Ambassadors

Geert Gabriels is a member of the Dutch parliament from the  GroenLinks (since 2023). From 2014 until 2023, he worked on the issues of nature and biodiversity in his town of Weert and the province of Limburg.

An open member of the LGBTQ+ community, he has always actively advocated for the rights of LGBTQ+ people in education, sports, healthcare, culture, and other areas of public life.

Leon Augustijn is a writer, columnist, educator, and podcast creator. In 2023, he published his book – Inner Power – which tells a story of his long road toward self-acceptance, coming out, and fear of rejection.

After years of struggling to accept his sexuality and staying in a heterosexual marriage, Leon came out as gay and now lives with his husband in Gouda.

Mark Toxopeus is a nationally acclaimed pianist and arranger. He performed at the conservatories in Arnhem and Amsterdam and won several prizes for his piano performance. He also teaches Dutch as a foreign language.

Through his work as a teacher, he became familiar with the challenges facing people who came to the Netherlands as refugees, particularly LGBTQ+ people. In 2020, he joined LGBT World Beside as a volunteer. He has been the organisation’s ambassador since 2024.