Kadeem van de Pol
Kadeem joined forces with MEIJT. to launch the project called Tell Me About It. This is a literally outspoken campaign aimed at breaking the taboo surrounding conversations about suicide. It’s an important step towards openly discussing a topic that often remains shrouded in silence.
Tell me about it!
During Pride Month 2025, MEIJT. and Kadeem van de Pol launched Tell Me About It 2025, a new campaign aimed at suicide prevention within the queer community. Building on their earlier work, the initiative focuses on breaking the silence around suicide, encouraging open dialogue, and providing practical tools for those who want to support friends, family, or community members struggling with suicidal thoughts.
Central to the campaign are new training videos developed with Stichting 113, the Dutch national suicide prevention center. Available in both Dutch and English at tellmeaboutit.meijt.nl, the videos are tailored to LGBTQI+ realities and aim to reach people from bicultural and refugee backgrounds as well. Unlike traditional trainings, which often left queer people feeling unseen, these resources address themes such as coming out, self-image, and minority stress. They demonstrate how to start a sensitive conversation, what language to avoid, how to safely guide someone toward professional help, and how to care for oneself in the process.
The campaign emphasizes that talking helps. For many LGBTQI+ people, who already fear being perceived as “too much,” opening up about suicidal thoughts can be especially difficult. By offering concrete strategies, Tell Me About It 2025 empowers individuals to make these conversations possible and safer.
Running from June 1 to August 24, the campaign will be present at Pride events across the Netherlands, including with its own boat at Utrecht Pride, and will conclude at the Superflirt Festival. Colorful pins, available in Pride, Trans, Non-binary, and neutral designs, serve as symbols of solidarity and invitations to conversation.
The need for such initiatives is urgent. In the Netherlands, nearly half of lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults and youth have experienced suicidal thoughts, five times higher than the general population. Around 8% have attempted suicide, with higher rates among women than men. International studies reveal similarly alarming numbers.
