The group merely consists of volunteers. For organising debates, participating in conferences organising actions etc. we can get subsidies from the party funds, but the primary resources for our activities are our own inspiration and energy.

BACKGROUND IDEAS

The strict division in society into either male or female is not only schematic and unjust, it is also not how nature works.

In the Netherlands, we are in the fortunate position that many rules and legislation based on these old-school ideas have been amended. And yet, the situation is not ideal. For inspiration to improve, we also take foreign experiences into account.

RozeLinks wants to play an active role in those improvements, inside the Dutch Green Left party as well as in society at large. We analyse situations and problems, organise debates and discussions, and check which social or political action is necessary to start the improvements. Using current political debates, we launch actions, sometimes in collaboration with other organisations. And moreover, we also organise events, meetings and drinks to exchange information in an informal way and to enhance deliberations and reflections.

Activities set up by RozeLinks are open to anyone, inside and outside the party, who feels inspired by our mission and targets.

MISSION

We consider as our mission: creating, together with allies, of a society in which everyone can enjoy sexuality in their own way, respecting the position of other people. A society in which relationships among people are respected and acknowledged by the authorities. In which the authorities accept people’s wishes about their gender identity and gender expression and in which these personal wishes are the basis for government policies and actions. In which the authorities defend people against discrimination on whatever grounds.

AIMS AND TARGETS

Our aims and targets include:

  • better civic education at schools. Knowledge about sexual and diversity, and learning how to respect this diversity, should be part of this education;
  • proper instruments and procedures to combat discrimination in society
  • recognition of a non-binary gender scale;
  • recognition of various types of arrangements for relationships; not only marriage, registered partnership and cohabitation contracts at notaries should be legally accepted;
  • proper arrangements for people who seek asylum in the Netherlands because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or because they have defended LGBTQI* rights. The arrangements include protection against discrimination and violence in temporary collective housing facilities;
  • a policy in physical planning by which cruising areas are facilitated and safe, and by which people who do not like sex in the open air are warned to keep away from those zones;
  • a policy that combats coercion and exploitation in sex work and aims at safety and autonomy for sex workers

MEANS AND ACTIVITIES:

  • networking and collaborating within the Green Left party with other working groups, such as the feminist network FemNet, and with the Green Left Youth group called Dwars;
  • co-operation with other organisations in the Netherlands working on the same issues, such as COC, LNBi, TNN, NNID, IHLIA, Artikel 1, the Human Rights Authority
  • collaboration at international level, such as the European Greens, ILGA (member organisations);
  • participation in public events and manifestations such as the national and local pride events, Transgender Remembrance Day, IDAHOBIT, Coming-Out Day, etc.
  • arranging our own activities such as theme evenings, expert meetings, discussions in the social media;
  • political support of the Green Left representatives in the national parliament, the provincial parliaments and boards and the local councils and boards, the European parliament and contributions to the party and the elections programmes, and to campaigns
  • helping our representatives in current affairs considering sexuality, relationships, sexual diversity, gender diversity or gender expression.