Tolerance – Here and In Europe
On occasion of the Day against Homophobia and Transphobia on May 17 member of Party Executive Board, Klaus Lederer, declares:
Only days ago Conchita Wurst from Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest – a drag queen, a young woman with a beard. Europe cheered her and could consider itself tolerant and open. The victory was surely a good signal against prejudices and for self-determined life plans and equality. But it is like so many times before: You only see the ones in the limelight and miss those in the shadows.
Disguised hostilities and open violence against people living and loving differently are still daily fare. A legally unequal treatment adds to the discrimination. We are still far away from comprehensive respect and acceptance in Germany and in Europe.
The necessary societal climate of respect and acceptance can only develop if discrimination of different lifestyles is stopped also on the political level. This means i.a. the full legal equality of same sex couples including the right of adoption.
DIE LINKE demands a distinct ban of homophobic violence and a policy that does not exclude anymore what is different – only by this all people are equal among equals. Only when someone‘s sexual orientation isn’t worth any headline this aim has been achieved.