Tag: Germany

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Germany’s Parliament Approves Marriage Equality By Vote Of 393 – 226

Germany’s lower chamber of Parliament, the Bundstag, approved a measure by a vote of 393 to 226 to legalize same-sex marriage.

The vote came suddenly after Chancellor Angela Merkel softened her stance on the issue to allow a legislator’s to “vote their conscience” on this last day of the country’s legislative session.

Merkel herself voted against the measure, saying after the vote, “For me and the basic law, it’s about the marriage of a woman and a man. That’s why I voted against it. I hope that the vote today shows not only the mutual respect for different opinions but that this also leads to more peace and social cohesion as well.”

More from the New York Times:

“If the Constitution guarantees one thing, it is that anyone in this country can live as they wish,” Thomas Oppermann, the parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, said in opening the floor debate. “If gay marriage is decided, then many will receive something, but nobody will have something taken away.”

“It’s very positive for the self-esteem of gays and lesbians; it’s very important for people coming out, knowing that they have this equality; and it sends a clear message to any homophobic refugees coming to Germany: We have equality here,” said Arnd Bächler, a counselor and addiction therapist at Berlin’s gay counseling center.

Approval of same-sex marriage in Germany could build momentum for similar legislation in other German-speaking countries, like Austria and Switzerland, said Katrin Hugendubel, advocacy director of ILGA-Europe, a gay and transgender rights group. She said the developments in Germany illustrated the difference that opposition parties could make.

The measure now goes to the upper house of Parliament, The Bundesrat, which has approved marriage equality before. The legislation will then be signed into law by President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

Polls show upwards of 80% of Germans support marriage equality.

Germany joins more than a dozen European countries that have approved same-sex marriage.

In 2001, Germany approved civil unions which conferred some but not all rights of marriage.

Conservatives in the country’s government have blocked the issue from coming to a vote in Parliament.

Congratulations Germany!

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Germany Schedules Vote On Marriage Equality For Friday

Chancellor Angela Merkel

Wow, this happened fast.

According to the AP, the German Parliament has scheduled a vote to legalize same-sex marriage this Friday.

In the wake of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s recent comments indicating she could see legislators viewing the issue as a “decision of conscience,” Parliament’s legal committee has approved the vote.

Merkel has announced she will allow the vote to occur without any “party whip” and to vote their conscience.

Marriage equality is expected to pass easily according to sources.

Germany has allowed same-sex couples to enter into civil partnerships since 2001.

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Germany’s Chancellor Merkel Signals Possible “Conscience Vote” On Same-Sex Marriage

Chancellor Angela Merkel

Via The Guardian:

Angela Merkel has signalled a change in her party’s opposition to gay marriage after stating MPs should be allowed a free vote in the German parliament.

Speaking at an event organised by the magazine Brigitte, the German chancellor said she felt aggrieved that debate was mainly carried out along party lines and that she hoped it would be “headed towards a conscience vote”.

It is widely believed the Bundestag would legalise gay marriage in a free vote on the issue.

Germany is one of a few western countries where same-sex marriage is still not legal. Civil partnerships have been allowed since 2001, but Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union has resisted calls to open up marriage to same-sex couples.

The centre-right CDU, which has been governing as senior partner in a coalition with the centre-left SPD since 2013, has said it prefers to amend legislation so couples in a civil partnership have the same tax status and adoption rights as married couples.

Coming less than three months before federal elections, Merkel’s comments could take the wind out of her critics’ sails and open her party up to the widest possible range of post-election coalitions.

UPDATE: Check out the tweet below from Martin Schulz, leader of the Social Democratic Party, the second largest party in parliament:

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Poll: Huge Support For Marriage Equality In Germany

A new poll conducted for German Sunday newspaper Bild am Sonntag, shows huge support – 75% – for marriage equality in Germany.

The survey indicated only 20% oppose legalizing same-sex marriage.

While Germany legalized civil partnerships in 2001, it remains one of the few nations in Western Europe without the freedom to marry someone of the same-sex.

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel opposes same-sex marriage having told the media, “For me, marriage is a man and a woman living together.”

Germany’s Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency published similar results from a poll in January found that 83% of Germans supported legal equality for same-sex marriage.

According to Berlin’s Dalia Research company,  Germany has the largest LGBT+ population in Europe.

Currently , there are 13 countries in Europe that recognize same-sex marriages – Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden and Britain.

(source)

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No Same-Sex Marriage For Germany Despite 75% Approval For Marriage Equality

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel

Germany will not be following in Ireland’s footsteps in joining the 21st century by legalizing same-sex marriage.

Reuters reports that Chancellor Angela Merkel’s coalition has agreed to small improvements in the country’s domestic partnership laws, but according to spokesman Steffen Seibert, “Same-sex marriages are not a goal of this government.”

Although there are growing divisions within the party, Merkel’s Christian Democrats are still overwhelmingly opposed to same-sex marriages partly due to fears it could upset voters on the right.

However, polls show 75 percent of Germans are in favour of legalising gay marriages, as are the Social Democrats (SPD) and all opposition parties.

Merkel’s cabinet gave same-sex couples more rights but this move was dismissed by critics as inadequate for a country that in 2001 became one of Europe’s first to allow registered civil partnerships.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas, of the SPD, sounded disappointed that Germany could not take a bigger leap.

“Expanding rights for registered partnerships is another step toward giving same-sex unions the same rights as marriages,” said Maas. “We haven’t reached the goal yet.”

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German GQ launches unique campaign to battle intolerance

GQ in Germany has launched a new campaign to battle intolerance, and it’s definitely unique.

#MundPropaganda (translates roughly as “word of mouth”) brings together guys — straight men, specifically — in photos of tender kisses. Innocuous in some regions of the world, a simple kiss between men in conservative or repressive places could be the enticement to deadly violence.

Watch the video below of the photoshoot for GQ’s project featuring actors Herbert Grönemeyer and August Diehl; rappers Moses Pelham and Thomas D; all three members of hip hop group Fettes Brot; Olympic champion volleyball players Julius Brink and Jonas Recker; ad actors Kostja Ullman and Ken Duken; and Johannes Strate and Jakob Sinn from rock band Revolverheld.

GQ.de (the site is in German) has images of the campaign, and tracks reactions from blogs and social media.

Although the video below is in German, you get the light-hearted sense of fun everyone brought to the photoshoot.

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President Obama mentions LGBT rights in G8 speech in Berlin

At the 14:18 mark:

“When we stand up for our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters and treat their love and their rights equally under the law, we defend our own liberty as well.

“We are more free when all people can pursue their own happiness. And as long as walls exist in our hearts to separate us from those who don’t look like us, or think like us, or worship as we do, then we’re going to have to work harder, together, to bring those walls of division down.” – President Obama, speaking at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate today during the G8 Summit.