This incident is not an isolated incident, says Kortekaas. According to him, the reports that are now coming in are only the tip of the iceberg. Although Kortekaas regularly speaks to victims who openly talk about what happened to them, he knows that there are plenty of people who do not report when something happens to them. “Reporting must be more accessible,” he says.
Reporting point
This conclusion also emerged from the Round Table Discussion last July, organized by the Regenboogloket Foundation. She started a collaboration with other rainbow organizations, Discriminatie.nl, Politie Roze in Blauw and Nachtwacht Haarlem. According to them, the city must become safer, and that can only happen if people report it. “Then we can better map out what is really going on,” says Bas.
There is still a lot of discussion about the design of the reporting point. There is talk of an app where the reporter can quickly go. Not only for a report, but also for support.
Myles van der Jagt, programmer of the inclusive festival No More and founder of queer party Fuck The Cistem, also thinks about making the city safer. According to him, people are not quick to report. “I text my mother when I experience something unpleasant, so that she can report it.”
Make the night safer
It shows that making a report is sensitive. And it’s not something people just do. That’s why Myles would like to see something else happen with the released money: “Make the night safer by training security and police to act appropriately.”
According to Myles, an investment for nightlife would be the right choice. “Queers are regularly refused entry into clubs, because security does not want any ‘friction’ in the club in advance,” he says. “Investments should be made in training on how security guards can act better if a bad situation arises.”
Myles also refers back to the assault on Trevor in Smedestraat, who was walking through the entertainment area at 2.30 am. “The police were present at the time, but they should have known better how to act.”
No concrete plans yet
There is therefore eager fantasizing among LGBTIQ+ organizations about the correct use of the Haarlem amount. The municipality says that it does not yet have any concrete plans. But the fact that the municipality takes the subject seriously is beneficial to all organizations.