Acceptance of lhbtiqa+ people stalls, especially transgender people lose ground
A new monitor shows that positive views of various groups have declined since 2024.
.jpg){kind=link}
Social acceptance of lhbtiqa+ people in the Netherlands has not risen further and has declined for some groups. Transgender, non-binary and intersex people in particular receive less positive assessments than two years ago.
This is according to the 2026 Lhbtiqa+ monitor by Panteia, Movisie and Ipsos I&O, commissioned by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. The researchers combined an online questionnaire with focus groups and data from earlier population surveys.
The majority of respondents still hold positive views of all the groups studied. Nevertheless, according to the monitor, the proportion with a positive view of transgender people fell from 66 per cent in 2024 to 63 per cent in 2026. For non-binary people, the proportion fell from 54 to 52 per cent, and for intersex people from 68 to 66 per cent.
Views of transgender women have also become more negative. According to the report, the proportion of respondents with a negative attitude rose from 29 per cent in 2024 to 35 per cent in 2026. At the same time, the researchers warn that overall percentages differ between groups and do not automatically say anything about the attitude of each individual age group.
The monitor also describes concrete experiences of lhbtiqa+ people. People from many of these groups say they experience discrimination, online hate reactions or restrictions on their visibility more often than people who do not belong to the groups studied. Non-binary, transgender and intersex people in particular report a less favourable position.
The researchers do not say that the Dutch population as a whole has suddenly become negative. A majority remained positive towards gay and lesbian people, while on some points it was mainly the neutral group that grew larger. The main conclusion is that earlier progress does not continue automatically and that knowledge of some groups remains limited.
Advocacy organisations COC Nederland and Transgender Netwerk describe the development as worrying and are calling for attention from schools, the government, healthcare institutions and social media platforms. The monitor itself makes no statement about a single cause of the change. Possible explanations, such as political polarisation, online debates and differences between generations, must be investigated separately.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The monitor shows a decline in positive views of transgender, non-binary and intersex people.
- The majority of respondents remain positive towards the groups studied.
- Lhbtiqa+ people report discrimination and online hate reactions more often.
Left
Arguments The figures show that formal equality is not enough. The government, education sector and platforms must actively combat discrimination and create space for visibility and protection.
Values Equal rights, inclusion and protection of minorities.
Consequences More education and enforcement require capacity, but may reduce social exclusion and insecurity.
Centre
Arguments The monitor calls for evidence-based policy. Schools and institutions must tackle discrimination, while also dealing carefully with differences between groups and uncertainty in the figures.
Values Factuality, proportionality and social cohesion.
Consequences Targeted programmes may be more effective than broad campaigns, but require time to measure results.
Right
Arguments The state must combat discrimination, but social attitudes do not change through rules alone. The debate must leave room for freedom of conscience and differences of opinion, as long as threats and exclusion are addressed.
Values Freedom of speech, personal responsibility and equality before the law.
Consequences An overly moralising approach may strengthen resistance; an overly cautious approach may fail to protect vulnerable groups adequately.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The percentages and research design mentioned can be found in the monitor and COC Nederland’s explanation. Causal explanations have deliberately not been presented as established fact.
- confirmed The 2026 Lhbtiqa+ monitor was carried out by Panteia, Movisie and Ipsos I&O on behalf of OCW. — Mentioned on Movisie’s publication page. source
- confirmed Positive views of transgender people fell from 66 to 63 per cent. — Mentioned in COC Nederland’s explanation. source
- confirmed A negative attitude towards transgender women rose from 29 to 35 per cent. — Mentioned in COC Nederland’s explanation. source
Editor's note
The figures come from the new monitor and were published by Movisie and COC. The monitor shows differences between groups, but proves no cause for the changes.Sources
- Lhbtiqa+ monitor 2026 — Movisie
- Lhbtiqa+ acceptatie in Nederland stagneert — COC Nederland
- Acceptance of LGBTQIA+ people stalls or declines in the Netherlands — NL Times
More on this in Dutch media
- RTL Nieuws — „lhbtiqa+ acceptatie”
- NOS — „lhbtiqa+ acceptatie”
- Het Parool — „lhbtiqa+ acceptatie”