Beyond marriage equality: LGBTQIA+ acceptance in the Netherlands is dropping

Sports clubs bring people together, but recent research suggests they have become less accepting places for gay members. With similar shifts among young people and rising reports of anti-LGBTQIA+ discrimination, what does acceptance look like in the Netherlands today?

Acceptance falls at Dutch sports clubs

The Mulier Institute has found that the share of sports participants who said they had no problem with a gay clubmate fell from 85 percent in 2008 to 66 percent in 2026, according to a report by NOS. The proportion comfortable showering with a gay athlete of the same sex also dropped, from 73 percent to 55 percent.

In 2026, 28 percent of club participants said their club addressed gay acceptance, compared with 12 percent in 2017. This increased attention has coincided with less positive attitudes.

The John Blankenstein Foundation, which promotes LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport, recognises the difficulties. Karin Blankenstein told NOS that interest in the foundation's workshops was declining. According to the foundation, clubs themselves often remain interested, but parents frequently object.

A history of campaigning for equal rights

The Netherlands’ record on LGBTQIA+ rights reflects decades of campaigning. COC Netherlands was founded in Amsterdam in 1946 under the name Shakespeare Club. Initially focused on providing social spaces for gay and bisexual people, it developed into an organisation campaigning for equal rights and social acceptance.

A defining milestone followed on April 1, 2001, when the Netherlands became the first country in the world to open marriage to same-sex couples. Just after midnight, Amsterdam’s then mayor, Job Cohen, officiated at the first four weddings.

In 2026, the country marked 25 years of marriage equality. Yet the recent findings from sports clubs and schools show why legal rights and social acceptance need to be considered separately: the ability to marry does not tell us how comfortable someone feels coming out to their teammates or classmates.

Acceptance among young people falls sharply

The shift is also visible among school pupils. Nationally representative, Health Behaviour in School-aged Children research done by Utrecht University and the Trimbos Institute found that the proportion of boys in secondary-school with a positive attitude towards homosexuality fell from 40 percent in 2021 to 22 percent in 2025. Among girls, it dropped from 78 percent to 51 percent.

Researchers measured attitudes through three statements concerning friendship with gay young people and reactions to two boys or two girls kissing. Respondents who did not fall into the “positive attitude” category were not necessarily classified as having negative attitudes.

The results also suggest that pupils see schools as less welcoming places to come out. In 2021, 60 percent of secondary-school students thought gay or lesbian pupils could be open about their sexual orientation at school. By 2025, that figure had fallen to 45 percent. This measures pupils’ perceptions of their school environment, rather than the proportion who had personally experienced discrimination.

Reports of discrimination and violence increase

Alongside these changes in attitudes, organisations are recording more reports of discrimination against LGBTQIA+ people. COC Netherlands, citing figures from police and anti-discrimination services, said reports of discrimination and violence rose from 2.654 in 2022 to 3.257 in 2023 and 4.467 in 2024. The figure reached approximately 4.800 in 2025.

Transgender Netwerk separately recorded a sharp increase in unique reports of discrimination against transgender people. Reports received by the organisation and antidiscrimination services increased from 264 in 2024 to 399 in 2025, a rise of 51 percent, according to COC’s account of the figures.

These figures count reports of discrimination and violence, rather than confirmed hate crimes, and do not show how many incidents involved physical attacks. The national discrimination report cautions that changes can reflect people’s willingness to report incidents and how organisations register them. Police also stress that most experiences of discrimination go unreported, meaning the recorded figures provide only a partial picture.

Building more welcoming sports clubs

Some sports clubs are taking steps to improve inclusion. In Drenthe, the project The safe changin room (De veilige kleedkamer) asks participating clubs to work through a series of steps to demonstrate their commitment to LGBTQIA+ inclusion. Clubs that complete the process receive a certificate. According to NOS, the initiative has also attracted interest from Gelderland and Groningen.

The national umbrella organisation for sport, NOC*NSF, described the Mulier Institute’s findings as particularly disappointing and said it would put more energy into creating an inclusive sporting environment. The challenge is turning that commitment into everyday experiences in which members feel comfortable being open about who they are.