The latest round of the Europe-wide HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children) survey paints a stark picture for the Netherlands. Among adolescents aged 12 to 16, just 22% of boys now express a positive attitude toward homosexuality a plunge from the 40% recorded in the 2021 wave. Girls, while still more accepting, have dropped from 78% to a little over half (51%). The numbers represent the steepest decline in acceptance recorded in the series, overturning a decade of gradual progress.
University researcher Gonneke Stevens of Utrecht University, who coordinated the Dutch component of the study together with the Trimbos mental-health institute, called the shift “deeply worrying.” She noted that the downward trend coincides with a broader cultural pushback against sexual diversity, spearheaded by certain public figures and political voices. “After years of expanding openness, we now see a reversal that threatens the sense of safety many young people have come to rely on,” she warned.
Social media, the ‘manosphere’ and the spread of hostile narratives
One of the most cited explanations for the dip lies in the growing visibility of online ecosystems that promote anti-LGBT sentiment. Researchers point to the rise of the manosphere—a loosely connected network of blogs, forums and video channels that routinely disparage women and gay individuals. According to Stevens, exposure to such content correlates with the hardening of attitudes among teenagers, who increasingly encounter aggressive messages that frame homosexuality as deviant.
Prime Minister Rob Jetten who plans to marry his partner Nicolás Keenan next year, described the figures as “shocking” and urged the government to explore ways of pressuring social-media platforms to curb harmful material. In remarks to RTL Nieuws, he emphasized the “huge influence” of digital channels on young minds and hinted at potential regulatory steps to limit the spread of hateful rhetoric.
Institutional reactions and legal battles
The decline has also galvanized civil-society actors. The Dutch LGBT advocacy group COC, led by director Marie Ricardo labeled the development a “frightening” blow to a country long hailed for its tolerance. “We need the younger generation to feel they can live authentically in a free society,” she said, underscoring the urgency of renewed education efforts.
At the same time, conservative factions have intensified attacks on inclusive curricula. In 2023, children’s author Pim Lammers was forced into hiding after receiving death threats from the ultra-conservative Catholic association Civitas Christiana, which condemned his novel about a same-sex couple. The dispute culminated in a court ruling that barred Civitas Christiana from publishing a defamatory “black book” that named individuals and organisations as “sexualising” children. The judgment, upheld by the Court of Appeal in May, represents a rare legal win for LGBT-friendly education initiatives.
These legal outcomes, combined with the political outcry, have placed the issue squarely on the national agenda. While the government has yet to announce concrete measures, the combination of parliamentary debate, activist pressure and judicial precedent suggests that the Netherlands may soon see new policies aimed at safeguarding LGBT tolerance in schools and online spaces.
Whether the decline can be halted—or even reversed—will depend on how swiftly policymakers, educators and civil-society groups can counteract the hostile narratives proliferating on digital platforms and reaffirm the country’s commitment to equality for all children.
