The Pride of Antwerp

Advocate.com hits the gay-friendly streets of Antwerp with openly gay police commissioner Serge Muyters.

By LoAnn Halden

Even in a country as progressive as Belgium, where same-sex marriage and adoption by gays have been on the books since 2003 and 2006 respectively, Serge Muyters snagged headlines when he came out six years ago. It's not every day that a high-ranking police commissioner discusses his sexual orientation on the record and then proceeds to marry his partner -- a fellow member of the Antwerp Police Department.

Although Muyters decided to step out of the media spotlight five years ago, he agreed to make a rare interview exception for Advocate.com. As the summer travel season heats up, the first deputy chief commissioner spoke about being out on the job and the city he calls home.

Advocate.com: Belgium has some of the most progressive laws for LGBT people in Europe. Are there any areas that still need work?
Serge Muyters: Antwerp is very open-minded to all visitors and inhabitants, and the city council supports many diversity programs. In 2013, Antwerp will organize the World Outgames. The only thing that concerns me is that recent research found that one out of 20 gay men is HIV-positive and that young people have a lot of unsafe sex. Due to successful treatment with antiretrovirals, people don't talk anymore about HIV and AIDS. I think it is necessary that Belgium put HIV and AIDS back on the agenda and convince people to practice safe sex.

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Reader Comments

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Name: Ronny
Date posted: 7/7/2009 7:53:00 PM
Hometown: Bruges/Brugge

Comment:
Good on you, Mike!! Actually, there was a small controversy in the media here again lately, the issue being if famous soccer players should come out of the closet.. . The general idea was : not done.. certainly not in first league..!! So, even over here, certain people's status don't allow them to being gay in the open.. We may hope that one day, we all be regarded equally, but as long as social status and especially religions (the opium to the people Karl Marx said) rule over common sense, there's little hope for improvement, I think. So I'm doomed... but I've no ambitions to spend my after life with 77 virgins... nor to eternally be sitting at the right hand of God anyway (doing WHAT exactly?), so see if I care ? People like Mr Serge Muyters beat the system and it's prejudices (CHAPEAU, SIR !!)
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Name: Me
Date posted: 7/5/2009 3:00:00 PM
Hometown: USA

Comment:
Unlike the rest of the world, America is descending into savagery day by day. Didn't anybody hear the news? Rick Warren just said that the Christians and the Mohammedans need to find a commond ground and cooperate. It's code for "teach us how to hang the homos". Let's face it, there's really nothing common between Christianity and Mohammedanism, other than the rabid hatred for gay people (and the diabolical desire to subjugate the rest of the world.) Ever since the day Americans elected that closeted bigot Osama to rule this land, I know America is toast.
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Name: Mike
Date posted: 7/4/2009 11:20:00 PM
Hometown: Midwest

Comment:
I am a police chief of a small midwest community. When the Military changes the dont ask dont tell rule and opens up the window for gays to come out, I probably will also come out. I think if they can accept the Army, Naby and Marines to be ok, Police will also start coming out. At least I hope so... this story gives me hope..
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Name: Ronny
Date posted: 7/2/2009 9:25:00 PM
Hometown: Bruges, Belgium

Comment:
I'm the long time Belgian friend of Scott and Robert, so I can only confirm his comments here. It's sad to learn that conservatism still reigns in the great U.S., but if our 'little' gay community over here managed to overrule this, how can millions of gays over there remain ignored ? It just takes a few good men in the right places, or am I being naieve here ? It now may seem simple and a non issue over here, but it wasn't exactly handed over to us on a silver plate either..
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Name: Scott
Date posted: 7/2/2009 9:42:00 AM
Hometown: Jacksonville, FL

Comment:
Our friends in Belgium can not understand what the issue is in America with same sex couples not being allowed to register as partners, allowed the same legal protections & responsibilities as other couples. And now with the birth of our son - the second parent not being allowed to adopt our child. All of this and they thought America was the great land of freedom & democracy. They asked if the history books in Belgium should be re-written? Be thankful that you live in Belgium, you are better off than we are in the "great land of freedom & democracy"...
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Name: Diederick
Date posted: 7/2/2009 4:23:00 AM
Hometown: Groningen, the Netherlands

Comment:
So the Belgians are now a step ahead of the Dutch? Good for them, we'll just try to keep up.
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Name: Javier
Date posted: 7/1/2009 10:03:00 PM
Hometown: Houston

Comment:
I so happy for Serge and Karl. You two are doing great things.
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Name: Jean
Date posted: 7/1/2009 8:41:00 PM
Hometown: Hong Kong

Comment:
That's the way things should be: A non-issue ! The tone of his answers is simply mainstream reflecting a "so what?" attitude. But then, though being a very small country, Belgium is just very progressive. Take note America!

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