David Bos holds an MA in theology from the University of Groningen (1990) and earned his PhD in sociology from the University of Amsterdam (1999). His academic career bridges the disciplines of religion, sociology, and sexuality studies, while engaging with questions of identity, meaning, and public life in modern societies. He has held various academic and editorial roles, including serving as editor-in-chief of MGv, the leading monthly on mental health in the Netherlands, and as Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at Utrecht University. As a postdoctoral researcher, he conducted studies on the social acceptance of homosexuality in the Netherlands and contributed to broader conversations about sexuality, religion, and society. He co-authored the influential Out in the Netherlands study (2007) with the Netherlands Institute for Social Research.
Currently, Bos is a lecturer in sociology at the University of Amsterdam. He is involved in a research project examining the oppositional framing of religion and homosexuality in contemporary Dutch public discourse. His work reflects a longstanding interest in the intersection of religious life, social change, and public debate, with a focus on how lived experiences and institutional narratives shape each other in modern secular societies.
Mattias Duyves is a Dutch homosociologist and queer-activist known for his important role in Amsterdam’s LGBTQ+ scene since the 1970s. Born in the eastern Netherlands, he moved to Amsterdam in 1973, becoming deeply involved in groups like De Rooie Flikkers (The Red Queers) and community initiatives such as low-budget safe-sex events during the Gay Games in 1998. In partnership with Gert Hekma—who had been his life partner since 1977 until Hekma’s passing in 2022—they co-founded groundbreaking cultural spaces and events including the Roze Wester Festival (Pink Wester Festival) and the first vibrant homosexual public gathering at Westerkerk. Their shared vision challenged assimilationist attitudes and created queer alternatives to mainstream LGBTQ+ organizations.
Currently, Duyves continues to curate and preserve his late partner’s extensive collection of queer literature and erotica, including rare materials that IHLIA (the LGBTQ+ Heritage Library in Amsterdam) is now cataloguing. He also contributed to recent cultural projects, notably the 2024 art cahier De tedere activist (The Tender Activist), which celebrated Jacob Israël de Haan as the Netherlands’ first radical gay activist. Through his work, Duyves continues to shape the intellectual and cultural history of Dutch queer life.
Photo by: Jochem Brouwer, Amsterdam
Lonneke van den Hoonaard is a librarian, information professional, and queer heritage expert who, since 2009, has served as Managing Director of IHLIA LGBT Heritage in Amsterdam. With a background in coordinating libraries and information services—especially within non-profit contexts—she has led IHLIA through a critical professionalization phase, enhancing its public outreach, digital accessibility, and international standing. Under her leadership, IHLIA, a center with roots dating back to 1978 and housing over 160,000 archival items, solidified its position as an inclusive and flexible space for preserving LGBTQ+ history globally.
Additionally, van den Hoonaard is an active advocate and leader in the field of queer archives. She engages in public dialogue about archival challenges, such as neutrality, privacy, and digitization. Most recently, in the 2022 Genderview conversation with Bart Hellinck, she affirmed that “without LGBTQ‑archives, there is no queer history.” As a recognized figure in the Dutch LGBTQ+ community, she was named one of the 100 most impactful LGBTQ+ individuals in the Netherlands in 2020 by Gaykrant. Van den Hoonaard has curated and contributed to several IHLIA publications and exhibitions—such as the Queering the Collections guides—and remains dedicated to making queer heritage more visible, inclusive, and forward-looking.
IHLIA LGBTI Heritage (Internationaal Homo/Lesbisch Informatiecentrum en Archief) is Europe’s foremost LGBTQ+ archive, library, and documentation center. Founded in 1977, it has grown into a comprehensive repository housing over 100,000 books, periodicals, personal papers, photographs, film and video, posters, and artworks related to lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex history and culture. Operating within the public library system of Amsterdam, IHLIA offers open public access, scholarly research facilities, exhibitions, and outreach programs, including educational workshops, guided tours, and community events, with the goal of preserving and celebrating LGBTQ+ heritage from around the globe.
In addition to its extensive collections, IHLIA plays a vital role in digital preservation and international collaboration. Through partnerships with cultural institutions and community groups, it actively supports digitization projects and public-history initiatives. These include cataloguing major personal archives, facilitating academic publications, and curating exhibitions that explore queer memory and identity. IHLIA continues to be an essential resource for researchers, activists, educators, and artists, ensuring that the diversity and richness of LGBTQ+ lived experience remain visible, accessible, and connected to broader societal conversations.
Gert Hekma (1951-2022) was a lecturer in gay and lesbian studies at the University of Amsterdam (UvA, Department of Sociology) from 1984 to 2017. He published numerous articles and books, including Homoseksualiteit, een medische reputatie [Homosexuality, A Medical Reputation] (1987), De roze rand van donker Amsterdam [The Pink Edge of Dark Amsterdam] (1992), Homoseksualiteit in Nederland van 1730 tot de moderne tijd [Homosexuality in the Netherlands from 1730 to the Modern Era] (2004), and ABC van perversies [ABC of Perversions] (2009). His work combined historical research with cultural critique and always insisted on the importance of sexual freedom, even at the cost of public controversy.
Beyond his writings, Hekma gave lectures, organized conferences, and led all kinds of other initiatives around the theme of gay/lesbian/sexuality. In 2002, he co-founded the Mosse Foundation, which supports research and education in the history of homosexuality and sexual diversity. A sharp critic of respectability politics within the LGBTQ+ movement, Hekma frequently appeared in public debates, often courting controversy for his unapologetic defense of sexual freedom and intellectual provocation. Upon his retirement, he was honored with the opportunity to deliver the annual Mosse Lecture.