Flying the Pride flag year-round: UM’s commitment to inclusion and solidarity
Maastricht University (UM) is committed to fostering an environment where everyone feels welcome, respected and valued, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
As a visible sign of this commitment, and to stand in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ students and staff, the Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride flag will now fly year-round at several UM locations.
A visible stand in challenging times
The LGBTQIA+ community is increasingly under pressure in the Netherlands and across Europe. By flying the Pride flag year-round, UM is sending a clear message: LGBTQIA+ students and staff are welcome here, and we stand with them. Always.
At UM, diversity and inclusion are not just guiding principles; they are part of our shared identity. Our university is made stronger, more innovative and more compassionate by the variety of perspectives, experiences and backgrounds of our students and staff.
More than a flag
The flag is one step, but our commitment goes further. Through policy changes, community building and awareness-raising, we are working to ensure that UM remains a safe, inclusive and empowering place for everyone. This includes university-wide initiatives led by the Diversity Equity Inclusivity+ Office such as implementing and now evaluating gender-neutral bathrooms, supporting the UM Pride network and providing ally trainings to students and staff.
But institutional change only works when it is matched by individual action. At the heart of this work is our shared responsibility to challenge prejudice and actively foster a culture of inclusion. That happens through the choices we make every day in our classrooms, in our research and in how we care for one another.
Voices from our community on raising the Pride flag
View the slideshow to learn what staff and students have to say about UM flying the Pride flag year-round (click the black circle icon in the image). Or download the accessible transcript.
Rising violence and discrimination in numbers
Though statistics never tell the full story, they highlight the reality that LGBTQIA+ people face disproportionate levels of violence and discrimination:
- 1 in 10 LGBTQIA+ people in the Netherlands were victims of violence in 2023, nearly twice the national average (CBS, 2024)
- 1 in 4 genderqueer individuals were victims of violent crime in 2023, nearly four times the national average (CBS, 2024)
- The Netherlands fell to 14th place in 2023 and 2024, its lowest spot ever in ILGA’s European ranking on legal and policy practices for LGBTQIA+ people (ILGA-Europe Rainbow Map and Index, 2024).
- Across Europe, 54% of LGBTQAI+ people experienced harassment in 2023 (up from 37% in 2019) and hate-motivated violence rose to 14% in 2023 (up from 11% in 2019) (FRA, 2024)
These figures underscore why UM’s visible sign of solidarity matters and why the daily work of our students and staff to foster inclusive classrooms, research practices and spaces of belonging is vital.
How we can all show our support
- Promote inclusivity in our study or work environment.
- Speak up against discrimination and harassment.
- Use inclusive language: download UM's gender-inclusive language guide.
- Respect people’s gender pronouns and consider sharing our own pronouns: see UM's guide on using gender pronouns in digital communication.
- Consider how to reflect sex and gender inclusivity in our research: see UM's guide on how to address diversity in research proposals
- Request an ally training via allytraining-bu@maastrichtuniversity.nl or read the ally training manual
- Attend events hosted by UM Pride, the Centre for Gender and Diversity, COC Limburg, the HIV lab of FPN and FHML, or sexuality and gender-focused events by Studium Generale or OmniUM.
- Connect with groups like UM Pride (students) or the UM Pride group on UMployee (intranet).
Together, we can ensure UM remains a place where everyone belongs.
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