Trans model Valentijn de Hingh is helping to bring attention to the plight of LGBT people around the world with a stunning dress made of flags from the 72 countries where homosexuality is illegal.
“During the opening walk of euro pride in Amsterdam 2 weeks ago, 72 flags of 72 different countries where homosexuality is against the law were present, in 12 of these countries you still get the death penalty for being gay,” writes Pieter Henket, the photographer who captured the stunning dress.
“The COC (Dutch organization for LGBT men and women) collected these flags and together with Fashion designer Matthijs van Bergen and artist Oeri van Woezik they decided to make these flags into a giant rainbow dress,” writes the Dutch photographer who currently lives in New York City.
Image by Jochem Kaan
De Hingh, who became the first transgender person ever to have been represented by IMG Models, posed in the dress at the famous Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, which played host to EuroPride this weekend.
“That little lady wearing the big dress is me,” she posted on Instagram. “Every country that changes its legislation will have its flag replaced by a rainbow flag. Let’s hope this dress will represent a patchwork of rainbows sooner rather than later.”
The 26-year-old Dutch model was EuroPride’s first transgender ambassador.
“I dreamt of becoming a Disney princess,” de Hingh said last year. “I especially loved the character of Ariel, the little mermaid, who needed to change her body in order to change herself.”
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