History
A.S.V.Gay was founded in 2010 with the goal of providing a place where LGBTQ+ students can be themselves, meet, and support each other, something previously lacking in Amsterdam. We are certainly not the oldest association, but in the 14 years of our existence, we have achieved many milestones that we are proud of.
L.t.r.: Suzanne, Nora (top), Merel (bottom), and Fien
“A lot has happened. From four nervous girls who didn't even know each other very well, we became close friends. From laughing and being creative to crying, arguing, and resolving conflicts: all emotions have passed” - Chair Fien
2010-2011 Founding year
In the beginning
In 2009 Fien de Vries starts studying at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences. She soon realizes there is little to do for LGBTQ+ students in Amsterdam and decides to create a place where they can meet like-minded people. Together with friends Nora and Merel, she begins working on the idea of an LGBTQ+ student association. A few months later, Suzanne joins them, bringing valuable experience and a large network of older lesbian women willing to help.
Official
After months of preparation, the founding documents are finally signed on 23 February 2010, officially establishing A.S.V.Gay. Later that year, around 80 people attend a borrel at COC Amsterdam to brainstorm about the association’s future.
On 1 July 2010, membership recruitment officially begins. Although the founders still disagree on whether 22, 45, or 100 people signed up that day, it marks the beginning of Amsterdam’s first LGBTQ+ student association.
2011-2012 Second year
The second year of A.S.V.Gay begins with a setback: the website is hacked and the web server is wiped, forcing the association to rebuild much of it from scratch. Fortunately, positive developments soon follow. A.S.V.Gay launches its own email service with @asvgay.nl and, thanks to the founding board, gets its own boardroom at CREA.
In September, the first Ontrozingsweekend is organized to help new members integrate into the association. This is where traditions such as banana and beschuit are born. In winter, the regular borrels move from Prik to Amstel Fifty Four, where members quickly embrace the new location.
The year is filled with growth and new activities, including a city trip to Cologne, theatre sports, parties, a winter sports trip, and A.S.V.Gay meets Ichthus. A.S.V.Gay also joins the Canal Parade again, this time with its own boat. With nearly 175 members, it is a year of growth, innovation, and the realization that A.S.V.Gay is here to stay.
The banana and biscuit tradition during the Beer Olympics
2012-2013 Third year
To accommodate the growing number of members and encourage more active participation, A.S.V.Gay expands its committees. This leads to more activities and trips than ever before. The enthusiasm of new members also turns the biweekly borrels into a weekly event.
As the association grows, it evolves from an extended friend group into a true student association with a place for everyone. The Ontrozingsweekend is therefore reserved exclusively for new members. On the way home from the weekend, Thieu Driessen transforms the A.S.V.Gay song from half a chorus into a complete song, although it only becomes widely used in later years.
The association also establishes its first Internal Regulations, multi-annual plan, voting protocol for General Members’ Meetings, Selection Committee, and Advisory Council, laying the foundation for its modern structure. Meanwhile, many new contacts are made and existing relationships strengthened, resulting in the memorable first sister-association weekend.
Dies gala 2013
2013-2014 Fourth year
In its first three years, A.S.V.Gay grows rapidly. The fourth board therefore focuses on strengthening connections between members and improving the integration of new and older members. The Kweekweek is introduced as an extended introduction period for new members, particularly those who could not attend the Ontrozing. Thanks to the efforts of active members, the first edition is a great success.
In the 13|14 association year, committees are given more autonomy. Board members step back from committees, which are now led by committee chairs who report to the Internal Affairs Officer. After a year at Café Bordó, the association’s regular drinks return to Amstel Fifty Four.
A.S.V.Gay also organizes its first academic conference, focusing on homosexuality and gender non-conformity. Research topics range from homosexuality in the Middle Ages to transgender healthcare for young people. The year concludes with A.S.V.Gay’s first trip to a Pride abroad, in Cologne, which proves a great success thanks to its relaxed atmosphere.
Canal Parade 2014: athletes coming out
2014-2015 Fifth year
International students are increasingly finding their way to A.S.V.Gay. To make them feel at home, an International Student Committee is established, and PowerPoint presentations at General Members’ Meetings are now given in English. The hockey team, which played its first official match in 2013, also becomes an official committee with its own budget in 2014. The Babygays add a sporting element to the association that many members enjoy.
