3,130 schools register for Paarse Vrijdag

Dutch state secretary for emancipation Judith Tielen urged people on Friday not to be distracted by those who, she said, “want to make the rainbow flag political”. “This is not about politics. It is about everyone being able to be free and equal,” she said, in remarks translated from Dutch and reported by ANP. [1]

ANP reported that more than 3,000 schools participate in Paarse Vrijdag, or Purple Friday, when pupils wear purple to celebrate being able to be themselves. Tielen, a VVD politician, was also wearing purple. Speaking before a cabinet meeting, she said she had already visited a school. [1]

Tielen said the rainbow flag represented freedom and equality for LGBTQ+ people and was flying at the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. She said she would prefer initiatives such as Paarse Vrijdag no longer to be necessary, but believed they still were. [1]

Update

Organiser COC Nederland has received registrations from 3,130 schools intending to take part in this year’s Paarse Vrijdag, according to an ANP report carried by Nieuws.nl [2]. The report compares that with 2,890 education institutions registered last year. Its figures count sign-ups, not how many schools ultimately take part.

ANP also reports that the event is being held in October for the first time, at schools’ request. It says previous editions took place in December, a month often busy with holidays and end-of-year activities [2].