Several portraits of intersex people were vandalized in the center of Alkmaar last weekend. The photos are part of an outdoor exhibition during Alkmaar Pride.
Three of the portraits appear to have been carved with knives. “It doesn’t seem to be about vandalism, but a targeted action,” says Mir Abe of the NNID, an organization that works for gender diversity. “This is horrifying, especially because it’s aimed so directly at the faces.”
One of the destroyed photos:
The portraits of the Open Mind Foundation tell the story of 21 intersex people between the ages of 2 and 81. Intersex people are born with both male and female characteristics. This can be external, but also on the basis of chromosomes. The letter ‘i’ in LGBTI stands for intersex.
‘Fits the picture’
The initiator of the project, journalist Lara Aerts, is not surprised by the destruction. “This happens more often. The Netherlands has again dropped a place in the European ranking for LGBTI rights. Mainly because of the violence, so this fits in with that picture,” she says to NH News.
The Open Mind Foundation reports this. The exhibition can be seen until June 6 at the Stationsplein in Alkmaar. The destroyed portraits will be replaced as soon as possible.
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