Signing of rainbow ballot box agreement

Are you familiar with the saying, ‘All good things come in threes’? It seems that the saying has legal origins and that in the past, three court hearings were sometimes necessary to reach a (correct) decision. It is now used much more broadly; for example, when three positive events follow each other in succession. @Joyce thought it would be appropriate to divide into three parts why M:OED signed the rainbow election agreement and was represented by Joyce,  and lastly how M:OED remains committed to the LGBTI+ community.

1) M:OED & Joyce

“I remember it well; four and a half years ago, I was sitting at the dinner table with two members of M:OED, among others, and I said I politics is not for me. Less than three months later, I was on the election poster, and not long after that, I was a citizen council member. What I find most exciting is that the city of Maastricht has become much more alive to me now that I know how and when decisions are made, seeing that we can still have an influence [or make a difference] with one councillor in the party and be critical of the municipality. My favourite topic was inclusivity, or rather the lack thereof.”

2) So what has M:OED been doing recently? 

An inclusive city does not happen by itself. Our goal is to develop and implement inclusive policies, which means that from the outset, the perspectives of the LGBTI+ community and the various perspectives and intersections within it are taken into account. Unfortunately, this does not always happen quickly enough.

So while we are working on inclusive policies, we are committed to specific measures in the meantime. These include 1) safety in public spaces and prevention of sexual street harassment of LGBTI+ people, 2) combating period poverty, including for non-binary and trans people, and 3) increasing the capacity to act when it comes to providing shelter for homeless LGBTI+ young people.

3) What are we going to do in the coming period?

We will continue to work tirelessly on these issues and more.

We remain committed to these issues and 1) the mental health of LGBTI+ young people 2) the cultural scene, whether free and alternative or mainstream, in which queer people feel welcome and are welcome, safe and visible, 3) radical hospitality in the municipality, where policy is organised and formed together with the community.

So vote for M:OED for inclusivity at the grassroots level!

In February, we submitted written questions about the inclusion agenda. Read them here (in Dutch).

Also watch Council Member Van Rooij’s contribution (also in Dutch) during the social domain meeting on February 3rd.