Coos Huijsen, world's first openly gay parliamentarian, dies aged 87

Coos Huijsen, a gay rights activist and former member of the Dutch parliament, has died aged 87. He was the first openly gay parliamentarian in the world, according to a statement released by his family and husband on Monday.

Huijsen served as an MP for the Christian Historical Union (CHU) for six months in 1972. He returned to parliament in 1976 as an independent, having split from the party, but left the following year to return to teaching history. He later became principal of the Gerrit van der Veen College in Amsterdam-Zuid, a position he held from 1986 to 1998.

Huijsen's coming out in 1976 followed an incident at his swearing-in ceremony, when his partner, Lank Bos, was challenged after explaining that he was there as Huijsen's partner. Huijsen objected to the treatment of Bos, and the incident became the turning point in his decision to speak openly about his sexuality.

Huijsen co-founded Het Blauwe Fonds in 2007, a foundation that funds projects supporting LGBTQ+ emancipation. He published his memoirs, Homo Politicus, in 2016. An updated edition appeared earlier this year, titled Roze Draad: Strijd, succes en stilstand in vijftig jaar homo-emancipatie, which translates as Pink Thread: Struggle, Success and Stagnation in 50 Years of Gay Emancipation.

The former politician passed away at his home in Amsterdam following a brief illness. His husband, Lank Bos, was with him.