WELCOME
BRUNO DE LILLE
Brussellover, husband, dad, LGBTI+, doer, cyclist, education, comic book lover, femanist, radio, West-Flemish, Greeter, fitness, superhero movies, Coke zero …
BRUNO DE LILLE
A heart for Brussels …
I am the General Director of Sint Goedele Brussels, a non-profit organisation covering 13 kindergartens, 18 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, and an institute for adult education.
For the first 20 years of my career, I mainly helped shape Brussels as a City Councillor, Member of Parliament, Deputy Mayor and Secretary of State. I took up each of these roles with enthusiasm and energy. And no matter how difficult it was, I was always happy to do it – because in politics you have an impact and can potentially improve the lives of a lot of people.
But after 20 years of serving Brussels, it was time for me to pass the torch. And so I’m devoting my expertise, my creativity and my drive to that wonderful Brussels educational network.
In my spare time I am an active LGBTI+ activist. If you want me as a speaker or panel member, or if you just want to debate about Equal Opportunities / Rights for LGBTI+ persons, I will be happy to start the conversation.
A heart for Brussels …
I am the General Director of Sint Goedele Brussels, a non-profit organisation covering 13 kindergartens, 18 primary schools, 5 secondary schools, and an institute for adult education.
For the first 20 years of my career, I mainly helped shape Brussels as a City Councillor, Member of Parliament, Deputy Mayor and Secretary of State. I took up each of these roles with enthusiasm and energy. And no matter how difficult it was, I was always happy to do it – because in politics you have an impact and can potentially improve the lives of a lot of people.
But after 20 years of serving Brussels, it was time for me to pass the torch. And so I’m devoting my expertise, my creativity and my drive to that wonderful Brussels educational network.
In my spare time I am an active LGBTI+ activist. If you want me as a speaker or panel member, or if you just want to debate about Equal Opportunities / Rights for LGBTI+ persons, I will be happy to start the conversation.
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On this website you will get to know Bruno and find out all about his vision. Read up on opinion pieces, columns or texts by and about Bruno De Lille. Want to hear his views in detail? Follow him on Facebook or Twitter. You are just a click away from an interesting conversation…
Views
Opinion pieces, columns or texts by and about me … find it all right here.
Stickers to worry about
"Oh well, why worry about a few silly stickers. The police would be better off dealing with the serious cases. Just look at what just happened to that journalist (who became the victim of a homophobic attack), they should deal with that." That's what I was told, in a...
Violence against LGBTI+-persons, a ‘Brussels’ problem?
On Friday, VRT journalist Riadh Bahri was the victim of homophobic violence. " Walking the dog. Man asks for directions. I am kind and naive enough to answer. Getting hit. Getting kicked. Chain ripped off and stolen. Hearing dirty faggot. Crying a little in the...
‘You don’t always need a war to make the lives of a lot of people a living hell’
In the Netherlands, André van Duin moved the entire country with his speech at the Commemoration of the Dead, 76 years after the end of WWII. Remarkably, André van Duin said it was his first time attending the official commemoration of the dead. All previous years he...
Stickers to worry about
"Oh well, why worry about a few silly stickers. The police would be better off dealing with the serious cases. Just look at what just happened to that journalist (who became the victim of a homophobic attack), they should deal with that." That's what I was told, in a...
Violence against LGBTI+-persons, a ‘Brussels’ problem?
On Friday, VRT journalist Riadh Bahri was the victim of homophobic violence. " Walking the dog. Man asks for directions. I am kind and naive enough to answer. Getting hit. Getting kicked. Chain ripped off and stolen. Hearing dirty faggot. Crying a little in the...
‘You don’t always need a war to make the lives of a lot of people a living hell’
In the Netherlands, André van Duin moved the entire country with his speech at the Commemoration of the Dead, 76 years after the end of WWII. Remarkably, André van Duin said it was his first time attending the official commemoration of the dead. All previous years he...
‘It’s about time for more rights for rainbow families’
Our son turned eighteen. Because of the corona crisis, there wasn't much of a celebration, but he seems to like the idea of being an adult. However, his joy is nothing compared to ours, his parents. The fact that we were able to help a son grow up can be called a...
Stories
Once in a while I go and talk to people who intrigue me. Because they have changed society, because they have a refreshing view on Brussels, because they mean a lot to me or to the LGBTI+ community …
Enjoy the stories !
Daniel Martinovic: “Today they’re coming for the LGBTI people, tomorrow it’s your turn.”
LGBTI-Croatia was recently in the news. At the end of February, an effigy of two gay men and their child was burned there. A few years ago, Croatia held a referendum to clearly define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. A referendum that was convincingly won by the conservatives. Apparently, Croatia is not the nicest place to live for an LGBTI person.
Or are things a bit more nuanced than that? Because Croatia (2019) also ranks 17th in the ILGA-Europe rating of the 49 European countries. We find it just after Germany and just before Ireland. I talk to Daniel MartinovIc, the coordinator of the Croatian LGBTI association Dugine Obitelji (Rainbow Family), about the referendum, the burning of the effigy, and the acceptance of LGBTI people…
Pistache: “Niemand wint bij bekrompen denken. Kinderen die spelen met drie talen, dat is toch fantastisch?”
Geregeld vragen ouders me of ik geen goede tweetalige basisschool ken voor hun kinderen. Tot nu toe moest ik die altijd teleurstellen omdat die er volgens mij niet was. De Vlaamse regelgeving stond tweetalige basisscholen gewoon niet toe, dacht ik. Tot ik hoorde vertellen over Pistache, een school in Schaarbeek waar de leerlingen zowel het Nederlands als het Frans op een hoog niveau aangeleerd krijgen. Ik ging er heen voor een babbel met Veronique van Merris en Birgid Decleyn, de twee directrices van Pistache. Het werd een boeiend gesprek over open geesten, plezier maken, het loon van taalleraars en appen die al eens apen zouden moeten zijn.
Dirk Jacobs: “Ik erger me rot aan de lethargie in onze maatschappij. Waar is de ambitie?”
Dirk Jacobs is een geëngageerd Brusselaar. Hij is net als ik een ingeweken West-Vlaming en werkt intussen al 14 jaar als professor sociologie aan de ULB. Als je er zijn tweets en Facebookberichten op naleest, dan voel je een ontzettende liefde voor Brussel. En dat bleek ook uit onze babbel. We spraken af bij een koffie (en een warme chocolademelk voor mij 🙂 ) in de gezellig koffiebar Or in het centrum. We hadden het over bubbels, beter onderwijs en zijn frustratie over het beleid dat de grote uitdagingen uit de weg gaat. Maar eerst was er BruVoices, het grote onderzoek van de Koning Boudewijnstichting naar Brussel en de Brusselaars dat hij mee begeleidde.