Amsterdam Pride and Glory

AMSTERDAM

pride & glory

By Alexander Thatcher

GIRLS WHO ARE BOYS WHO LIKE BOYS TO BE GIRLS WHO DO BOYS LIKE THEY’RE GIRLS WHO DO GIRLS LIKE THEY’RE BOYS ALWAYS SHOULD BE SOMEONE YOU REALLY LOVE BLUR

After spending the European summer in Amsterdam, if I were given just one word to describe Dutch culture, I would probably use ‘Respect’. Dutch directness aside, being a gay man in Amsterdam was absolutely no issue — we felt welcomed and respected by everyone we met. Ranked number four in the 2019 Spartacus Gay Travel Index, the Netherlands is considered to be one of the most culturally liberal and egalitarian countries in the world. Recent polls show that more than 90% of Dutch citizens believe that LGBTIQ people should be allowed to live as they wish. It’s a pretty impressive statistic considering the current right-wing conservative insurgence blundering its way across our planet. Amsterdam, regarded as one of the most LGBTIQ friendly cities in the world, is famous for its liberal culture, vibrant nightlife and queer festivals like Milkshake and Amsterdam Pride. The city has a thriving and rich LGBTIQ scene, filled with creativity and what seems like a national drive to encourage people to be truly authentic. Being truly free to be ourselves is something we talk about here in Australia, but after being in Europe, I can't help but wonder if as a country we are really up for what this actually means. I discovered that as colourful as our LGBTIQ community is here, we are still very conservative. I’ll let the photos of Milkshake Festival and Amsterdam Pride explain what I mean here — you’ll get the picture (...otherwise google PiG Party Berlin.... actually, *don’t* google PiG Party Berlin!!!).

Milkshake Festival, which stared in 2012, was like nothing we had ever experienced before. It was like entering a nuclear explosion of self-expression, where pretty much anything goes. It’s a vibrant, fun and often provocative celebration of queer and alternative cultures.

I think the thing I personally loved most about Milkshake was it was space where those living on the fringes could just let it all out. It was a place that was not only completely safe, but also celebrated and applauded their uniqueness.

On the afternoon of day one, we found ourselves on top of a Ferris wheel chatting to Milkshake Founder & Creative Director Marieke Samallo (pictured below).

Marieke told us she wanted to create a totally free and safe festival filled with diversity. “Thick, thin, small, large, gay, straight, trans, black or white — people are the salt of the earth, and this is what we celebrate!”

Marieke and her team had organised many super cool activities and spaces throughout Westerpark where the festival is held.

See our video interview with Marieke Samallo, Milkshake Founder & Creative Director on the FUSE website.

Interactive erotic art installations, a blow-up wedding chappel for those who wanted to get hitched, and over a 1000 individual performers. We were treated to non-stop music, dancers, parades and round the clock drag shows.

There were theme park rides, and even a giant c*ck ride (I’ve never been thrown off a phallis so fast before). In past years the festival included a dildo-making workshop (for both boys and girls) and ring-tossing with sex toys of all shapes and sizes. Yep, there does seem to be a bit of a theme here.

When we asked Marieke what one thing she wished everyone would do in this world, she said, “Be kind”. It’s not surprising then that with the support of Milkshake revellers, in 2018 she and her team decided to go full tilt vego. From personal experience, I tell you that the food at Milkshake was diverse and exceptionally delicious — just like the way we want most things : - ) The festival takes its social and environmental responsibilities seriously with a number of measures to make it more sustainable. There is a hard plastic cup ‘pay and swap system’, all cutlery, plates and napkins are biodegradable, all waste is separated for recycling, and the toilets are environmentally friendly. It’s a pretty impressive effort, and in this writer’s humble option, should be a standard for all festivals.

Two days seemed barely enough time to take it all in.

The weekend after Milkshake, we headed downtown to take part in the Amsterdam Canal Pride Parade. Our own Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is a hard act to beat, but the Canal Parade was certainly one of the most unique LGBTIQ celebrations we have ever been a part of. This year’s parade saw over 80 boats representing everything from LGBTIQ social, sporting and fetish groups through to large foundations and multinationals. The floating parade brings a whole new meaning to the term cruising. Lavishly decorated boats and colourful barges filled with people from all walks of life celebrated diversity along with the past, present and future of the LGBTIQ community.