Queen Maxima of Holland Makes History by Opening WorldPride in Amsterdam and Supporting LGBTQIA+ Rights
The festival will feature 300 events through Aug. 8 as Amsterdam leaders warn that LGBTQ rights face backlash in some countries.
- Queen Maxima formally opened WorldPride 2026 in Amsterdam on Saturday, where Mayor Femke Halsema welcomed the monarch before drag queens and LGBTQ activists gathered on a stage declaring "Gay Rights = Human Rights."
- Amsterdam will host 300 events through August 8 blending celebration with activism; Halsema emphasized, "A protest without joy is far less powerful," framing the festival as requiring both joyous gathering and political advocacy.
- Curator Kadja Bijlmakers introduced the "Drag in Amsterdam" exhibition, highlighting how the drag community raised AIDS awareness and organized charity fundraisers during the 1980s and 1990s epidemic.
- Patrick Simones, a 58-year-old train driver known as "Miss Spunt," expressed alarm that LGBTQ conditions have deteriorated in the Netherlands, telling AFP people are being "bashed, trashed and cursed."
- Mayor Halsema warned that tolerance is waning globally, citing Uganda where homosexuality is criminalized, while attendee Vicente Rios Rios cautioned, "We cannot forget that there are still places where you still cannot be yourself.
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The Queen of the Netherlands has become the first sovereign to officially inaugurate a WorldPride. For an appointment of this caliber, she has once again relied on a Alta Costura design signed by Natan accompanied by a spectacular floral headdress
WorldPride gets a royal welcome amid warnings for LGBTQ community
The Dutch monarch formally opened WorldPride 2026 in front of drag queens and other LGBTQ activists in the city on Saturday, amidst warnings over the backlash the community has faced in some countries. "Your majesty, today you are not alone," Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema told the ceremony. "You are here in the company of queens from all backgrounds. Welcome to the queens!" Maxima and Halsema stood on a stage where placards declared "Gay Rights…
Mayor, Queen open WorldPride; Mayor says: Adapt to queers or you don’t belong here
Queen Máxima opened WorldPride in Amsterdam on Saturday amid loud cheers at the Vondelpark Open-Air Theater. “Being who you are, loving who you want — that’s normal, isn’t it?” the queen said in her opening remarks. She closed by saying, "Hold on to each other, support each other, and enjoy it!”Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema opened WorldPride alongside the queen. She called for tolerance, saying, "To every Amsterdamer, young and old, who has diff…
"Majesty, she is not alone today. She is here in the company of queens from every social background. Welcome, queen!" (ANSA)
The Queen Maxima of the Netherlands this Saturday marked a historic moment by participating in the opening of WorldPride 2026 in Amsterdam. King William Alexander's wife became the first member of a reigning monarchy to parade in a Pride, reinforcing the message of equality, inclusion and defence of LGBTQIA+ rights
The Queen has recovered one of her most striking accessories at the inauguration of the International Pride in the Dutch capital
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