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Amsterdam Pride attracts Government support
An estimated 500,000 people lined the route on Saturday to watch a record 80 boats featured in the gay parade, Amsterdam Pride, many of them featuring colourful displays and semi-naked men and women. It was the 13th year that the event has been staged.
Senior Government ministers took part in the celebrations for the first time. Minister for Education and Culture Ronald Plasterk said that his presence would focus attention on homophobia in Holland. He said on Radio Netherlands: "I'm joining the Gay Pride Canal Parade on behalf of the entire coalition." The Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, also took part for the first time.
The city's Pride parade uses the canals with, appropriately, boats used as 'floats' rather than trucks.
Mr Plasternak commented on the official support for the event: "The Gay Pride is a public event where people show they are gay or lesbian and are proud of being so. It is important for the government to show it shares that Pride.
"We encourage people to dare to be themselves and live the way they want. We are keen to support them with that and the Ministry's boat at the parade aims to make that support visible. "
This article was written for TravelSavvy Europe by Bob Cartwright. If you know of an interesting European travel related news story, please get in contact.
