Support COC Nederland National

COC's LGBTQIA+ education program in the Netherlands

COC Nederland is committed to building an inclusive society where everyone can be themselves, regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, or sex characteristics. Through a wide range of national and international initiatives, we work to strengthen safety, visibility, and empowerment for the LGBTQIA+ community.

As a potential ally, you can play a meaningful role in this mission, while also inspiring and activating your own employees and Pride network through creative, purpose-driven engagement.

Our national education program:

Nearly 400,000 LGBTQIA+ young people (ages 15–25) in the Netherlands deserve to grow up safely and freely. Yet for many, that is not the reality. The experiences of young people like Sef (16), who never felt safe at school; Carmen (17), who was bullied while the school did nothing; and Eva (16), whose pride flag was removed and burned, show that the unsafe climate is not only distressing but deeply affects their development and wellbeing.

COC Netherlands, with support from Epson, is committed to changing this reality. Together, we aim to ensure that LGBTQIA+ youth no longer have to live in the shadows, but can stand proudly in the light.

"People always say it’s so important for a child to have a healthy development and a safe school environment. I have never experienced that." - Sef, 16 years old

For many rainbow youth, growing up is not a carefree time but a struggle. While their peers build friendships, explore their identities and dream about the future, LGBTQIA+ young people often have to navigate misunderstanding, bullying and fear of rejection. Nearly 23 percent of LGBTQIA+ youth feel barely or not accepted at all. Out of fear of rejection or being cast out, many do not dare to be open with parents, friends or teachers.

The numbers are deeply alarming: in schools, LGBTQIA+ youth experience widespread discrimination and stigmatization, leading to higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Suicide attempts occur 4.5 times more often among lesbian, gay and bisexual youth than among their heterosexual peers; among transgender youth, the rate is as high as 21 percent.

Concrete Actions with our Education Program

• We train teachers to support GSAs, encourage inclusive school policies, and effectively address bullying.
• Teachers learn how to intervene when students make hurtful remarks and how to guide respectful communication among young people. We do this by giving them practical, accessible tools they can apply immediately. We organize both inperson and online sessions focused not only on skills, but also on peer exchange. There is a lot of knowledge and experience among teachers, but it is often isolated — many feel alone in this work.
• We help schools translate legal obligations into practice. Schools are legally required to provide LGBTQIA+ education and to ensure a safe school climate. We bridge the gap between what must be done and how to do it by offering concrete tools and by organizing intervision sessions between teachers from different schools. We provide practical guidance on how to implement these requirements effectively in daily school life.

Youth-led initiatives that promote acceptance and safety in schools. Collaboration ideas:

• Gender & Sexuality Alliances (GSAs) began in the Netherlands in 2010 as studentled initiatives to make schools safer. What started as a small group of motivated students has, over fifteen years, grown into a national network of 650 GSAs. Together with us, GSAs organize Purple Friday, a nationwide day on which students show solidarity with LGBTQ+ peers by wearing purple at school. For this, we develop dedicated teaching materials and promotional resources that can be used throughout the school year.
• GSAs provide safe spaces where LGBTQ+ students can find acceptance, and they also organize visibility and empowerment activities within their schools. From the very beginning, we have been closely involved in the development of GSAs — including ensuring that teachers and school staff support and guide these student groups.

“At school I met three others who also turned out to be queer. We thought: why isn’t there a GSA here? We realized it wouldn‘t appear unless we started it ourselves. So we went to the principal ordered a free Purple Friday package from COC Netherlands and got to work. I had just turned 15.” - Rozanne 15 years old

Links:

• Youth & Out