Complaint after Dries Van Langenhove calls pride flag ‘a pedophile flag’ in Bruges

In the video, published on the international day against LGBT and transphobia, Van Langenhove enters a shop in Bruges. A pride flag hangs outside the shop and that is clearly not to the liking of the former Member of Parliament for Vlaams Belang. He speaks to the owner of the store and says “that someone has hung a pedophile flag on the facade”. The owner later went to the police.

Van Langenhove was in Bruges at the time to campaign against a reading moment by a drag queen in a specialized bookshop.

Filed a complaint

After the publication of the images, the equal opportunities center Unia received several dozen reports. In consultation with çavaria, the umbrella organization of LGBTQIA+ organizations, and rainbow house Casa Rosa, Unia is now submitting a complaint to the public prosecutor’s office. They want the public prosecutor’s office to investigate whether Van Langenhove is inciting discrimination, hatred or violence.

“By connecting pedophilia, something society condemns, with an LGBTQIA+ symbol, he incites hatred and violence against our community,” says Eef Heylighen, spokesperson for çavaria. “Such actions have a huge impact on the well-being of an entire group. Moreover, our experience unfortunately teaches us that words can all too quickly lead to action.”

“Absurd”

Van Langenhove himself says he finds the new complaint “absurd”. “The new flag they use does not stand for gay people, but for gender ideology and pedophilia,” said the far-right activist. “And if there’s one thing I hate, it’s pedophiles.”