excessive. Without judgement, see it as a matter of taste…
    For that reason I think this article is confusing ‘Open Mindness’ with ‘Taste For its Exuberance’.
    Is this not the definition of being open minded?
    Though there are enough people also in The Netherlands who are prone to hate, or dislike of others not the same as them. Which I think is a universal thing, the beauty of democratie is that we can live, work and play together without forcing ones own believes and opinions upon other people.

  3. You can’t trust every survey. Who is doing the survey? Are they reputable? Do they have a political agenda? Whom did they survey? What demographics? What specific questions were asked? Take most surveys with a grain of salt. A survey is a snapshot in time not the whole picture during a period of time.

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