52-foot tall Amsterdam Rainbow Dress on display in DC

52-foot rainbow dress on display in D.C.

A 52-foot tall dress, made up of all 68 countries where being a member of the LGBTQ community is punishable by law, is outside of the Lincoln Memorial today.

WASHINGTON - A 52-foot tall dress made up of flags from countries where being gay is illegal is on display in D.C. Monday.

The Amsterdam Rainbow Dress was outside the Lincoln Memorial Monday. The dress is made up of the flags of all 68 countries where being a member of the LGBTQIA community is punishable by law, and the eight countries where people can be killed for being gay.

The project was started in 2016 in Amsterdam.

"We never intended it to be as big as it is at the moment," said Arnout Van Krimpen from the Amsterdam Rainbow Dress Foundation. "Now we're in D.C. We were never here before."

The dress has been on display across the world since 2016.

"What we're trying with this project, and what we hope to do here as well, is to let people know what the situation is worldwide," said Van Krimpen.

"Our rights are in danger. People are being hurt, being harmed, and the most important thing that folks can do is be visible, be vigilant," said Ryan Bos, executive director of the Capital Pride Alliance.

The dress is a "living piece of art" according to Van Krimpen – as soon as a country adopts inclusive laws, their country's flag is replaced by a rainbow flag.

"We wanted to show the progression in the world. We don't want to literally name and shame the 68 countries, what we want to show is how big it is – it's still a third of the countries in the world criminalize LGBTQIA people," said Van Krimpen.