Analyzing LGBTQ+ Acceptance in The Netherlands: Perspectives from inside the community
Summary
Acceptance towards LGBTQ+ individuals is stagnating. Quantative data shows that less
people are accepting towards the LGBTQ+ movement. Theory suggests that politics and
power mechanisms are responsible for this phenomenon. However, qualitative research
exploring perspectives from within the community to confirm this is lacking. Therefore this
study aims to shed light on how different identities within the LGBTQ+ community look at
this phenomenon. A qualitative analysis of eighteen semi-structured interviews was
conducted to gain insight on how these changes are experienced by the LGBTQ+ community
itself, how it should be solved, and whether the discourse of the 2023 dutch elections had a
significant impact on the experience on acceptance from the perspective of the LGBTQ+
community. The main outcome of this study was that LGBTQ+ individuals experience a
significant stagnation in societal acceptance, which is particularly pronounced among
gender diverse individuals compared to sexually diverse individuals. This stagnation is
attributed to negative political discourse, particularly from right-wing parties, and systemic
issues within healthcare and education.