Pleasant, confidential and very helpful: these are the key words that characterise the John Blankenstein Foundation.
After we made contact, a pleasant relationship quickly developed with the JBF. The preliminary discussion made it clear to us what the specific needs of our club were and where we wanted to focus our attention in order to organise a workshop in collaboration with the JBF. The topic of diversity and LGBT and acceptance and RESPECT for each other, making it discussable within the football club, how do you do that and where do you start and what is useful and what is not useful.

The JBF drew up a tailor-made plan for us based on what they could offer and which speakers they could invite from their extensive network and contacts. It was great; all we had to do was tell them what our club needed, and they listened carefully.
The evening was intended for trainers, leaders, management and referees. It was a huge success and those present were extremely enthusiastic. They talked about it for a long time afterwards and still do. It's great that the subject can still be openly discussed at the club. This workshop has helped to initiate that, so that's a win. The evening was very well attended, thanks in part to the invitation sent out by the JBF and all the materials they used during the workshop. The speakers were passionate and all those present listened intently to their stories, but were also surprised at how difficult the whole subject still seems to be. It brought us understanding, openness and space to discuss the subject of sexual diversity and acceptance within our club, which is wonderful! It was also great that the JBF managed to create interaction and that interesting dialogues arose. We are grateful to the JBF and will soon be using their services again to organise a workshop specifically for our senior men's and women's selection teams. This is because we see our senior teams as role models for our youth teams and they can play an important role in making the subject more widely discussed within the club and beyond.

Furthermore, it is also very nice that the collaboration is so pleasant and enjoyable, and that agreements are fulfilled on time. The meetings are very personal and convivial.
JBF are letters that stand for:
J – Being allowed to be yourself
B – Willingness, Enthusiasm and Commitment
F – Sensitivity, everything is approached with appropriate confidentiality

Carin Schaaff - Confidential advisor sv- KMD , KMD Wateringen

Feedback and responses from our lecturers and students following the eight JBF workshops given by Paul Martin Raspe with Tim Sastrowiardjo and Querijn Hensen, both top athletes, at Fontys Sports College in Eindhoven.

Blankenstein Foundation Workshop: 
Very valuable. I attended two sessions. The first was with my own group. It was a bit of a struggle. The next day, the JBF staff had made some minor adjustments, which made things run (even) more smoothly. Good combination of discussion leader and role models who are close to the students. What happened in the other class was impressive.

Blankenstein Foundation Workshop:
This workshop was well received, with positive feedback from the students. Some students admitted that they weren't looking forward to it beforehand, but that they left with a positive feeling afterwards.
I think this theme is also appropriate, but perhaps the content and what students can expect should be outlined more clearly at the outset. It was much more than just LGBTIQ+. It was also about setting boundaries, etc.
Tip: to make it even more relevant to education, perhaps a little more emphasis could be placed on the link to sport.
But overall, a good and impressive workshop.

Blankenstein Foundation Workshop:
A surprisingly open and highly valuable session. The workshop had an open atmosphere, which was created by the workshop leaders. The students also indicated that they found it very valuable to think about this thoroughly. Several students indicated that they had discussed this further at home. In short, we should keep this in for the coming years.

Thank you once again for your efforts and valuable contributions. As you can see from the comments, the experiences have been very positive.

Drs. Roel Nabuurs – Lecturer in Sport & Organisation
Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Sports Academy
Eindhoven, October 2021

Drs. Roel Nabuurs - Lecturer in Sport & Organisation, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, Sports Academy

Excelsior Rotterdam has collaborated with the John Blankenstein Foundation in various ways, with the inspiring Karin Blankenstein playing a leading role. As a club, we are proud that the Foundation keeps coming back to us to fulfil a mission together. From making a film, to a workshop for the coaches, to coloured shoelaces for the first team players. Now it was time to reach out to the players, with the under-15, under-16 and under-17 players being treated to a workshop by Paul Martin Raspe. The interaction from the groups was fantastic. Everyone had their say, regardless of their orientation, religion or culture.

Through this workshop, we hope that our players will realise that diversity in sport need not be an issue at all. We therefore recommend this workshop to everyone.
The players and coaches learn to appreciate each other even more in a different way because it has been an open and respectful session.

Marco van Lochem - Head of Youth Training, SBV Excelsior Rotterdam

At DSS in Haarlem, everyone is welcome and everyone should feel safe. That is an explicit policy choice that we all try to uphold.

A workshop organised recently by the John Blankenstein Foundation fits in well with this policy. Karin Blankenstein and Thijs Smeenk from the Foundation shared their personal experiences with a number of board and committee members and presented examples. In a pleasant, open atmosphere, a lively discussion arose about LGBTI+ in sport. We are now more aware of the subject and will definitely repeat the workshop for more people (coaches and teams) at the club. In short, useful and important! Highly recommended for every club!

Peter Portegies, DSS coordinator, RKVV DSS

Feyenoord supports the John Blankenstein Foundation's initiative to promote acceptance of diversity in sport. This initiative supports fellow footballers, referees, supporters, volunteers and many others within football who struggle with their own identity, and contributes to raising awareness about diversity. Football should be for everyone, regardless of cultural background, skin colour, race, sexual preference or religion. Everyone should be able to enjoy participating in their favourite sport, whoever you are and whatever your background.

After discussing this with all trainers and staff at Feyenoord Academy earlier last season, players in the middle and upper grades (Under 14 to Under 19) attended a workshop led by Paul Martin Raspe in recent weeks. The interaction between Paul Martin and our youth players ensured that an excellent discussion could take place in an atmosphere of openness and mutual respect, and that acceptance of diversity is increasing. Highly recommended for every sports club!

