Welcome to the TQFC Clubhouse

In Amsterdam-West, queer and womens’ football is being put on a pedestal! Football has long been wrapped in layers of masculinity and thinly veiled (or blatantly shouted) misogyny and homophobia. But when queer and FLINTA football lovers (and their lovers!) get together and reimagine the game with themselves at the center – you know it’s going to be a merry ol’ time. 

We’d like to welcome you to TQFC Clubhouse, a joyfully defiant takeover by The Queer Agenda, running from June 6 to July 13 at De Hallen. By day, it’s a hybrid pop-up and concept store inspired by retro clubhouses – but importantly, they want to emphasise this is NOT a football club, and that their coffee is better than in the football canteens that we know and (don’t) love. What they do want to emphasise is that there will be a whole programme and an accompanying photo exhibition in De Hallen’s central Passage, showcasing the power of queer football culture – with portraits of grassroots players, street legends, and die-hard fans. 

The night programme transforms the space into a queer playground, featuring screenings of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025, second hand markets (U-Haullen!), speed dating, a (club)house party, workshops, tattoo flash day, De Trut take-over, supperclub, screening Copa 71 with Filmhallen Amsterdam and more. Trust us, this is definitely a bench you want to sit on. 

We love how the exhibition calls out the assumption that football belongs to men, and treats everyone else’s presence as something to be explained. So we headed to the pitch and spoke to some players about why this matters. “To celebrate FLINTA in different contexts is really important,” Lyne, founder of FLINTA Football Amsterdam, says. “Especially now, with trans rights being taken away, we need visibility.” Tiffany, co-founder of FLINTA Football Rotterdam, adds: “All over the world, we’re losing rights – to play sports, to keep our pronouns, our passports. This is really, really necessary.”

At the heart of it all is a simple idea: football can be inclusive and spark joy for more people than just men. Like most things that are worthwhile, that just takes work, and community. Luckily, there’s already been a big rise in women’s teams, but for many, queer-friendly football spaces are still quite hard to find, making them worth going the mile for. “I thought I could never play football again, because I was a trans person,” says Tiffany. “Then I met Lyne and found a place where I could play again. I drove from Rotterdam to Amsterdam every week just to be on that field… Now I’m healing. Every day I feel more included.” And she’s not alone. Jochen, founder of Free Spirit Football, travels across the country to be part of it. “In this field, we’re all fighting for the same thing: inclusion. That makes me feel safer than playing with men who don’t truly accept me.”

It’s as simple as coming together once in a while. Tatiana, co-founder of FLINTA Football Rotterdam, emphasises the importance of creating safe little bubbles in uncertain times. “Frankly, we don’t know what’s going to happen. I just want to tell people: you are welcome, you are in your place. It’s going to be okay.”

The TQFC Clubhouse might be temporary, but what it stands for is the future of football. So come join the opening friday, admire the portraits, catch a movie and make sure to have a cute little kiki. On a last but not less important note: there’s going to be lots of merchandise by some of our favs. Of course, The Queer Agenda themselves, alongside Parish Queer, DFC upcycling, La Fam, For Them, Haas Amsterdam, and loads of others. A little birdy told us there’s enough to dress every Queer in Amsterdam… so get in losers, we’re going shopping.