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Amsterdam celebrates 20th anniversary of legalising same-sex marriages

The Netherlands was home to the world’s first legal same-sex marriages two decades ago.

A HUGE INFLATABLE pink cake with candles spouting rainbow flames has glided through the Amsterdam canals as the Dutch capital celebrated the 20th anniversary of the world’s first legal same-sex marriages.

Since the historic event in Amsterdam 20 years ago, same-sex marriage has been made legal in 28 countries worldwide, as well as the self-governing island of Taiwan. 

Even as the city marked the milestone in LGBTQ+ emancipation, its mayor said that striving for equality remains a work in progress.

“At the same time it is a moment to recognise that the struggle is not yet over; not worldwide, not nationally, but also not in Amsterdam,” mayor Femke Halsema told the Associated Press.

Amsterdam also marked the anniversary by flying a huge rainbow flag from the bell tower of the landmark Wester Church next to the Anne Frank House museum.

Later, the city was holding an online symposium, and it designated a “rainbow walk” route along 20 sites considered important in the struggle for LGBTQ rights. 

Gert Kasteel and Dolf Pasker are celebrating 20 years of married life today, an anniversary made all the more special as they were among the first four couples who tied the knot just after midnight on 1 April 2001.

Wearing suits and bow ties, they were married in a ceremony led by then-mayor of Amsterdam Job Cohen in a wedding that made headlines around the world.

“It is very nice to look back to see how young we were,” said Pasker after watching video of the wedding on the evening before the anniversary.

Sitting with his husband at a table in their back garden in a small town close to Amsterdam on a warm spring evening on Wednesday, Pasker said he is pleased that the trail they blazed has been followed by many other nations. 

“Nearly 30 countries followed the Netherlands so that’s really very nice. Very good for the gay people and for society as a whole, I think, because it’s important that everyone in society feels at home,” he said.

Henk Krol, a former editor of the Dutch magazine Gay Krant, this week called same-sex marriage the country’s “most beautiful intangible export”.

But COC, the country’s largest LGBTQ rights organisation, also said that work towards full equality is not complete in the Netherlands even two decades after the first same-sex marriage.

LGBTQ people “still regularly face exclusion, violence and discrimination”, the organisation said in a statement.

Pasker agrees, though he said it has not affected his marriage.

“In our private life it could not be better,” he said. 

“But we know from newspaper, television and people we speak (to) that there still are homophobic people and there is some aggression to gay people. That’s still a problem.”

But as he counted down to his anniversary, he hoped others could live in the same wedded bliss.

“We wish all gay people in the world that they can have a life as we can live. It’s very important,” Pasker said. 

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    Mute Philip Nolan
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:34 PM

    As a very frequent traveller, I have used the scanners in US airports and could care less to be honest. I’ve seen people more exposed in their photo albums on Facebook. The queues for the scanners are much quicker than the standard queues, the person instructing you how to stand can’t see the scan anyway (the images are monitored remotely) and it’s not like they’re going to discuss your naked form with anyone you know! In Schipol recently, I was subjected to a pat-down that would have been classed as a sexual assault in the real world and I was livid about it. I’d rather have been offered the option of the scanner.

    43
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    Mute Bertie SirCastic
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:28 PM

    Guy in the xray could do with a Steak sandwich or two!

    40
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    Mute Robert LYNCH
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    Aug 31st 2011, 11:48 AM

    Great…NOT!!!… Dublin yet again are going to follow the example of London Airports it would seem… I personal have a problem with the level of intrusion and the general feeling of being treated like dirt that flying by plane has become. I am flying via London in a couple of weeks, but since I have now found out that this full-body scan is now mandatory there, I will no longer fly in our out of London unless it is my destination. As for the effectiveness of these scanners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millimeter_wave_scanner), I have serious doubts in general that any of this treatment like cattle is improving anyone’s safety.

    38
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    Mute Gain & Sustain
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:28 PM

    Clearly you have something to hide, I think this system is great

    46
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    Mute stephen corrigan
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    Aug 31st 2011, 3:47 PM

    1 question, bomb or scan?? Even drugs can be found so whats the problem.

