Pride, Identity and a Fight for Equal Rights | Perspectives with Lucien Spee de Castillo Ruiz (Pride Amsterdam)
Perspectives with Lucien Spee de Castillo Ruiz
Executive Director Pride Amsterdam
This week’s episode sees us talk to Lucien Spee, the Executive Director of Pride Amsterdam. He has been promoting LGBTQ + emancipation for decades, and his reputation as an advocate and spokesperson has seen him take up the mantle of UN Human Rights ambassador for the Netherlands. Lucien credits his parents and the upbringing he had in an open-minded household for his sense of responsibility to help others be loud and proud:
“My parents were in fashion, so I was always surrounded with gay designers. So when I was coming out of the closet, there was no problem at all. That gave me the feeling that I had to do something for people who are not that privileged to be able to come out of the closet.”
As someone who recognises the power of parental figures and role models to encourage people to live freely, Lucien is a glowing example of using experience and privilege to lift up others. During the financial crisis, he decided he wanted to give back to society by seeking volunteering opportunities. In 2009, he attended Amsterdam pride for the first time, and was captivated - yet, his experience in marketing and diplomacy allowed him to see that the event could be made even better:
“I just sent a letter with 10 recommendations. I said, if you want to improve your festival, here are 10 points for free. Two months later, I was on the board of Pride.”
The rest is history. Lucien became the executive producer in 2012, and the director in 2014. This time has seen him celebrate incredible milestones, including the 20th anniversary of Pride Amsterdam, his own wedding during Gay Euro Pride in 2016, and seeing Pride Amsterdam officially become part of the intangible cultural heritage of the Netherlands.
Our discussion takes us from Lucien’s life experience in multicultural neighbourhoods, to the legacy he is making with Pride Amsterdam. We learn the ins and outs of one of the greatest annual parties in the country, and what it takes to use Amsterdam as a stage to highlight all the colours of humanity in a beautiful way. Above all, we learn Lucien’s intrinsic motivation and the driving force behind it all:
“It’s all about love. Why should you have more rights than I do? We don’t ask for special rights. We ask just for the same rights. Equal rights”
With 2021 set to be a year full of jubilee - 25 years of Pride Amsterdam, Lucien’s 10th anniversary with the organisation, alongside 75 years of COC Holland, the 20th year of gay marriage in the Netherlands, and 30 years of Euro Pride - you definitely don’t want to miss this conversation.