The 36-year-old royal will go to the gathering of the Netherlands’ four major cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht – to discuss how best to solve the problem of exclusion of homosexuals in the nation.
The Netherlands’ Princess Maxima will lend her support to gay rights when she attends a meeting to sign a covenant to enhance the acceptance of gay individuals in society.
The 36-year-old royal will go to the gathering of the Netherlands’ four major cities - Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht – to discuss how best to solve the problem of exclusion of homosexuals in the nation.
Frank Van Dalen of the Dutch Gay federation COC said: “This will be a historically significant royal presence. This is what we have been hoping for a very, very long time. It is the first time a member of the royal family has attended a meeting with such significance for gays.”
A palace spokesman added: “The Princess is in favour of equal rights of all groups in the Netherlands.”
The major challenge of the meeting is set to be how to encourage school students to accept the existence of homosexuality, and to learn not to discriminate against it.
The Netherlands’ tolerance of homosexuals, in a country where they can legally marry, has come under intense pressure from the nation’s largely immigrant and Muslim community.
Most recently, orthodox protestant political party SGP has criticised Queen Beatrix for sympathising with gay rights’ groups.
Princess Maxima
