Gay-ambassadors in the Netherlands : A qualitative research on the contribution of gay-ambassadors in Dutch cities to the visibility and acceptation of LGBTs
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2014-03
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en
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Abstract
In both research and policy practice, the visibility and social acceptation of lesbian women, gay men,
bisexuals and transgenders (LGBTs) in the Netherlands has received increasing attention in recent
years. Clearly, the position of LGBTs is getting better, but there are still many steps to be taken to
achieve full acceptation in various parts of society. The Dutch government also believes that there
are still several steps to be taken in order to improve the visibility and acceptation of LGBTs.
Therefore, different policy plans have been developed to improve LGBT-emancipation. LGBTemancipation
in the Netherlands has more and more become a responsibility of local governments
instead of the national government. In recent years, two programs, the Koploper-program and the
Local LGBT-policy program, have been launched by the Dutch ministry of Education, Culture and
Science to encourage the development of local LGBT-emancipation policy that focuses on different
societal fields, ‘groups’ and aspects of everyday life. A growing number of Dutch municipalities are
working on this. Four municipalities, Rotterdam, Alkmaar, Capelle aan den IJssel and Schiedam, have
decided to appoint so-called gay-ambassadors or pink ambassadors as part of their local LGBT-policy.
These ambassadors have been appointed by the municipality to help to increase the visibility and
acceptation of LGBTs in the municipality.
The goal of this research is to gain insight into the contribution of gay-ambassadors in Dutch
cities to the visibility and acceptation of LGBTs in order to make recommendations with regard to the
appointment of such ambassadors for LGBT-emancipation in other Dutch cities. Four research
questions have been posed that have helped to reach this goal.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen