Coos Huijsen: key obituary facts
Is Coos Huijsen dead? Yes. Coos Huijsen died on October 19, 2026, at age 87.
Cause of death: Coos Huijsen's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Coos Huijsen known for?
He was a Dutch politician and writer.
More about Coos Huijsen
Born: 20 March 1939.
Place of birth: The Hague.
Gender: male.
Occupation: politician, writer, historian, opinion journalist.
Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Coos Huijsen, a Dutch historian, writer and politician who served in the House of Representatives, died October 19, 2026, aged 87.
Born Jacobus Huijsen in The Hague on March 20, 1939, he also worked as an educator and became a gay rights activist. He served in the House in 1972–73 and again from 1976 to 1977.
During his first term, he represented the Christian Historical Union, but left after the party declined to support the left-leaning Den Uyl cabinet. When he returned to parliament, he sat as an independent under his own banner, Groep-Huijsen. In 1976, while a member of the House, Huijsen openly expressed his homosexuality, becoming the first parliamentarian in the world to do so. After coming out, he took part in the Dutch gay rights movement and co-founded the Foundation for Free Relationship Rights. The organization sought to bring the gay community’s concerns to the wider public and political establishment, making the case that gay rights were human rights. His work brought together his political experience and public advocacy on behalf of gay rights.