Whilst the UK Government blocks the Gender Recognition Act that the Scottish Parliament passed, and in the US more States are following De Santis’s campaign to bring Florida’s LGBTQ’s community to its knees, there is at least one country in the world that seems to be on our side.
This week Dutch lawmakers voted to expand Article 1 of the Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to explicitly include bans on discrimination based on sexual orientation and disability. It sets a unique example to the rest of the World especially the countries where homosexuality is still illegal
Following the Dutch Senate’s Tuesday vote, which passed the proposal in a 56–15 vote, it now only needs to be signed by King Willem-Alexander and the responsible minister before being published in the Staatscourant, the official government publication that formally announces new laws.
Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution already states that citizens of the Netherlands “shall be treated equally in equal circumstances,” and includes protections based on “religion, belief, political opinion, race, or sex.” It also states that discrimination “on any other grounds whatsoever shall not be permitted.” But Dutch LGBTQ+ advocacy organization COC Nederlands, which has advocated for enshrining LGBTQ+ right in the constitution since 2004, said that the explicit mention of sexual orientation is an important moment for the rights of people who identify with diverse genders and sexualities.
“LGBTI rights are finally proudly mentioned in Article 1 and are no longer hidden,” Astrid Oosenbrug, COC Nederland chair, said. “And being enshrined in the Constitution is a guarantee that we will still be able to enjoy our hard-won rights in fifty or a hundred years’ time. That we will still be able to marry, raise children, and be protected against discrimination. Even if the political or social winds unexpectedly shift against the rainbow community.”
Disability advocates also cheered the move. “Adding the disability basis to Article 1 is historic news,” said Illya Soffer, CEO and director of Ieder(in), a Dutch organization representing people with disabilities and chronic illnesses.
Labels: 2023, Banning Discrimination, Constitution, Dutch Government
