After the Pride: LGBTQI+ between polarisation and positivity
Short
-
In 2025, the JOP reported a decline in the acceptance of LGBTQI+ people for the first time in decades.
-
The media contribute to the image of LGBTQI+ persons: the topic is often linked to ‘woke’, narrowing the debate.
-
Continuing to see Pride as a protest can help break the taboo.
Antwerp Pride 2025 took place at a time when messages of diversity are more polarising than ever. US president Trump is repealing diversity programmes and exerting international pressure. But in Flanders, universities, companies and students are actually showing their resilience. At the start of the academic year, AUHA even reinforced her United* campaign. Four voices from the University of Antwerp community on LGBTQI+ and diversity.
From 6 to 10 August, Antwerp once again shone bright in all colours of the rainbow. This year’s Antwerp Pride attracted more participants and achieved 20% more sponsorship than last year – remarkable figures given current international trends.
Early 2025, President Trump announced that US government suppliers are no longer allowed to encourage equal opportunity and he asked partner countries to follow this example. The Belgian government refused, yet the polarisation in how people think and talk about diversity is seeping into our region as well.
Worldwide setback in LGBTQI+ rights
Yves Aerts (they/them) coordinates çavaria, the Flemish umbrella and advocacy organisation for LGBTI+ people, and is a board member of Amnesty International Flanders and a law graduate of UAntwerp.
Aerts notes a hardening towards LGBTQI+ issues worldwide. ‘Opponents are trying to roll back acquired rights. Examples include Trump to Orbán, but it can also be seen in Flanders. Social media magnify details and reinforce polarisation.’
In April 2025, the Youth Research Platform (JOP) reported a decline in the acceptance of LGBTQI+ individuals by young people for the first time in decades. ‘A worrying sign,’ Aerts believes. ‘On the legislative front, we continue to do well in Belgium. But developments in the US show how fragile all of this is.’
Right to protest and activism
Still, Aerts is hopeful. ‘History shows that emancipation movements happen in waves. There are periods of progress and moments of setback. The lesson we can learn from this is: what doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger.’
A number of creeping social changes do worry them. ‘For one thing, how we deal with the right to protest. We’re not that far off anymore from countries where, say, camera surveillance helps identify activists. That’s a slippery slope.’
How the University of Antwerp is positioning itself
Nathalie Dens (she/her) is vice-rector for Societal Engagement and International Policy at the University of Antwerp. She emphasises that inclusivity is part of the university’s core mission.
‘We’re committed to a sustainable, democratic and inclusive society founded on human rights. Our slogan is: diversity as added value, inclusivity as the standard. We see diversity as something that enriches research and education. Inclusivity means that everyone feels at home and can flourish here.’
New Diversity Policy Plan: more inclusive education and research
In April, the university launched a new Diversity and Inclusion Policy Plan. ‘This details our ambitions and some concrete elements. For example, students and staff can now use their preferred name in all communications. We’ll also continue to invest in inclusive sanitary facilities, training for lecturers and researchers, and so on. By the way, the revamped plan came about in co-creation with our faculties and student associations.’
At times, the university experiences international pressure on LGBTQI+ issues affecting its very functioning. ‘We organise a summer school in Washington. One selected student was in transition. So that raises the question: is it safe for that student to come along?’
We need to stand firmly and radically behind our project, without needlessly seeking opposition.
United campaign: LGBTQI+ visibility during Pride
Dens actually sees the pressure as a reason to take an even stronger stand. ‘We need to stand firmly and radically behind our project, without needlessly seeking opposition. This sometimes requires a balancing act. It happens that researchers are instructed by local partners on what not to say at conferences in what was once the land of the free. At the same time, these developments strengthen our resolve to stand up for our values and support our American colleagues.’
This year, the University of Antwerp, together with the Antwerp University Association, joined Antwerp Pride. Dens: ‘The university insists on always having a visible presence there, and I fully support the United campaign that we launched. At Pride, we collectively show what we stand for, while aiming to connect all players in society.’
Useful background information and links
- How can you communicate inclusively?
- How can you act inclusively?
- What’s in the UAntwerp Diversity and Inclusion Policy Plan (2025)?
Monitoring and importance of diversity in the media
Emma Verhoeven (she/her) is a researcher specialising in how media deal with inclusion and LGBTQI+ issues. She notes that Flemish media have paid much more attention to LGBTQI+ people since 2000, but also that the anti-woke discourse has blown over from the US.
‘Various studies, including my own PhD research, show that the acceptance of LGBTI+ people is directly related to the way media frame their stories. Over the past two decades, editors have become much more aware of this. They deliberately depict not only a white heterosexual couple, but also other types of families. This is crucial, as media is often the first place where people come into contact with LGBTQI+.’
The anti-woke movement: clicks over nuance
Another study shows how the press has eagerly zoomed in on anti-woke discourse in recent years. ‘An analysis of 1,500 Flemish articles from 2021 showed that 2.5% linked LGBTQI+ with the controversy around ‘woke’, and mostly framed it negatively. Media noticed: headlines with woke grab attention. This drives clicks, but at the same time narrows the debate.’
Trans people are particularly vulnerable in this regard. ‘A local sports incident in the US is blown up into a news story of international proportions. This fuels the feeling that more rights for minorities would mean taking something away from others. There’s a big polarisation effect. Even if the theme seems to have subsided a bit, it affects how people view diversity.’
Media noticed: headlines with woke grab attention. This drives clicks, but at the same time narrows the debate.
Student, activist and realist
Kiano Wauters (he/him) is a student of sociology, international relations and diplomacy. He saw Pride as sending a dual message: a celebration, but also a protest against international pressure on diversity.
‘For me, Pride is a social event, an annual tradition with colleagues from my student job at Opera Ballet Vlaanderen. But Pride is originally a protest. Being there also sends a message to the outside world: tear down the taboo, we’re all human beings.’
Discrimination and anti-diversity
‘People often don’t realise that the daily reality of a heterosexual couple is different. In more than 60 countries, acts between people of the same sex are illegal, and in at least seven countries they’re still punishable by death. There’s still a lot to fight for, and that’s not even considering the international anti-diversity trend.’
‘In previous years, almost every company changed its profile picture to a rainbow logo in Pride Month. This year, almost no US company did. That shows how much influence one president can have. There’s also a noticeable polarising effect here. Everything is magnified to such an extent that people feel pressure to pick a side.’
Communication on LGBTQI+ with a focus on connection
As far as Wauters is concerned, everyone is entitled to their opinion. ‘I even understand that it triggers resistance when LGBTQI+ themes are given too much attention without context or nuance. Those who already had negative feelings constantly find themselves triggered again. But in its essence, my sexuality doesn’t affect anyone else. The situation in the US is provoking a counter-movement in Europe: this is what we stand for, and we’re determined to keep doing so.’
The student appreciates the University of Antwerp’s efforts and United campaign. ‘Although it’d be even better if the latter were more visible throughout the year, not just from May to August.’
His ambition is clear and realistic: ‘We must communicate more smartly and with a greater focus on connection, campaigning in such a way that we continue to show what we stand for and engage in dialogue with each other, but without backfiring.’