On Wednesday 8 July 2026, the “Walk of Pride Amsterdam” will be unveiled: a unique monument connecting 53 bronze tiles into a monumental walking route from Dam Square, in the historical city center, to the Homomonument. Each tile of this international monument is dedicated to a person who made an exceptional contribution to LGBTQIA+ emancipation.
From condemnation to celebration
The choice of the route is no coincidence. On Dam Square, men were tried and executed for sodomy until the eighteenth century. One of them was Jillis Bruggeman (1755–1803), the last person in the Netherlands to be sentenced to death for that reason. His name appears on the first tile. The route ends at the Homomonument, where sexual, gender and sex diversity has been celebrated, protested and commemorated since 1987.
History and present
The selection of 53 individuals was made in collaboration with eighteen Dutch LGBTQIA+ organisations. The committee deliberately chose diversity and a mix of national and international names. Alongside well-known figures such as Audre Lorde, Marsha P. Johnson and Alfred Kinsey, the route also features lesser-known individuals, including bicultural Saïd Zankoua (1990–2020), a beloved figure in Amsterdam’s queer scene.
Three people on the Walk are still living, among them Bo Laurent and Miriam van der Have, both pioneers in the fight for intersex human rights and emancipation. Their inclusion makes it explicit that the monument does not only honour the past. The history of LGBTQIA+ emancipation is still being written every day.
Although no Australians made the cut, neighbours New Zealand and Indonesia are well represented — with Georgina Beyer, Shinta Ratri and Stephen Suleeman all earning their place. And as a living monument, there’s plenty of room for the story to grow.
First collective walk on 8 July
The official opening takes place on Wednesday 8 July 2026 at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, as part of the opening of WorldPride 2026. Immediately afterwards, the public will be the first to walk the full route.
