According to the former mayor-governor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, the most important phrase in his life was “I’m gay, and that’s okay!” The nation’s jaw dropped: for the first time, a high-ranking politician openly admitted his homosexuality. Revolution, fanaticism, an epoch-making turn for a conservative and then still largely dusty Germany.
For the co-chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) Norbert Walter-Bordjans, the verdict of his supporter marked a hiatus, “because at that time it was still a huge challenge to put into practice the realization that there are different ways of life.”
Wowereit released the iconic commentary on June 10, 2001 at an extraordinary SPD convention in the German capital. In his speech on the nomination, the future mayor-governor of Berlin (2001-2014) wanted to clarify the situation by informing his comrades about his homosexuality. Thus, he “showed courage” and launched the process “in a positive way,” Walter-Bordjans said in an interview with DW.
End of the phrase “don’t ask, don’t tell”
The second half of the saying, “… and everything is all right,” which became popular in the country, came out by accident, as Wowerright later admitted. But the act of publicly acknowledging his homosexuality was precisely planned. And it is no coincidence that he uttered the phrase in a firm, decisive, defenseless tone.
The politician knew that the brown press intended to publish a story about his sexual orientation, which at the time would have resulted in a scandal. Therefore, he went on the offensive, depriving his opponents of all ammunition.
The majority of public opinion praised the recognition. “Do not ask Do not Tell«: There is no need to talk about sexual orientation, it is better to hide and whisper. In one fell swoop, this behavior became a thing of the past, it became much easier for politicians to assume their own homosexuality.
In an interview with a newspaper Daily mirrorWowereit, who turned his back on politics a few years ago, confirmed that in hindsight, he is also “a little proud to have changed something for others”: only in Berlin and Germany, but around the world. “
innovative initiative
With his revelation, the Social Democrat really raised the wave. In the same year, Ole von Beust of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) was elected mayor of Hamburg, not hiding his homosexuality.
Then it was Guido Westerwelle’s turn: the liberal politician who died in 2016 was the first German foreign minister to be openly homosexual, and often appeared in photographs with his husband.
This option was not always easy for his position, sometimes becoming a risky game from a diplomatic point of view. Like in 2010, when Westerwelle went to Saudi Arabia, a country where homosexuals face the death penalty.
For the leader of the Liberal Democratic Party (FDP) Christian Lindner, the example of his predecessor to this day remains a kind of moral duty of the legend. In response to DW’s request, he replied: “Everyone should have the opportunity to realize their life project, regardless of their sexual orientation. […] Also, sexual orientation cannot be a disadvantage to participate in politics. “
The country opens gradually
In Germany today, gays and lesbians are equated with heterosexual couples or partnerships – at least in theory, but from a legal point of view – almost completely. Until 1969, male homosexuality was generally punishable in Germany under section 175 of the Imperial Penal Code of 1872. This is why gays were generally derogatoryly referred to as “175 people.” It was only in 1994 that the paragraph was finally deleted.
In 2001, the possibility of registered partnerships was created for people of the same sex, which is practically equivalent to a “normal marriage”, except for differences in tax and family laws. The next big step was the historic endorsement by parliament of the idea of ”marriage for all” in 2017.
This liberalization has generated a lot of controversy, especially for the conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU). Nevertheless, the law came into force, which means full legal recognition by the state of same-sex partnerships.
More tolerant than accepted?
Opinion polls show that the majority of the population has long imagined that they are ruled by gays or lesbians. This does not mean that there is no homophobia in politics.
Popular Christian Democrat Friedrich Merz cited a recent example: tabloid in September 2020 picture asked him if he, the then preliminary candidate for Chancellor Angela Merkel, had any doubts about the homosexual Federal Chancellor. No, it has nothing to do with society, he said, “as long as it remains within the law and does not affect children, this is an absolute limit for me.”
Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle (1961-2016) (left) and husband Michael Mronz in 2009
According to some critics, Merz approached homosexuality with pedophilia. SPD Vice President Kevin Kuehnert, who is openly gay, tweeted: “These are the roundabouts of a man who cannot hide the fact that normalizing how they deal with homosexuality doesn’t really mean anything to them.”