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    Mute Robert LYNCH
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    Aug 31st 2011, 3:51 PM

    Maybe I do. However what I have to hide is not going to bring down a plane, e.g. prosthetics including breast prostheses, and other medical equipment normally hidden, such as colostomy bags are all things that someone may not want the people around him/her to be aware of. I am sure you can think of a whole range of other things that are the private business of individuals and of no concern to airport authorities. However all these things will be viewed and displayed by this machine with little if in any improvement to airport security.

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    Mute Terry Connolly
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:30 PM

    love the belly button!

    30
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    Mute EM
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:47 PM

    If the image is as per the picture above then i’d have no issue with this tbh as it’s not particularly invasive.

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    Mute Denzer
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    Aug 31st 2011, 1:33 PM

    Id be more concerned with the potential radiation effects. Had a quick look through the literature… There is Very little peer reviewed information supporting it as non genotoxic- as claimed by manufacturers. May not be a concern for those who take a couple of flights a year but there could be legitimate concerns from frequent flyers with prolonged exposure to the technology.

    20
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    Mute starflyergold
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    Aug 31st 2011, 2:08 PM

    Germany trialled these in Hamburg and the machines produced an staggering failure rate. 61% of pax passed through without a problem, 31% had to be padded down (hard). In 54% of cases a false alarm was recorded. Result: significant delays in processing passengers.

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    Mute Maura Murphy
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    Sep 1st 2011, 1:25 PM

    Germany has abandoned plans to use scanners at its airports and will not reconsider until the technology is more reliable and meets “high security standards,” interior minister Hans-Peter Friedrich said Wednesday

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    Mute Aidan M
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    Aug 31st 2011, 12:02 PM

    Stupid.

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    Mute Niall Carson
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    Aug 31st 2011, 5:06 PM

    What bunch of sheeple we have become. These are dangerous microwaves. Seriously read into this a bit more. There have been many problems with this in America. Not least the TSA agent who shot his colleagues because they made jokes about the size of his penis after a training scan.

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    Mute bob_mac_E
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    Aug 31st 2011, 1:55 PM

    Are xray machines not cancerous? Do the guards hide behind lead walls like a nurse at the hospital?

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    Mute hjGfIgAq
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    Aug 31st 2011, 2:06 PM

    @Bob – When I spoke to DAA earlier they were keen to stress that they’re not “x-ray machines”, in that their intensity is much lesser than a standard booth.

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    Mute Fred FedUp
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    Aug 31st 2011, 2:09 PM

    Yep, they are cancerous…No, guards not behind lead walls, just eating up the radiation like it’s good for them and getting cancer..From Chicago, TSA heads now have cancer from operating these type of machines.. http://healthland.time.com/2011/06/30/did-airport-scanners-give-boston-tsa-agents-cancer/ So, we’ve option A – groping and pat downs to make sure we’re not “dangerous” or option B – an invasive scan that will shower you in radiation..Just great…This is 1984 people…

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    Mute hjGfIgAq
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    Aug 31st 2011, 2:24 PM

    @Fred (and Bob): The machines that TIME article refers to are a different type of ‘booth’-style scanner than is being considered in Dublin.

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    Mute gareth byrne
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    Aug 31st 2011, 6:38 PM

    Jesus.These scanners are on TRAIL for 18 months in staff areas.Not been used in public areas.Which mean they are not coming in at dap untill ALL tests are carried out.What does it take for people to cop on.These are the times we live in.get used to it.

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    Mute Paddy O'Reilly
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    Aug 31st 2011, 9:13 PM

    Looks like milimeter wave scanners only penetrate the clothes and are stopped by skin. So why not just tape a load of contraband to your leg, then wrap it in pigskin (the most common human analog from Mythbusters). Sorted.

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    Mute Oil Foster
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    Aug 31st 2011, 8:14 PM

    Thank god for the Internet, giving people totally accurate and factual information.

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    Mute Bertie SirCastic
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    Aug 31st 2011, 3:09 PM

    Would be hilarious seeing Hugh Hefner pass through one off these the morning after…

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    Mute Patrick Halpin
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    Sep 2nd 2011, 7:45 AM

    Hh

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