Lustrum I
A.S.V.Gay celebrates its fifth anniversary with a dinner, lustrum weekend, and a grand party at club The Warehouse. At the opening borrel, the founding board gives an emotional speech in a packed Amstel 54. A.S.V.Gay also appears in Het Parool as Amsterdam’s fastest-growing student association. By then, the association has reached 300 members. The Activities Committee and Travel Committee also organize the association’s first car rally, taking teams on a mystery route from Amsterdam to Oostende, complete with hilarious challenges and a fantastic trip to the Belgian coast.
Lustrumcommittee - Lustrum I
2015-2016 Sixth year
This year, A.S.V.Gay traveled to Bremen, where, following a train rally, members enjoyed gay bars, the Christmas market, mulled wine, bratwurst, and a city walk. Less festive was the first A.S.V.Gay-wide scabies epidemic, which spread rapidly among student rooms.
On May 21, the annual symposium took place with the theme ‘minorities within the minority’. Various speakers and workshops covered topics such as bisexuality, bicultural LGBTQ+ Muslims, rainbow families, and asexuality. A trend was noticeable in the lectures and workshops: acceptance of specific smaller minorities still has a long way to go! At the start of the summer holidays, a final trip followed, during which members spent the night on a hotel boat and played a murder mystery game.
The year concluded with EuroPride Amsterdam. A barbecue, a game, a segment on Gay TV, and as the highlight, of course, the canal parade where everyone had dressed up as students — an extremely fitting theme.
True Colors 2016
2016-2017 Seventh jaar
In A.S.V.Gay’s seventh year, the first clubs were established: Olijf, Drama Queens, and The Bridge. This introduced a new form of connection between members across different years.
In January, 42 members travelled to Antwerp, where they were divided into groups and tasked with solving the mystery of the kidnapped beer princesses. Later that year, A.S.V.Gay’s Got Talent took place, featuring a variety of acts including drag, a lip-sync battle, singing, and, of course, beer chugging. Another highlight was A.S.V.Gay’s first long-distance trip. In April, 25 members travelled by bus to Prague, enjoying activities such as a bike tour, pub crawl, escape room, and group dinners.
Finally, the Canal Parade centered around the theme “Thanks to your fight, we continue the Pride.” Dressed in shirts representing all the colors of the rainbow, the members formed a colorful, dancing, and celebrating rainbow on Amsterdam’s canals.
Canal Parade 2017: Thanks to your fight, we continue the Pride
2017-2018 Eighth year
In A.S.V.Gay’s eighth year, the development of its own app was approved, marking the beginning of the modernization of the association’s internal communication. The association also attended the National Remembrance Ceremony at the Homomonument, where A.S.V.Gay laid a wreath.
For the first time, A.S.V.Gay travelled abroad by plane. The trip to Manchester was so popular that additional tickets had to be booked. With a game of Monopoly living, sunny weather, gay bars, great food, and cheap beer, it became an unforgettable weekend.
During Pride Week, A.S.V.Gay joined the Pride Walk to Vondelpark and participated in a Salesforce panel discussing sexuality and gender identity. The highlight came during the Canal Parade, where 100 members and friends, dressed in rainbow capes, sailed through the Amsterdam canals while being cheered on by hundreds of thousands of people.
The trip to Manchester of A.S.V.Gay
2018-2019 Ninth year
The ninth year of A.S.V.Gay got off to a flying start with a large influx of new members. In November, the association organized its first-ever party, INV!TED, together with EXIT, raising money for LGBTQ+ refugees. The proceeds were donated to a project by the Regenboog Groep. Monthly parties followed throughout the year.
Internally, the association also became more professional. An official visual identity, an updated website, merchandise such as socks, pins and reusable cups, and its own mobile app were introduced. Monthly calendars provided greater structure and transparency.
A.S.V.Gay was also socially active. Members managed the bar at the opening of the Roze Hallen, participated in the municipality of Amsterdam’s Rainbow Conference, and attended Work Place Pride. The year also focused on building and strengthening connections. A.S.V.Gay ended the year in style during the Canal Parade, with the theme #breakdownthenorms.
