11/02: Dutch Drag star comes out in support of LGBTQIA+ consent with MenAsWell

11th February 2022.

Dutch drag personality Aria Knightley is supporting male sexual violence campaign MenAsWell to make a safer LGBTQIA+ community by raising awareness of consent among gay and bisexual men through social media. It follows several months of stories where LGBTQIA+ community members have experienced transgressions an evidence that up to 48% of MSM experience sexual violence, including in the Voice of Holland scandal. The victims are often overlooked.

Photographed by Irena Mila, Aria Knightley, the boyfriend of Drag Race Holland S1 Envy Peru, will be sharing her experience and thoughts on consent through a series of social posts for MenAsWell. In the videos, she explains how her own negative sexual experiences affected her life: “One of my first sexual experiences was one that I didn’t want.”

‘Consent awareness in our community is vital to ensure that each community member feels safe and respected’ Thomas Garrod-Pullar, co-founder of MenAsWell said ‘I’m proud that Aria is using her platform to raise awareness of this important topic’.

In the Netherlands, between a quarter and half (Rutgers, SurvivorsUK) of gay and bisexual men experience sexual violence, though there is a huge gap in data available. Sexual violence among men can lead to strong feelings of shame, anxiety and trauma. MSM can also suffer additional minority stress. Yet, there is little to no direct support for people within the community, and most agencies are unable to meet the specific needs of community members. A national round table in December 2021 was hosted by MenAsWell, Rutgers, COC and others, in response to statistics that show that LGBTQIA+ people are more likely than hetero people to have a negative sexual experience. 30 organisations from Sexual Health to government ministries and nightlife leaders took part, and an action plan is now under development by the organising team.

Content will be rolled out from 11/02 onwards on Instagram as Posts, Reels and Stories.

Video is pending audio adjustments. Please contact for preview.

For more information:

Thomas Garrod-Pullar: info@menaswell.nl / +31 6 25 19 38 74