Demands

Article 3 paragraph 3 sentence 1 of the Basic Law currently reads: “No one shall be discriminated against or favoured on grounds of sex, descent, race, language, homeland and origin, creed, religious or political opinion.”

The term “sexual orientation” should be added to this list in order to emphasise the state’s special interest in protecting non-heterosexual forms of love. According to our interpretation, the protection of gender identity (both binary and non-binary) is already covered by the characteristic “because of one’s sex”.

With regard to the aforementioned characteristic of “race”, we call for an overall societal discourse on whether this term should be removed entirely from the list in Article 3 of the Basic Law or how Article 3 of the Basic Law could be reformulated in order to preserve the important basic idea of protection against racism in this fundamental right. The perspective of PoC interest groups must be decisive in this debate, as they are particularly affected by racism.

This demand was adopted by the CSD Leipzig plenum on 10 February 2021.

People are still far too often treated differently by the masses on the basis of their gender and pre-judged according to stereotypes. This problem is particularly evident in the professional sports sector. The example of women’s football makes it clear that women’s sporting achievements are of less interest and receive less support. In return, men are assumed to be strong in all areas and their sensitive and emotional side is denied in public or seen as a weakness. The devaluation and prejudiced or sexualised objectification of people is incompatible with an equal and enlightened society. We reject sexism in any form and in any way.

This demand was adopted by the CSD Leipzig plenum on 10 February 2021.

For this reason, we stand against the current shift to the right in society. This shift to the right comes from parties such as the AfD or the III. Weg. It is reflected on the streets in demonstrations such as those organised by PEGIDA and the Identitarian Movement or in protests against refugee accommodation. Magazines such as the conspiracy theory magazine Compact and the Antaios publishing house continue to fuel right-wing ideologies. In doing so, they deliberately spread lies and half-truths that others are happy to pick up on and spread further. But the tone is also becoming harsher in the centre of society and right-wing populists are increasingly being offered a forum. Unfortunately, this also applies to our community. We want to oppose this development everywhere. Leipzig Pride stands for the free and democratic basic order and a free society in which all people can live freely regardless of their skin colour, religion, gender or sexual identity.

This demand was adopted by the CSD Leipzig plenum on 10 February 2021.

Queer people can be both victims and perpetrators of criminal offences, which is why it is important that law enforcement and prison authorities, i.e. the police, public prosecutors’ offices, courts and prisons, are sensitised to queer issues. From the perspective of those affected, hate crimes, for example, must be recognised and punished as such.

In order to reduce prejudice on the part of queer victims towards law enforcement authorities, directly sensitised contact persons for queer issues should be appointed and publicly advertised in the relevant authorities nationwide. Regular training and further education on how to deal with queer people without discrimination should be organised on a regular basis.

Queer offenders should have the right to be housed in the prison designated for this purpose in accordance with their gender identity.

The statistical surveys of the Saxon State Office of Criminal Investigation and their analyses (police situation reports) must include the offence of hate crime.

NOTE: A contact person for LGBTTIQ* has been available at the Leipzig public prosecutor’s office since 1 February 2021.

This demand was last revised on 11 April 2023.

Queer people are persecuted under criminal law in around 72 countries worldwide, including torture and murder, and trans people in particular are subjected to massive attacks in many countries. In January 2019, the Bundestag reclassified Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia as safe countries of origin. This is very problematic, as these countries harshly discriminate against queer people in society. According to Article 16a of the Basic Law (GG), asylum may be applied for if the persecution is based on sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees decides on the asylum application on the basis of a personal interview and a thorough examination of documents and evidence. Proof of sexual orientation is often required in order to obtain a right of residence or stay. This leads to unjustified decisions because it is virtually impossible to provide evidence of sexual orientation.

The Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (EU) enshrines universal human rights and commits to upholding them. Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or “sexual orientation”.

Nevertheless, in a representative survey conducted by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) in 2019, 43% of LGBT people surveyed stated that they felt discriminated against (compared to 37% in 2012).

We see an urgent need for action here. The Charter of Fundamental Rights does not apply directly to EU citizens unless there is a European connection in individual cases. However, the EU institutions should and can work to ensure that queer rights are respected and defended in their member states and that appropriate measures are adopted.

The EU must not stand idly by and watch as queer rights are trampled underfoot in Poland, for example, through the creation of LGBTIQ*-free zones or in Hungary through homophobic/trans-hostile constitutional amendments.

If the EU defines itself as a community of values and defines the protection of queer rights as a guiding principle in its fundamental treaties, then it must not remain silent when its member states break these rules.

In this respect, we welcome the initiative of the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, to develop a “Strategy for LGBTIQ Equality in the EU”. We hope that this will be implemented quickly and, above all, consistently.

As one of the most influential members of the EU, the Federal Republic of Germany should support and promote this endeavour by the EU Commission and also use all diplomatic means at its disposal to influence the other member states.

