Drenthe is the first province with a Rainbow Ambassador. Henk Nijmeijer, former member of Parliament on behalf of GroenLinks, will fill this role. “It is a very nice recognition,” says Nijmeijer.
Nijmeijer was one of the driving forces of ‘Drenthe Rainbow Province’, a 2016 initiative to increase the acceptance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, trans and intersex people (LGBTI’s). All Dutch provinces took over that Drenthe initiative.
“People often think that it is not the case in the countryside or in Drenthe, but nothing could be further from the truth,” says Nijmeijer. “I think it is very much alive among the population and Drenthe is also special in that regard.” According to Nijmeijer, Drenthe has shown in recent years that it is very important that everyone can be themselves.
Yet there is still plenty to do in Drenthe when it comes to acceptance of LGBTI people, Nijmeijer also notices in his personal life. When asked when the position of Rainbow Ambassador would be superfluous, he replies: “Let’s be honest, if I can just walk freely, hand in hand, down the street with my husband.”
He says that if he were to do that now, you would “hear chants or people calling after you. And that’s not always pleasant.”
In his role as Rainbow Ambassador, Nijmeijer will focus on giving the rainbow policy of the province and municipalities more shape and content and giving it an ‘extra boost’. “It would be a shame if the initiatives that are now being started are not followed through properly. That is why it is important to create a kind of bridging function.”