Board IX with the cheque for the Regenboog Groep
2019-2020 Tenth year
We entered the tenth year of A.S.V.Gay, which meant it was time for the second Lustrum! The year kicked off with the opening party at the SoHo, where the founding board gave a speech! In February, it was finally time for the Lustrum! Activities were organized for ten days (but actually twelve). From a dinner to fishing plastic out of the canals, from dancing on Tuesday to a Centurion on Thursday! To top it all off, the Lustrum Gala (Titanic), where we sailed across the IJ for a few hours, singing, laughing, and crying. An incredible week full of celebration and joy, unforgettable!
Unfortunately, the corona pandemic soon followed the Lustrum. We continued to see each other online every Wednesday evening, enjoying lagging borrel talks. To support the members during this difficult period, so-called ‘quarantine packages’ could be ordered, containing a drink, a snack, a game, and a puzzle book. Ultimately, the summer turned out to be special after all, with everything that was still possible being organized. A party at a 1.5-meter distance, seated boating with Pride, canoeing, and lots of walking through the city. We were happy to see each other again!
2020-2021 Eleventh year
Our eleventh year began with optimism. COVID-19 restrictions had eased, the first borrels and parties were back, and the Kweekweek week had just begun. Unfortunately, rising infection numbers soon led to another lockdown, forcing most of our activities online once again. Even so, A.S.V.Gay never stood still. Our weekly borrels moved from Zoom to Gather, and we found creative ways to organize an online gala, Ontrozing weekend, and even virtual pub crawls. Highlights included an online beer tasting, where every member received a special A.S.V.Gay beer package at home, and our election debate featuring speakers from almost every major political party.
From spring onwards, restrictions gradually eased, allowing us to return to terrace borrels and later to larger events, including parties, themed borrels, and the production of A.S.V.Gay’s very first nude calendar. Although our eleventh year was challenging and unlike any other, it proved that the sense of community and fun within the association never disappeared.
2021-2022 Twelfth year
In A.S.V.Gay’s twelfth year, we were finally able to come together again. With most COVID-19 restrictions behind us, many activities marked a long-awaited return to normal. The introduction period was a great success, with packed borrels, the traditional opening party at SoHo, and an in-person Ontrozing. We also brought back our annual trip, travelling to Paris with a large group of members, where we explored Disneyland and experienced the city's vibrant LGBTQ+ nightlife.
Alongside all the fun, the board made social safety a priority. A social safety policy was introduced, and workshops were organized on topics such as consent, inappropriate behaviour, and bystander intervention. Of course, the weekly two-for-one cocktail deals were also a huge hit. We ended the year by taking part in the Amsterdam Canal Parade once again, celebrating the diversity of gender within A.S.V.Gay under the theme Love All Flavours of Gender, Taste the Rainbow.
2022-2023 Thirteenth year
In our thirteenth year, we were finally able to enjoy ourselves like we used to, and we definitely made the most of it. Ontrozing was a weekend to remember, and our borrels were packed again, with the famous cocktail and shot deals and creative themes like The Good, the Dead, and the Hairy and, of course, the legendary Snorrel. We also brought back our trips abroad, travelling with over 40 members to Antwerp and later visiting Berlin, where our sister association Anteros happened to be staying that same weekend.
Besides all the fun, we worked together with organizations such as Roze Stadsdorp, IHLIA, the GGD, and COC Young+ and organized workshops on consent and inclusivity. We also stayed closely connected with our sister associations through several activities, ending the year with our annual sisters’ weekend. And of course, we joined the Canal Parade once again with our theme, Boogie Wonderland. Despite the rain, it turned into a fantastic celebration.
2023-2024 Fourteenth jaar
After spending the summer drafting a policy plan, Year 14 got off to a great start with a successful open period that included the 'Masqueerade' party. We wrapped things up with the "Somewhere Ogre the Rainbow!" Ontrozing. This winter was the 'Turtlenecks & Tequila' borrel, an event few of us remember clearly. Our alumni also organized their first reunion weekend: the 'Ontgrijzing'!
Spring brought the fraternity borrel, where everyone showed up in blazers and ties. On May 4th during Remembrance Day A.S.V.Gay had the honor of laying a wreath at the Homomonument. We also joined Pride again this year with our own boat! The theme was "We Are LOUD!", and we certainly were, everyone along the canal could hear our association song. After the summer, we kept busy with a pubcrawl and eventually switching venues for our borrels! But nothing lasts forever: in the end we switched over to Board 15 with full confidence!