The Rita book is out!

This book isn't just for those who sometimes feel unsafe. It is also a guide for anyone who wants to understand, learn, and contribute, from allyship to practical tips.

RITA (Report It Always) started as a reporting platform for discrimination and has grown into a queer initiative dedicated to social safety, inclusion, and equality for everyone. The queer community acts as the canary in the coal mine. Their experiences with exclusion and their courage reveal what is wrong with our systems, but also what resilience looks like. The space we share makes this tangible through various sections.

For instance, the RITA Reminders offer eight simple principles to make social safety concrete. RITA's Tips provides practical tools for situations where safety becomes complicated. In RITA Loves, queer people and allies share the places, culture, and inspiration that have shaped them, as well as their wishes for a safer world.

In RITA Talks, the interviews that form the heart of the book, people from different worlds engage in conversation. From Femke Halsema and King Faisel to Jerry Afriyie and Venus Bijleveld / Ma’MaQueen, Tamara Elbaz and Jeangu Macrooy, Eloise van Oranje and Lotte van Eijk, and Stijn de Vries with Edson da Graça. Their conversations explore identity, courage, doubt, and solidarity.

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"To me, feeling safe is synonymous with being able to be yourself. But if you live in a world that wasn't made for you, a sense of insecurity is always present." Venus Bijleveld

"Freedom is always reciprocal. If you want to be a free person yourself, you must also be able to let others be free." - Femke Halsema

"Recently, an older Surinamese man in the supermarket gave us a compliment because we were holding hands. I found that empowering." - Jeangu Macrooy

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In collaboration with publisher Volt.

Order the book here.