Sources:

https://www.zeit.de/politik/ausland/2020-11/lgbt-rechte-ungarn-verfassungsaenderung-homosexualitaet-trans-feindlich-regierung?utm_referrer=

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/de/ip_20_2068

https://www.treffpunkteuropa.de/zur-lage-der-lqtbiq-rechte-in-der-eu?lang=de

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 10 February 2021.

When a child is born with physical characteristics of both sexes or an ambiguous gender, experts refer to this as intersexuality. Medical professionals then decide which gender is assigned. What happens to the child if doctors have made a mistake?

Even today, intersex children are assigned a gender in infancy through “cosmetic” operations (e.g. castration, clitoral reduction, creation of a neovagina), which often lead to infertility. Sterilisation against the will of the person concerned is prohibited in Germany; neither the parents nor the child itself can consent to this (§ 1631 BGB). However, there is no restriction on consent if the procedure is to be defined as curative treatment, as intersexuality is described as a “sexual differentiation disorder”. In retrospect, many of those affected describe this as extremely traumatising. We are therefore calling for an end to this practice.

But why does a gender have to be assigned at all? Section 21(1) of the German Civil Status Act stipulates that the sex of the child must be entered on the birth certificate. Due to an amendment to the law, the gender designation in the case of an intersex child may exceptionally be stated as “diverse” or left blank (Section 22(3) of the Civil Status Act).

Although the state’s recognition of intersexuality as a form of gender is an achievement of the queer movement, the registration as “diverse” leads to an unnecessary permanent forced outing of intersex people to state institutions.

The reason why the state needs to know what gender its citizens are is outdated. In the present, however, a person’s gender is irrelevant to the state. Compulsory military service for men has been suspended and, if reinstated, would be unconstitutional as a violation of Article 3 of the German Basic Law (GG) for persons of the male sex only. There are no other reasons for gender registration, which is why this historical regulation can be abolished.

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 12 May 2021.

The Self-Determination Act (SBGG) was finally passed after years of wrangling and will replace the Transsexuals Act (TSG) after 40 years on 1 August 2024. The fact that in future it will be possible to change the gender entry solely by self-disclosure is a milestone for the recognition of gender diversity. It is also very important that “misgendering” or “deadnaming”, i.e. the deliberate use of the wrong pronouns or the wrong first name with damaging intent, is prohibited. Nevertheless, the SBGG falls short of human rights standards in some respects and is therefore not suitable for completely eliminating legal discrimination against trans people in Germany.

Our criticism relates in particular to the following provisions:

• For a case of tension or defence within the meaning of Article 80a of the Basic Law (e.g. war), the SBGG stipulates that the legal assignment of a person to the male gender is maintained for the duration of this situation if the change of the gender entry from “male” to “female” or “diverse” or the deletion of the indication of gender is declared within two months before the case of tension or defence. This reflects the law’s focus on possible abuse of the regulations. Even in these situations, people should have the right to harmonise their legal gender entry with the reality of their lives.
• Minors aged 14 and over require the consent of their legal representative to make a declaration to the registry office. If this is refused, the family court should be able to replace the consent. It is not regulated how the court determines whether consent can be granted. It must be avoided at all costs that the rightly abolished obligation to obtain an expert opinion under the TSG finds its way back into court proceedings “through the back door”. In general, however, the obligation to obtain consent should be removed for people aged 14 and over so that they can make their own decisions about their gender entry.
• Section 6(2) of the SBGG contains a provision that freedom of contract and domiciliary rights remain unaffected for access to facilities and rooms as well as participation in events. This superfluous reference once again focusses on the suspicion of abuse of the change of gender entry (in order to gain access to protected spaces). Instead, it would be desirable to point out that the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) applies and that people may not be discriminated against on the basis of their gender (and therefore also their previous gender entry).
• The SBGG stipulates that sporting achievements can be regulated regardless of gender. Discriminatory, in particular excluding special regulations for trans people are to be feared.
• People without a permanent right of residence or with a non-renewable residence permit, with a tolerated stay or without papers are excluded from the opportunities offered by the SBGG.
• When selecting the gender entry, the law does not take into account gender identities that are on the spectrum and cannot be clearly categorised as either “male”, “female” or “diverse”, such as people who identify as demigender or genderfluid.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride on 19 June 2024.

Healthcare for queer people in Germany, and especially in Saxony, is patchy and barrier-rich. In medical training and further education, sexual orientations and gender identities are barely mentioned or only as deviations or mental disorders. Some therapists still try to cure queer people with so-called “conversion therapy”. Queer people also have a specific medical need that is far from being met. For example, there is still no standardisation and qualification of trans surgery or medicine or long-term studies on the effects of hormone therapies.

