By Tom LeNoble—
I have been to Amsterdam many times. I know the canals, the rhythm of the streets, the bicycles coming at you from every direction, and the particular beauty of a city that seems perfectly comfortable being both old and new at the same time. But this trip was different.
I went to Amsterdam for World Pride 2026, and, somewhere between the very long walks, the conversations, the flowers, the familiar places, and the moments that caught me completely by surprise, Amsterdam opened itself to me in a new way. Or maybe I was the one who opened.
I walked. And walked. And then walked some more.
There is something about seeing a city on foot that changes your relationship with it. You notice the flowers spilling from windows and along the canals. You stop on bridges just because the view makes you want to stop. And you wander down a street without knowing exactly where it will take you.
And, for me, there were memories everywhere. I found old, friendly places I had visited on trips before COVID. Walking through their doors felt a little like finding pieces of my own history waiting for me. So much has happened in the world since those earlier visits and even more has happened in my life.
Yet, some things remained wonderfully familiar. One of those places was a hotel where I have stayed more than twenty times over the years. I walked in and was remembered as I inhaled the fragrance that was so familiar. There was a welcome, coffee, conversation, and more. There were people who had been promoted, those who had moved on … yet, familiar spaces remained.
It may sound like a small thing, but being remembered rarely feels small. There is something powerful about returning to a place thousands of miles from home and discovering that, somehow, a little part of you stayed behind.
Then there was World Pride: the stage, the crowds, the energy, and the celebration and the extraordinary mixture of people who had traveled from around the world, each carrying their own story of what Pride means to them. Pride can be colorful, loud, joyful, outrageous, playful, and wonderfully over the top. I love all of that, but World Pride reminded me that, underneath the celebration, is something much more serious: human rights.
At the Human Rights Summit, I listened to speakers from around the world talk about their countries, their communities, their struggles, their progress, and, in some cases, the progress they fear losing. I listened differently than I might have years ago.
One of the most important things I brought home from Amsterdam was a better understanding of the impact the United States has on the rest of the world.
We sometimes forget how closely people are watching us. What happens in America does not stay in America. Our laws, our political conversations, our language, our progress, and our setbacks can give others permission—permission to move forward, but also permission to move backward. That realization stayed with me.
Freedom is never simply something we inherit. It is something people before us fought for, something we are responsible for protecting, and something we help make possible for those who come after us. The Love Wall brought that home in another way with its hearts, tens of thousands, sharing messages and photos strung together sending messages of hope that will be displayed around the world.
There were so many expressions of love gathered together in one place. There were different languages, lives, stories … yet the message was remarkably simple: Love belongs here. Maybe that is part of what Pride has always been about. It is not about convincing everyone to understand every part of another person’s life, but creating a world where people have room to live it.
The final gala brought this part of my trip toward its close with celebration, reflection, and a wonderful sense of connection—and having friends from San Francisco Pride join me made it even more meaningful.
There is something special about traveling halfway around the world and finding people from home standing beside you.
We laughed. We celebrated. We talked about what we had seen and heard. And I found myself thinking about San Francisco, Amsterdam, and all the places in between where people are still working to make belonging more than a nice idea.
I arrived in Amsterdam expecting World Pride and I certainly found it. But I also found memories, familiar faces, and new voices. There were the long walks along old canals, flowers, bold coffee, old and new friendships. There was celebration and difficult truths along with hope, and new perspectives. Travel can do that when we allow it.
Sometimes we leave home thinking we are going somewhere to see something new, only to discover that distance gives us a different way of seeing what was already there. I came home from World Pride knowing there is still enormous work ahead. I also came home reminded of how many people around the world are willing to do that work, often with far greater risk than many of us will ever know.
That inspires me and it also challenges me, because Pride cannot only be something we attend. Love cannot only be something we celebrate, and freedom cannot only matter when our own is threatened. We have to carry them home with us. And that may be the greatest gift Amsterdam gave me this time. So much opened for me: my eyes, my mind … and my heart.
Tom LeNoble is an international speaker, confidential advisor, and resilience strategist who works with leaders navigating meaningful inflection points in life and leadership. He has held senior leadership roles at MCI, Walmart.com, Palm, and Facebook, and high growth startups. He is the author of the award-winning memoir “My Life in Business Suits, Hospital Gowns, and High Heels.” Through speaking, coaching, and writing, he explores resilience, leadership, and the choices that shape how we show up for others and for the communities we serve.
World Pride 2026
Published on August 27, 2026
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