Leiden University’s participation in Canal Pride has been a thorny issue in recent years. At the 2023 edition, the police intervened forcefully when activists demonstrated against the commercialisation and pinkwashing of the event.

The following year, students held a protest on the university boat against the police intervention. This caused friction with the Pride Leiden organisers, as they prohibit political statements on participating boats. The university promised to abide by this rule in the future.

However, last year things went wrong again. A group of students from Queer Leiden University managed to sneak protest signs on board. Using a smuggled megaphone, they delivered a speech addressed to the jury of the colourful boat parade. Other passengers on board tried to disrupt the students’ protest by taking away the signs and megaphone. The university condemned the students’ actions and recommitted itself to the Pride regulations. It promised to engage in dialogue with the parties involved in the short term.

The result: no boat this year.

And so, the university was conspicuously absent this year among the dozens of boats, including those of the University of Applied Sciences Leiden and the Leiden University Medical Centre. Why didn’t the university participate?

CELEBRATION

‘Pride Leiden sees the Canal Parade primarily as an opportunity to celebrate LGBTQIA+ diversity’, explains university spokesperson Mischa van Vlier by e-mail. According to him, the Pride Walk provides room for protest and social engagement. This is a march through Leiden featuring various speakers and focusing on diversity, inclusion and equal rights. ‘That is why we chose to take part in the Pride Walk this year.’ That decision was reportedly made following discussions with involved members of the queer community.

Assistant professor and former chair of Leiden University’s LGBTQIA+ network, Looi van Kessel, puts it more firmly. According to him, the students’ vision on the one hand and that of Pride Leiden on the other were ‘incompatible’. ‘Pride Leiden prefers a positive message and the celebration of the queer community. The students believe that Pride should be about protest and that they should be taking to the barricades.’

According to Van Kessel, the university then decided to ‘stand with the students’. ‘We believe it’s very important that the students’ views are listened to. And if our students cannot protest on a boat in the way they want to, the university boat is no longer for all students and staff. That is why the university didn’t join in.’ 

Student organisation Queer Leiden University confirms that it views Pride as a primarily political event, which is non-negotiable. During discussions with, amongst others, Rector Magnificus Sarah de Rijcke and the Pride organisers, the students emphasised that they should be able to express fear, sadness and anger as well as joy and freedom.

VISIBLE

‘It seems impossible for Leiden University to take part in Canal Pride’, says Thanais Moraitis on behalf of Queer Leiden University. ‘That decision was not taken lightly.’ They will continue to explore ways to participate in Canal Pride again, provided that political statements by students and university staff are permitted.

During this year’s edition, they were actively involved in the Pride Walk.

The university encouraged all students and staff to take part. Van Vlier: ‘We did so in various ways and on different platforms, to ensure that our participation would be clearly visible.’

Nancy Glazer, chair of Stichting Rainbow Society (initiator of the Pride Walk), says she is pleased with that call to participate. On the day itself, Monday 31 August, Glazer noticed that people were able to make their voices heard. The Pride Walk featured a wide range of speakers. The university did not provide a speaker itself, but Glazer hopes it will do so next year. 

Van Vlier said that next year, they will once again consider ‘how the university can contribute to Leiden Pride Week’.

Leiden Pride chair Lorenzo van Beek declined to answer the question of why political statements are not permitted during Canal Pride, as he ‘disagrees with Mare’s reporting’.