2nd of September: A new semester starts at Hogeschool Utrecht (HU). Before stepping foot inside any classroom, everyone gets greeted by a powerful and welcoming symbol of inclusion – a bright, 570-meter-long rainbow bike path, the longest of its kind in Europe. This colorful symbol sends a clear message: Everyone is welcome here, regardless of who they are or who they love. This local initiative is in line with the EU´s Gender Equality Strategy (2020-2025), which aims to promote equal rights for LGBTQ+ individuals across Europe. While the rainbow bike path is not directly part of the strategy itself, it represents a visible commitment by the university to create an inclusive campus. However, symbols alone are not enough.
“Symbols like this are important, yes, but we also need concrete actions to make sure that this message is reflected in everyday campus life.” – says Felix van Vugt, board member of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) at Hogeschool Utrecht. He, along with his colleagues Annemiek Broersen and Marlies de Vos, founded the first Gender Sexuality Alliance in the Netherlands.
Diversity and Inclusion Network
The GSA is a part of the Diversity and Inclusion Network at HU, with two primary goals: making the community feel at home and raising awareness more widely. From a small voluntary initiative to an organization with 160 members: The growth of the GSA has been made possible through financial support of the ‘HUGS’. This funding ensures that events such as ‘Coming Out Day’, ‘Purple Thursday’ and participations in Pride activities, including the rental of a pride boat will continue to take place. However, it also shows that real progress needs concrete actions and financial support.
Ally Up
Workshop: Us vs. Them – Connecting in a Divided Society – Jessie van Samsbeek of GSA Hogeschool Utrecht
One of the most ambitious projects the GSA is working on right now is called ‘Ally Up’, trying to encourage allies to take actions. “We need more role models in education, we need people to speak up and we do need allies.” – emphasizes van Vugt. The project follows a ‘train the trainer model’, trying to not only reach people within the Diversity and Inclusion Network but also students and staff across the university. The project educates participants on the importance of pronouns and how they can contribute individually to an inclusive campus culture.
Concrete Progress
There have already been important steps forward. Hogeschool Utrecht now allows students and employees to choose non-binary gender markers, such as ‘X’ in the university´s system canvas, as well as select their pronouns or change their first name. Even though time and resources are limited, these recent developments show that meaningful progress is being made.
Next steps
Significant progress has been made in recent years, however, there is still a long road ahead. The GSA recently hosted the second ‘Fresh start’ event, an initiative aiming to spread the GSA´s mission beyond Utrecht and across the Netherlands. Although the Netherlands is considered progressive in terms of LGBTQ+ rights, there are still challenges which need to be faced. It would be inaccurate to consider the Netherlands as a complete leader in LGBTQ+ rights. However, other European countries could learn from these local initiatives and adopt similar approaches to create inclusive environments.
While symbols like the rainbow bike path are important first steps, real progress lies in the actions that are being taken to create an inclusive environment for all. Hogeschool Utrecht is setting an example through its efforts of moving beyond symbolic gestures. As the EU continues to push for LGBTQ+ equality by 2025, initiatives like the GSA in Utrecht show what can be possible.
