Lest you think it’s just backwards Africa


Consider also backwards, repressive Germany, where Baden-Wuerttemberg’s plan to make “acceptance of sexual diversity” a part of the official school curriculum, is being resisted. Who, you might ask, would possibly think that tolerance and acceptance of different sexual preferences would be undesirable? The German Catholic and Lutheran churches, that’s who.

Regional church branches issued a joint statement Friday cautioning against any ideologization and indoctrination, not least in the sensitive area of sexual identity and connected personal and family lifestyles.

By which, of course, they mean the opposite: the state cannot promote equality, because that would oppose the ideologization and indoctrination of the church.

(Don’t worry, Germans, I’m not picking on you: I know the US is even worse for its infestation of evangelical gay haters.)

Comments

  1. says

    Feel free to pick on the homophobic bastards in the RCC and Lutheran church and the godsdamn CDU ans FDPconservatives.
    Everybody who follows me on Twitter must have wondered why I’m suddenly tweeting in German that much, now you know.

    Here’s some good news: Many states already have sexual diversity in the curriculum.

    The bad news: This really shows how deeply rooted homo- and transphobia still are.
    The homo- and transphobic petition was started by a middle-school teacher.
    Some more good news: he lost his position in the teachers’ professional association over this and the association took a clear stand against the petition and in favour of the new curriculum.

    But you know the discourse:
    Open homo and transphobia, What About The Children!!!*, parental rights, people’s fears must be taken serious!, censorship! Freeze Peach! Elebenty! the Full Monty.

    *Apparently non-cis, non-straight children don’t count. Also the protection of the family only extends to those families where everybody is cis and straight

    And you’ve gotta love the churches’ argumentation*: we must allow children to develop their sexuality freely and without being influenced! Because nobody ever tells them anything about heterosexuality, nono.

    *Hi David Wilford! *waves* Still praising the pope?

    If you sign petitions, this one is an open letter to the minister of education urging him to continue with the plans: https://www.campact.de/vielfalt-gewinnt/appell/teilnehmen/

  2. Thumper: Token Breeder says

    Who, you might ask, would possibly think that tolerance and acceptance of different sexual preferences would be undesirable? The German Catholic and Lutheran churches, that’s who.

    You thought that question needed an answer?

  3. says

    Fergus Mason

    Uh, didn’t the FDP have an openly gay leader? I’m sure they did, you know.

    Yep. And the Republicans had Condoleza Rice, didn’t make them less racist.
    Want a quote from the badenwürtembergische FDP Leader Rülke?

    “We regard alternative lifestyles as tolerable, but not equal with the ideal family of man, woman and children”

  4. says

    (Don’t worry, Germans, I’m not picking on you: I know the US is even worse for its infestation of evangelical gay haters.)

    At least the US government doesn’t impose tithing on people and force you to opt out of it the way Germany does. That only happens with tax funded programs, and they still have to play by some rules.

  5. says

    Oh, and talking about the above mentioned FDP guy: He’s a dishonest piece of shit
    Just for context: His party, which ruled in a coalition with conservatives, got kicked out of parliament in the last election, which meant that he lost his job as minister of foreign affairs.
    Now he’s flying the rainbow flag and claims that Merkel should continue with the good work towards equality.
    Actually, their coalition never moved towards equality voluntarily. They got repeatedly smacked over the head by the constitutional court and then had to make some sensible laws.

  6. nastes says

    @Giliell
    Thanks for the link to the petition!

    In general I agree with you assessment on Westerwelle, all of a sudden waving rainbow flags, like he did not have any influence while being a foreign minister. But then maybe he didn’t, but of course now he will not loose his job on account of not having one.

    However, I read one point in the spiegel interview a bit more like this: He claims that it was Merkel holding back the equal rights and that it is up to her to change that.

    Auf die Frage, ob die vollständige Gleichstellung bislang am Unwillen der Kanzlerin gescheitert sei, sagte der Ex-Außenminister: “Ja. Aber nun hat sie es in der Hand.”

    Roughly:

    Being questioned whether establishing the complete equality failed due to the unwillingness of the chancellor, the former foreign minister replied: “Yes. But now it is in her hands”

    Thereby also proving that logic is not his strong side. Well, getting rid of the FDP was imo the only positive outcome of the last election.

    nastes

  7. David Marjanović says

    Condoleza Rice

    Condoleezza with eezz. A… peculiar derivation from con dolcezza, the instruction to play a musical piece “with sweetness” or “gently”.

    We regard alternative lifestyles as tolerable, but not equal with the ideal family of man, woman and children

    Ah. The Liberal Party. *spoing*

    Thanks for the link to the petition!

    Seconded.

    The “term of address” options are “Mr”, “Ms” and “Hello”.

    Thereby also proving that logic is not his strong side.

    That’s been obvious for years.

    Well, getting rid of the FDP was imo the only positive outcome of the last election.

    Agreed.

  8. barbaz says

    As much as I love living in a region where 70% of people below 50 don’t believe in god, the influence of the churches on our government is horrible.

    About the gay former FDP-leader: he waited to criticize the homophobia of the government right until he was no longer a part of it. Impressive.

  9. says

    “Ah. The Liberal Party. *spoing*”

    It’s not the liberal party in the sense that Americans use the word liberal. It’s the Libertarian Party. Quite a difference.

  10. David Marjanović says

    It’s also hypocritical in the exact same way as the US Libertarians: pretends to be liberal both on the economy and on social issues, but is actually quite conservative on the latter. That was my point.

  11. natifftoffe says

    According to the stated reasons for the petition, the principles unfortunately lack an “ethical reflection” of negative by-products of an LGBT lifestyle, such as higher suicide rate, increased susceptibility to alcohol and drug abuse, high HIV infection rate, decreased life expectancy, and distinct risk of psychological affection.

    Way to confuse cause and effect.

    @Giliell: Libertarial Party is a good one. Still, the FDP is not any more homophobic than society as a whole. That Westerwelle didn´t earlier speak out against homophobia is, in my view, due to the fact that he was Foreign Minister – which means basically: pretend to be important, become popular on the job and stay above those petty discussions.

  12. natifftoffe says

    @left0ver1under
    Sorry, no government-funded program involved. nothing imposed, no need to opt out of anything. Just a curriculum. And a Governor of the (gasp!) Green Party, who is a life-long catholic, but still insists on tolerance. That´s Baden-Württemberg!

  13. oursally says

    Nichtsdestotrotz, it was so good to see Westerwelle going around touring the world, and Saudi princes being obliged to shake his hand. Did they use disposable princes and behead them afterwards?

    I live in Bad-Württ. It’s a bit Catholic, but no-one has burnt this atheist alive yet.

  14. says

    natifftoffe

    And a Governor of the (gasp!) Green Party, who is a life-long catholic, but still insists on tolerance. That´s Baden-Württemberg!

    You know, that’s part of the Fantasy Francis problem: Many people manage to be decent while catholic. And then they get praised for this, yet still they are members of a horrible, cruel and backwards institution and they legitimise that institution and support it.