On Friday, December 12, 2025, residents, professionals from healthcare and education, church representatives, policymakers, and other interested parties gathered at De Pluk in Geldermalsen for the Rainbow Conference 2025 Gelderland-South. They came together to talk about acceptance, faith, and safety. Visitors engaged in conversations, listened to each others experiences, and shared stories. These details and openness formed the common thread of the day.
Inclusion is not self-evident and requires ongoing commitment
By reaching out to each other and trying to understand what moves someone, people become more compassionate towards one another.
Deputy of the Province of Gelderland
Personal stories help
During the conference, visitors could participate in various sessions about diversity and inclusion in community life, religion, and personal stories from the region. Fred Eggink, city poet of Buren, also openly shared how he repressed his sexuality for much of his life.
Well-being Monitor LHBTIQA+ 2025
Researcher Niels Spierings from Radboud University presented figures from the Vizier Well-being Monitor LHBTIQA+ 2025. This research shows that LHBTIQA+ individuals in Gelderland and Overijssel feel less safe and accepted than in 2023. Especially in public spaces, they adjust their behavior to avoid negative reactions. For more information about this research, see our earlier message LHBTIQA+ individuals feel less safe in Gelderland. According to Spierings, education in schools can help improve this situation.
Next steps
Project coordinator Roy Potijk looks back positively on the day. According to him, personal stories foster more understanding among people. The organization finds it important that the conference does not stand alone. With the film Pasara, the podcast ‘All Colors’, and the establishment of the Stichting Belangen LHBTIQA+ West Betuwe, something lasting has also been created. The foundation wants to organize meetings, contribute to visibility, and provide support to LHBTIQA+ residents in the municipality. This gives the conversation that took place a continuation.
Photo: Van Beuzekom Visuals