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Member of Parliament,
Desiree Croes
up front in the
Amsterdam Pride Walk
GAY Pride Amsterdam is one of the best and Body & Spirit Saba), Ramona Pikeur (Dushi &
most fun prides in the world. It started on July Proud Nederland) and the Aruban member of
25 and will go on until Sunday August 2, 2015. Parliament, Desirée de Sousa-Croes (AVP).
Some 350,000 people are expected in They were accompanied by the Amsterdam
Amsterdam to celebrate Gay Pride. The annual aldermen Simone Kukenheim, Eric van der
celebration of gay, lesbian, and transgender Burg and VVD leader Frits Huffnagel .
culture first took place in Amsterdam in 1996.
Since then, it’s become one of the city’s most The Pride Walk is an annual protest walk and
popular summertime jubilees. manifestation for equal LHBTI rights all around
the world. This edition of the Amsterdam Gay
The representatives of LHBTI organizations of Pride is mainly focused on the gay rights in the
the Dutch Kingdom Islands of the Caribbean, Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
were in front of the Pride Walk as part of the LHBTI is still highly discriminated in the daily
Amsterdam Gay Pride. living but also legally.
They all walked behind a banner with the
text ‘One Kingdom, One Love’. The Dutch The representatives of LHBTI organizations of
representatives who proudly took part upfront the Dutch Kingdom Islands of the Caribbean,
in the Pride Walk are: Shundrey Kleinmoedig addressed the public before the Pride Walk
(Foko Curaçao), Milicent Sof (EQ Bonaire), started. The Walk ended at the Gay- monument
Maikel Kelly (Alfa Aruba), Melissa Gumbs in Westermarkt by attaching a 75-meter long
(Safe St. Maarten), Justin Simmons (Mind rainbow flag to the Westertower.
2 LOCAL Saturday, August 01 2015 - ARUBA TRAVELLER
