ABOUT US
LGBT World Beside is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization officially registered in the Netherlands in 2018. Our work began by helping LGBTQ+ individuals who fled Chechnya starting in 2017 to escape torture and persecution due to their sexual orientation. Today, we support all LGBTQ+ individuals from Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia seeking refugee status or asylum in the Netherlands.
We hold the status of a public benefit organization (ANBI) in the Netherlands.
OUR BOARD
Mark Toxopeus
Chairman of the board
Mark Toxopeus is a nationally acclaimed pianist and arranger. He performed at the conservatories in Arnhem and Amsterdam and won several prizes for his piano performance. He also teaches Dutch as a foreign language.
Through his work as a teacher, he became familiar with the challenges facing people who came to the Netherlands as refugees, particularly LGBTQ+ people. In 2020, he joined LGBT World Beside as a volunteer. He has been the organisation’s ambassador since 2024. And now he is chairman of the board.
Wilma Vierling
Secretary
Since September 2025, we are pleased to welcome Wilma Vierling as a new board member of the LGBT World Beside Foundation. At 66, she is brimming with energy and commitment. For 41 years, she has shared the joys and sorrows of life with her husband, Berry. Together, they care for their faithful four-legged friend, Foppe – a Frisian Stabyhound with character.
Wilma is a creative all-rounder: she creates beautiful pastel drawings, enjoys singing in two choirs, and has volunteered for various organizations for years. Before that, she worked for 37 years at the Ministry of Defense, where she worked in financial matters – so far from weapons, but close to the figures.
Wilma will officially retire in 2026, but sitting still is not in her vocabulary. Within our foundation, she will primarily focus on the secretariat and supporting the board. We are thrilled with her arrival and look forward to a wonderful collaboration!
Ruud Lit-van Amelrooij
Treasurer
Ruud worked for the Dutch national government as a financial controller until his retirement. Through his husband, he met LGBT World Beside founder Harlem van Hayzer, who then told him about LGBT World Beside. This motivated Ruud to take on the important role of treasurer on a new board. He considers his most important task to make and keep the foundation financially healthy.