The singer and her audience
The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam was always a beacon of decorum. High on the walls the names of all the classic composers, whose music has been conducted in the past hundred years that the Concertgebouw existed.
Where classic music loving Amsterdam, the cultural and economic elite of the city would meet to feel slightly superior in this egalitarian country. Now it was the center of homosexual men that dominated the stage, jeans, t-shirts and leather dominated. Handkerchieves betrayed sexual preferences.
A middle-aged woman sang on stage, in a long flowing dress and cotton candy hair, she sang a self-written song in Dutch. The song was addressed to Anita, an orange queen from Florida, who as a newly reborn Christian had gone on a crusade against homosexuals.
As gays would recruit children and young man to join their perverted lifestyle as she put it in an interview. He thought to himself that he had known at age eleven he was gay, no recruiting needed.
He now tried to focus on the singer and her lyrics, when the meaning of the words sank in, he got chills. She was such an unlikely advocate for the gay cause, mainstream popular, she was famous for songs with no significant meaning. But here she sang about gay man to stand up against homophobia and encouraging gay lifestyle. It was the world upside down. He felt emotional.
The concert had been organized in Amsterdam to raise money so they could advertise in the American newspapers their support to the gay community in Florida. They had felt it was important to show solidarity with our gay brothers and sisters on the other side of the Atlantic. You are not standing alone.
The concerts proceeds proved to be enough to advertise and the remaining amount was the starter for what in 1987 would become the homo monument. The first in the world for gay victims, past, present and future.
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Make Amsterdam Gay Again
“As an LGBTQ person, you’re the only minority that doesn’t grow up in its own community,” “That means you have to reclaim your history yourself.”
Since moving to Amsterdam, Henk has been piecing together forgotten fragments of queer memory. His Saturday tours begin at the Homomonument and wind through alleyways, cafés, and former safe spaces, unearthing stories that shaped the city long before rainbow crossings or marriage equality.
From Tour Guide to Cultural Activist
Henk’s mission goes far beyond tourism. He calls his work “storytelling as activism.” By narrating queer history in public space, he turns walking into witnessing. His tours attract locals, students, companies, and travelers who want to understand what Amsterdam’s reputation as a “gay capital” really means.
During the pandemic, when tourists disappeared, Henk began guiding Amsterdammers through their own forgotten queer heritage. “People were shocked,” he recalls. “They’d lived here for decades and never realized how much history was hidden in plain sight.”
Make Amsterdam Gay Again
Ahead of World Pride 2026, Henk willl launch a provocative campaign — and an upcoming documentary — under the banner Make Amsterdam Gay Again. The project revisits Amsterdam’s role as a haven for queer freedom, while warning against complacency.
“In the ’90s Amsterdam was the world’s queer capital,” he says. “Now it risks becoming a rainbow brand instead of a movement. I want to show what happens when we forget where our rights came from.”
The documentary mixes interviews, archive footage, and performance art to celebrate queer resilience while confronting today’s backlash. Henk’s aim is both playful and political: “To show the world how it feels if we are the majority — even if just for a moment.”
The Grindr Series
His latest art project, The Grindr Series, dives into the digital present: dating apps, hookup culture, and chemsex. It’s a bold look at intimacy and loneliness in the queer community, exploring how technology reshapes connection — and risk. “It’s part of our reality,” Henk says. “We can’t talk about queer freedom without also talking about desire, addiction, and vulnerability.”
Why It Matters
Henk’s activism may not involve placards or protests, but his work transforms public memory. By telling hidden histories to mixed audiences, he creates bridges between generations and identities. Straight allies, he insists, belong on his tours too: “Equality is everyone’s history.”
Participants describe his storytelling as “educational and moving,” “a walking library,” and “a revelation.” The tours are commercially run — through Special Amsterdam Tours — yet Henk views this as sustainable activism: “If people buy tickets for museums, why not for our own history?”
Looking Ahead
With Make Amsterdam Gay Again and The Grindr Series, Henk is reframing what queer visibility means in 2025. His message to the city — and the world — is clear: Pride is not just a party. It’s a living archive.
“Amsterdam gave me freedom,” he says. “Now I want to give her back her memory.”
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