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Commemorating victims of discrimination and at the same time emancipating people with a homosexual orientation today: that was the aim of The Hague's city council in 1986 with the Gay Monument for their city. It was to be erected during their term of office (until 1990). It is true that Amsterdam already had a gay monument, but because of the international allure of the many embassies and the International Court of Justice, the council also considered such a memorial desirable in The Hague.
To realise this wish, the Gay Monument The Hague International Foundation was established. In an advertisement, the foundation, together with the Municipal Commission for Visual Arts (GCBK), invited artists to make proposals for a gay monument in which recognition and acknowledgement of homosexuality would be represented. The preference was for an abstract or symbolic focus.
Artist Theo ten Have from The Hague was chosen from 47 submissions. His design, with the well-known pink triangle as its point of departure, was approved at the end of 1988. However, it was not until 1993 that his abstract, dynamic curl in light pink and light blue spray-painted steel was unveiled. Because the previously established location proved unavailable, it was eventually placed on Aletta Jacobsweg opposite Madurodam. On the narrow strip of green there, the monument soon became crowded. That is why it was moved in 2015 to the green strip on the Koningstunnel. Since then, young and old have been lying around the statue there in the summer and an annual commemoration takes place on 4 May. The new location thus gives greater visibility to the statue and its message: everyone should be able to be themselves in public.
The sculpture, which is over 7 metres high, is easily recognisable as being by Ten Have. It has the same dynamics as many of his smaller sculptures. His sculptures appear to be solidified circular or rotating movements. Dance is a recurrent theme in his work. This can also be seen in the Homomonument.