For his part, Health Minister Jens Spahn, who is openly gay and also from the CDU, like Merz, was only surprised, but not personally offended. However, in a previous interview with the newspaper Time, he said he was still injured due to his sexual orientation.
In September, for example, a COVID-19 pandemic denier insulted him as a “disgusting fagot.” Consequently, in politics, including in Germany, homosexuality is not at all normal. “I feel sad and I want to do my part to change that,” Spahn promised.
“Poor but sexy”
Consulting DW, Managing Director of the German Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) Klaus Yetz condemned the fact that even today the orientation of politicians of both genders continues to be taken into account: “Getting out of the toilet can still be unprofitable for his career. In this respect, for politicians and politicians, he is no different from other employees. “
Social Democratic leader Walter-Bordjans also continues to testify about homophobic tirades against his colleagues: “This is bad, and I’m afraid it won’t end overnight.” His recipe is to appeal to skeptics and “persuade them to admit that we will all benefit if our society becomes freer and more tolerant in this respect.”
In fact, Klaus Wowereit was known for more than just being gay. In November 2003, he commented on his hometown, which he ruled for so many years: “Berlin is poor, but sexy” – a phrase that has become something of an unofficial motto for the German capital. Once again, the politician known as “Wowie” had the courage to say the right things, in the right way, at the right time – like June 10, 2001.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
flirting masters
Among giraffes, there are more same-sex than opposite sexes. Research shows that homoaffective sexual relationships account for over 90% of all sexual activity in this species. And giraffes do not immediately get down to business. Males of this species know how to flirt, rub their necks against each other’s bodies. These foreplay can last up to an hour.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
Bisexuality underwater
Female and male bottlenose dolphins exhibit homosexual behavior, including oral interactions in which one dolphin stimulates the other with its nose. Homosexual interactions between dolphins of this species occur with approximately the same frequency as heterosexual ones. Men are usually bisexual, but go through a period of exclusively homosexualism.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
male loyalty
homosexuality is also common among lions. Two to four males often form what is called a coalition, working together to court lionesses. To build loyalty, men strengthen their bonds by having sex with each other. Many researchers call this behavior a classic “bromance”.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
difficult females
Among bison, homosexual interactions are more common than heterosexual intercourse. This is because females mate with males only once a year. During the mating season, eager males have sexual intercourse with members of the same sex several times a day. More than half of sexual intercourse between young bison occurs between members of the same sex.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
Just For One Night
In monkeys, both females and males sexually interact with the same sex. While men usually only spend one night with each other, women form close bonds with each other and are usually monogamous. In some populations, homosexual behavior among women is not only common, but the rule. When they don’t mate, they stay together to defend against enemies.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
two mothers
The Laysan albatross, common in Hawaii, is known for a large number of same-sex partnerships. About 30% of pairs of this species on Oahu consist of two females. Birds are monogamous and usually stay together for life, as it takes two parents to raise a chick. Puppies are usually the offspring of males who are already in other serious relationships.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
crazy about sex
Bonobos, also called pygmy chimpanzees, are considered the closest living relatives of males and are known to seek sexual pleasure, even if they are of the same sex. They have homosexual relationships for pleasure or to establish emotional bonds and avoid conflict. About two-thirds of same-sex relationships occur between women, but they are also common among men.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
Adoption by gay couples
Like many birds, swans are monogamous and have only one partner for years. Many people choose same-sex partners. About 20% of swan pairs are gay and usually form a family together. In some cases, they accept abandoned eggs. In other cases, a male of a gay couple mates with a female and repels her after she has laid a clutch of eggs.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
male shell
Male walruses reach sexual maturity by only four years of age. Until then, they are almost exclusively homosexual. After reaching maturity, most males are bisexual and mate with females only during the breeding season. But it’s not just about sexual pleasure between men: they also hug and sleep together.
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Ten animal species that show the naturalness of homosexuality
hormonal problem
Studies show that among sheep, up to 8% of males prefer other males, even when there are fertile females. However, this only occurs among domestic sheep. Studies have found that the brain structure of homosexual sheep is different from that of heterosexual sheep and produces less sex hormones.
By Ann-Sophie Brandlin