Germany has launched a plan to protect LGBTQ rights

The German government on Friday unveiled a plan to protect sexual and gender minorities from discrimination, including a bid to anchor their rights in the constitution.

Sven Lehmann, the government’s commissioner for LGBTQ affairs, said it was a “historic day” when he unveiled the plan at a press conference in Berlin.

He said the move is the first time Germany has adopted a cross-departmental strategy at the federal level to protect diversity and the rights of LGBT people.

The plan has six components, including the legal recognition of so-called rainbow families, whose composition differs from traditional family arrangements.

However, this would need a two-thirds majority in parliament and would therefore require the support of the opposition conservatives.“I hope that we can create momentum to achieve this two-thirds majority,” Lehmann said, adding that “discussions are ongoing”.

This was all the more important at a time when LGBTQ people are being increasingly discriminated against in many countries, such as Russia, Turkey and Hungary, he said.“We absolutely must use the next three years to anchor the legal provisions” in this area, he said.

Other plans include easing red tape for transgender people and improving health, counseling and safety for LGBT people. , Germany currently has three to four attacks on LGBT people every day, and the real number is likely much higher, Lehmann said.

The new strategy comes as the World Cup, which begins in Qatar, has been heavily criticized for its treatment of LGBTQ people ahead of the tournament.

Source of information ; The Local. De