ITA Pride Closing event
Celebrate the closing of Pride with a sparkling evening at The Bookshop, where we come together to honor the strength and beauty of our rainbow family. The evening will feature the presentation of De Vrije Vogels van Amsterdam – Bamber Delver-Salmapour’s tribute to the city’s colorful free spirits – but above all, it’s a celebration of connection, pride, and freedom.
Pride Amsterdam
Location The Bookshop
Genre Perspective
Opening hours
18.00 until 20.00 uur
Book presentation Bamber Delver-Salmanpour
Together with several icons from our community – including the legendary Bep Mous – we’ll engage in conversations about pride, resistance, and inspiration. What can we learn from the free spirits of the past to live boldly and colorfully today and in the future? As Dolly Bellefleur beautifully puts it: Let love rule.
After a brief introduction to De Vrije Vogels van Amsterdam by Bamber Delver-Salmapour, we’ll gather around small tables in The Bookshop for open conversations with the icons themselves. In this intimate setting, there will be space for recognition, reflection, and connection.
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We’ll explore how the past can empower us to feel strong, visible, and proud in the present.
Images of the Vrije Vogels will be shown on screens around us, along with a special video segment – a visual tribute to courage, expression, and community.
The evening begins at 6:00 PM, festively opened by a bagpiper and a warm welcome.
About Bamber Delver-Salmanpour
Bamber Delver has been a driving force in the rainbow movement since his teenage years. He served as editor-in-chief of Expreszo, authored several books, and helped launch initiatives such as the "Pest Thermometer." Since May 2025, he has been chair and co-editor-in-chief of Stichting de Gay Krant.
As one of the first openly gay fathers in the Netherlands, Bamber has always shared his life and love openly – first with his partner and queer activist Marcel Bullinga († 2019), and now with Sajad Salmanpour. Together, they released De Vrije Vogels van Amsterdam at the end of 2024 – a tribute to the city’s queer freethinkers and nonconformists.
His motto: Treat life as one big adventure – never a dull moment.
