Marouschka Vink is chair of ASV Gay – the Amsterdam association for LGBTI students. During parties at the Homomonument, members can be found both in front of and behind the bar.

People join us for the feeling of belonging; and security it´s a safe environment. For example, a lot of people haven’t come out yet and are happy to be able explore themselves in a comfortable setting. It’s nice to be part of a group where it’s not special to be different.

The Homomonument is important because it’s a very unique place. You can be yourself in the centre of Amsterdam, you don’t have to wait for Pride for that. For me, it’s actually like my open-air local bar.

Here I feel that I can party on my own terms as a lesbian. Both women and men really let their hair down here. That’s something I really miss in other places in Amsterdam.

Sexual diversity is currently accepted by many people, but that’s not enough. It’s great that we are tolerated and accepted, but ultimately it should just be normal.

I don’t support ASV Gay to make it normal, by the way, but to give people a place where they can feel normal. And that might not mean precisely the same thing for everybody.