Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten has warned that LGBTQ+ rights are coming under increasing pressure around the world after visiting the historic Stonewall Inn in New York City.
Jetten, who is in the United States for the United Nations General Assembly, visited the landmark site widely regarded as the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement. The Stonewall uprising of 1969 became a defining moment in the fight for equality for LGBTQ+ people and inspired liberation movements worldwide.
Speaking to Dutch reporters during the visit, Jetten said he was concerned by what he sees as a decline in acceptance of LGBTQ+ people both internationally and in the Netherlands.
"The rights of the entire queer community are under pressure all around the world," he said. "I also feel a genuine personal commitment to doing what is necessary to show the younger generation once again: you are allowed to be yourself, even in the Netherlands."
The Prime Minister's comments came just hours after US President Donald Trump used his address to the United Nations General Assembly to criticise trans healthcare for young people and attack UN human rights officials over the issue.
Jetten said he had raised LGBTQ+ equality directly during a conversation with Trump before the speech, stressing the importance of ensuring people are free to live as themselves regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Standing outside the Stonewall Inn, Jetten drew links between attacks on LGBTQ+ rights and broader threats to minority communities.
"You can see that in countries where LGBTI rights are attacked first, many other rights of other minorities often follow," he said.
Later this week, Jetten is due to join New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on visits to community centres focused on promoting inclusion and social cohesion across different communities.
His remarks come amid growing concern about attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people in the Netherlands. A new report by the Trimbos Institute and Utrecht University found that acceptance of homosexuality among young people has fallen significantly in recent years.
According to the research, the proportion of secondary school boys expressing positive views about homosexuality has dropped from 40% to 22% over the past four years. Among girls, the figure fell from 78% to 51%.
The findings have prompted calls for action from the Dutch government. Education and Emancipation State Secretary Judith Tielen said ministers are considering further measures and additional research to better understand the trend and develop a targeted response.
For Jetten, the visit to Stonewall served as both a reminder of the progress made by LGBTQ+ communities and a warning that those gains cannot be taken for granted.
"As acceptance declines, it becomes even more important to show young people that they belong and that they can be themselves," he said.
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