Mail & Female celebrates 25 years of Pride!

25 YEARS OF PRIDE!

In 1994, the Mail & Female team and family already stood in all their splendor for PRIDE. This was celebrated with Europide, a pan-European LGBTQ+ event held across Europe, alternating between cities. The first was in London, and the third was held in Amsterdam in 1994, attracting 67,000 visitors.

Gay pride, like so much else, originated in the USA. In 1970, the first-ever Gay Pride Parade took place, a protest march drawing over 10,000 people. This was in response to the Stonewall Riots, where the famous gay bar, the Stonewall Inn, was forcibly evacuated by police. This was the last straw; people couldn't stand it anymore and protested on a massive scale. The LGBTQ+ movement was born.

Around the same time, LGBTQTI groups formed in the Netherlands; Pink Saturday was born. Much was achieved under the banner of "pink and rainbow," including the abolition (1971) of the law that set the age limit for gay sex at 21, while for heterosexuals it was 16, and the establishment of the gay monument in Amsterdam.

Back to the float designed in 1994 by Simon de Boer. Our paradise was on a large trailer on which we created a veritable "pleasure garden," complete with cupid. A fantastic display and celebration of freedom and joy!

The streets were colored with motorcycles and men in leather from sex club Het Vagevuur, majorettes from women's cafe Saarein, from the clubs April and Exit from the Reguliersdwarsstraat, performances by Boy George , Loïs Lane and the Nasty Girls and more.

Mail & Female has been involved from the very beginning, and naturally, we're part of this movement. It aligns with our mission: to inspire everyone to develop into autonomous (sexual) beings in complete freedom, love, and pleasure.

This year marks the 25th anniversary with online events, a photo exhibition, and a Pride Walk. Check out everything here. Pride Amsterdam and walk with us on Saturday to celebrate freedom!

Viewing tip: the documentary ' The Pink Revolution '.