Waalkade, Tuesday 26 July 2022, 11.00 official opening
The Zero Flags Project displays the flags of 71 countries where homosexuality is still prohibited and where prison sentences and corporal punishment are imposed. Eleven of these countries impose the death penalty for homosexuality. People are punished here purely because of who they are. Approximately one third of the world population, over 2 billion people, live in one of these 71 countries. Assuming that eight percent of people are not heterosexual, we are talking about millions of people. These people live in fear every day. That is why the goal of the Zero Flags Project is to get the number of flags, which fly here as ‘flags of shame’, down to zero.
The Zero Flags Project – a Monument of Visibility – will also have its place during the EuroGames 2022 in Nijmegen. The flags will be placed at the Waalkade, next to the site for the opening and closing of the EuroGames. The EuroGames are an example of acceptance and inclusion in sports, of visibility of the LGBTQ+ community. With the Zero Flags Project we also show the other world and that there is still a lot of work to be done to create a safe, inclusive and tolerant society worldwide.
On 26 July at 11.00 hrs. we will be on the Waalkade at the stairs to the river Waal, in a short gathering to officially open this officially project by Noel Vergunst of behalf of the city of Nijmegen.
The project was made possible by Evius employment lawyers, FT Advocaten: fraud, taxation and and Wools, Bloemen, Van Schaijk lawyers, in cooperation with Stichting EuroGames 2022 and COC Nijmegen.