Raymond van Meenen & Lex Stofkooper, Feyenoord Rotterdam

We felt that having our students attend this workshop was truly beneficial, and we would love to see this collaboration become a permanent fixture. Jeroen and Sem from STOOK put on a play that had our students captivated and watching intently. We have many students who play football, so this theme really resonated with them. It is very close to their hearts. The language that Jeroen and Sem used during the play was very appropriate for our students. It was great to see how Paul Martin Raspe and Querijn Hensen engaged in conversation with the students about this before, during and after the play. We felt that the play really added value in this respect. The conversations created a safe environment in which students felt comfortable expressing themselves.

Thank you very much once again!

Also on behalf of Monique Barmentloo and Paul Sijbesma,

Ingrid Serlier

Ingrid Serlier, lecturer BPV coordinator Sport and Exercise, Rijnland Vocational Education

This workshop will get you thinking.

Everyone has felt excluded at some point. Based on countless personal examples from the workshop participants, it was not difficult to imagine what it must be like to live as an LGBTI person in a society where being heterosexual is the norm. In fact, the workshop is about empathy. The workshop succeeded in getting participants to think about exclusion and how simple it can sometimes be to prevent it. The workshop leader managed to create a pleasant and safe atmosphere in which there was room for everyone's opinion, no matter how different.

Lieuwe Rozema, Senior Policy Adviser, Municipality of Groningen

Querijn had a beautiful and captivating story that will stay with the children for a long time. He created a pleasant atmosphere in the classroom and encouraged the children to ask lots of questions. He answered all their questions and was not surprised by any of them. This encouraged the children to ask more and more questions. The lesson lasted an hour, but it didn't feel like it. After an hour, the children were still listening attentively.  Year 8 teacher

I really appreciated Querijn's openness. He also answered the questions well. He talked about his sexuality and disability and how he feels about them. He spoke calmly and the children hung on his every word. The rainbow ball exercise was a fun way to experience what it's like to be disabled, and it was even more fun that the school was given the ball as a gift. Very well done. Year 7 teacher

It was a very enjoyable visit from Querijn Hensen. Why? He drew the children into his story and made everything open to discussion. Sexuality, limitations, having a goal... all perfectly in line with the theme we are currently covering in class. Even if that weren't the case, it would have been a nice addition. It was especially nice that he let the children experience what it's like to throw a ball with a disability. Talking, watching, doing... a wonderfully varied workshop... Year 7 teacher

Lars Postema, Roald Dahl School

Last year, we held two workshops with you. We chose to invite the senior line and the A line. We communicated via the technical committees, the coaches and the players themselves. It is quite difficult to get people to come to the club on their 'free' evening to talk about diversity in sport. The coaches certainly play a major role. If they recognise the importance of such a workshop, they can motivate the team to attend. In the end, around 20 people attended on both evenings.

Reasonably modest given the size of the lines, but on the other hand fine for the workshop. The size of the group created a safe environment in which the discussion after a game and the stories of Thijs Smeenk and Thijs Greeve took place. It was nice to follow this discussion among young people.
The confidential committee was also invited.

We believe that this evening certainly provided food for thought and initiated a process of awareness.

Marlène Doorneveld, HV Westland

Karin Blankenstein is the founder and chairperson of the John Blankenstein Foundation (JBF):

Karin is the younger sister of John Blankenstein (the openly gay top referee and gay activist). After his death, Karin established the John Blankenstein Foundation, with the aim of improving LGBTI acceptance in organised sport.

Karin is the driving force behind the JBF, which over the past 10 years has grown to become an authority in the field of diversity and inclusivity in the world of sport. Always positive, constructive, cheerful and with unrivalled energy, she encourages her organisation and its ever-growing network to think along with her, support initiatives and contribute to a more inclusive world. Karin is particularly good at empathising with others, is open to different opinions and characters, and in this way sets an example of acceptance for everyone. With her dedication and sincere interest, her belief in the cause, and her willingness to take real steps and continue to do so, she is getting more and more people talking about diversity, gay acceptance and inclusivity. Her approach is infectious.

At various workshops at our hockey clubs (hdm, hockey club in The Hague, HV Westland and other clubs), she has made an impression with her way of listening to those attending the workshops and with her honest, heartfelt story. With great perseverance and in a sympathetic manner, she encourages people to think, both in small groups and in larger groups, young and old. It is striking how people want to listen to her attentively and are willing to put their words into action. For example, following JBF workshops with Karin, various teams decided to stop using the terms ‘homo’ or 'gay' as insults, because Karin was gentle, understanding and at the same time convincing about the use of these 'stop words' by young people. She breaks taboos and does not shy away from directness, and with humour and openness she also wins over people who are initially reluctant to engage with the subject. Karin does not shy away from discussion and can explain in an intelligent and nuanced way why this subject is relevant here and now, even to those who consider themselves to be so tolerant towards LGBTI people that they do not need to take any additional action. In this way, she has given many people new insights and turned them into advocates for LGBTI acceptance and for the acceptance of anyone who feels like a minority.

Arjan Offerhaus, hdm Fair Play & Respect Committee

Dear Lou,

We would like to thank you for sharing your story during the webinar Inclusion of LGTBI+ athletes in sports – Chances & Challenges – on 29 June 2021.
You were able to speak with enthusiasm about the work by the John Blankenstein Foundation in cooperation with the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport on increasing diversity, inclusion and tolerance, not only within sports but also in society in general. All of us went home with new insights and perspectives.

We wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

Kind regards,

Annika Markovic
Ambassador of Sweden to the Netherlands

Jens-Otto Horslund
Ambassador of Denmark to the Netherlands

View the letter here (pdf)

Embassy of Denmark and Embassy of Sweden