Roze Week Nijmegen from 16 – 20 May 2022.

You might have noticed the progress flag is flying on Campus this week. It is Roze Week in Nijmegen, a week to celebrate diversity. “Unlike what many might think, homo-, trans- and biphobia are still an issue in the Netherlands and many students experience it frequently. For as long as this exists, we need events like the Roze Week,” says Florian Kühnert, coordinator Roze Week.

“The Roze Week is a way to reach a substantial number and variety of people, no matter if they are part of the LGBTQIA* community or not. We want to give all people the possibility to learn more about various aspects of our community,” says Florian. “This is especially important for students who have not yet had the chance to find a home in our community, which is what we want to achieve in the end: to make students and staff feel that they have a home at HAN and Radboud University. With this year’s slogan ‘Dare To Be Unique,’ we want to show that there is no right or wrong way to be queer, and that queer people can be anyone and anything they aspire to be.”

Why is it still important to organize the Roze Week?
Florian: “For many reasons. For students, a week like the Roze Week could be the first time they ever got to experience queer culture and a sense of community. For example, I came to the Netherlands in 2018 and besides a few pride festivals, I never got to have this sense of home in my hometown. Because of Dito and the Roze Week, this changed. Furthermore, it is important to bring queer issues and topics to a bigger audience, so that we can create an atmosphere of educated respect and acceptance for everyone.”

What are current struggles in the LGBTQIA* community that our students should be aware of?
While the Netherlands are a quite open-minded country, there are still issues that all queer people face in one way or the other. “As said before, trans-, homo- and biphobia are still a pressing issue faced by students of all ages, in all kinds of situations,” Florian adds. “For example, queer people often still think twice before holding hands in public, depending on the situation. Every person in our community experiences diverse ways and forms of discrimination, and it is our and everyone else’s responsibility to allow all people to feel safe and at home everywhere they go. We think that the best way to achieve this is via education and coming together as one, which the Roze Week and Dito have as their main goal.”

Do you have any tips for our students figuring out their sexuality?
“Honestly, it can be very scary, exhausting and intimidating to discover and explore your own sexuality, gender identity and views on relationships. Every experience with this is extremely individual and personal”, Florian answers. “I have noticed during my time at Dito that meeting people from all parts of the community and having a safe space is so important.” Dito can be a part of it. The Roze Week is organized by Dito, the LGBTQIA* youth organization of Nijmegen for youth between 18 and 28 years old. They offer a wide variety of activities. Florian: “For students who want to learn more about themselves, their identity and where they can find a safe place, we have Dito’s introduction groups. In these, you meet several times with the same group and talk about everything important, including a space to be able to share your story and learn from others, guided by experienced members of Dito.”

During the Roze Week there are plenty of activities to choose from, including lectures, sports, and parties.

What are the highlights of Roze Week 2022?
Florian tips: “We had a theme evening on asexuality on Wednesday, in which you can learn all about the experiences of asexual people. On Thursday, we will have a special treat: a panel discussion at HAN Campustheater with queer politicians Carline van Breugel (D66) and Ricardo Brouwer (PvdA) about their stories and experiences in their careers. And, on Friday the 20^th, we will have a lecture about what it means to be queer and religious, from both a Christian and Islamic point of view. Tahrim Ramdjan, who is a freelance journalist and works for Het Parool, explores what it means to be a queer Muslim.”

If you would like to know more, visit www.linktr.ee/rozeweek.

Want to know more about Dito? Check out their website www.ditonijmegen.nl or contact secretaris@ditonijmegen.nl.