The number of blood donations in Germany has been declining for years. For a long time, gay men and other men who have sex with men (MSM) were not allowed to donate blood at all. Since 2017, MSM have finally been allowed to donate blood, but only if they comply with certain regulations. These regulations are neither scientifically justified nor do they put an end to discrimination. MSM continue to be excluded without this being clearly stated. The revisions in subsequent years have done nothing to change this.

People who have had anal intercourse with new partners in the last four months are still excluded. From now on, sexual intercourse with HIV-positive people and “sex work or its utilisation” will also lead to a deferral. The period of four months between having sex and donating blood is not comprehensible and is not explained. An HIV laboratory test, for example, can rule out an HIV infection after six weeks. Anal intercourse in itself is not a risk. This assumption is stigmatising. Protective measures such as condoms and HIV prophylaxis PrEP, which prevention encourages, are not taken into account in the new anal intercourse clause. It also stigmatises a new group of people who were not previously affected: heterosexual people who have had sex with more than two partners in four months or anal intercourse with only one person – regardless of the real HIV risk.

Furthermore, sex with HIV-positive people should no longer be a reason for exclusion. Under effective HIV therapy, there is no risk of transmission during sex. Sex work or its utilisation must also not be a reason for exclusion – because whether sex is paid or private does not affect the HIV risk. HIV is not more common among sex workers than in the general population. One misconception remains: alleged monogamy is not a reliable method of protection. People can only provide reliable information about their own behaviour. “Sexual intercourse exclusively within a long-term couple relationship with non-infected partners” is a false sense of security.

Source: https://www.aidshilfe.de/meldung/diskriminierung-blutspende-zurueck-los

This demand was last revised on 24 May 2024 and adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum.

Conversion “therapies” are used to supposedly “cure” homosexuality and transgender or intersex identities. We reject the term “therapy” for this form of treatment, as it implies that there is something to be treated. However, homosexuality, transgender and intersexuality are not illnesses that need to be cured. Rather, these treatments cause massive mental and physical suffering.

We therefore welcome the Act on Protection against Conversion Treatments (KonvBehSchG) of 12 June 2020 and in particular the ban on advertising such treatments. However, the ban on carrying out the treatment does not go far enough for us.

Section 2 KonvBehSchG prohibits conversion treatments for people under the age of 18 and treatments for “persons who have reached the age of 18 but whose consent to undergo conversion treatment is based on a lack of will” (Section 2 (2) KonvBehSchG).

This wording continues to open the door to circumvention of the prohibition through small print, deception, etc. In addition to adolescents/minors, young adults between the ages of 18 and 27 also require special protection from such “therapies”. This is because the legal age of majority does not necessarily coincide with full personal maturity and stability. This group of people is particularly susceptible to supposed promises of salvation.

In § 5 KonvBehSchG, a prison sentence of up to one year is threatened for carrying out conversion treatments despite a ban. Parents can also be liable to prosecution. Paragraph 2 states that the criminal provision “shall not apply to persons acting as carers or legal guardians unless they grossly violate their duty of care or education by committing the offence.” In our eyes, any person with the right of care or parental authority is grossly violating their duty of care or upbringing if they inflict such “therapy” on a person.

In our opinion, inhumane conversion “therapies” or conversion treatments should be completely banned, without exception.

Source:

Bundesgesetzblatt 2020, Blatt 1285 f.

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 10 February 2021.

In recent years, the number of first-time HIV diagnoses in Germany has fallen slightly. However, infections with other sexually transmitted infections are on the rise. In order to curb the spread of STIs, low-threshold testing options and access to the healthcare system are essential.

The Federal Centre for Health Education (BZgA) has been publishing poster campaigns on sexually transmitted infections (STI) for several years. They explicitly advise people to use condoms to minimise the risk of contracting an STI and to see a doctor if they have symptoms that indicate an STI.

(https://www.bzga.de/infomaterialien/hivsti-praevention/ liebesleben-kampagne/liebesleben-plakate/)

If symptoms are present, doctors have a clear indication for a test and health insurance companies will cover the costs. In informed medical practices, it is common practice to take a detailed sexual history. Based on the results, such as sexual practices and number of sex partners, the treating doctor will carry out appropriate screening for certain STIs in order to be able to recognise and treat asymptomatic STIs. The health insurance companies will also cover the costs incurred in these cases.

Many STIs cause no or hardly any symptoms, so there is no indication and health insurance companies can refuse to cover the costs. The same applies to routine tests for people with several sex partners a year and no symptoms. If the health insurance companies do not cover these costs, the patient bears them themselves.

Anonymous HIV laboratory tests or screenings for other STIs are offered by the AIDS and STI counselling centres of the health authorities, mainly for men who have sex with men (MSM) and sex workers.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic revealed the weakness of this system. Due to the commitment of all staff at the local health authorities to combating the pandemic, testing facilities for STIs were completely suspended for months without replacement.

Although many AIDS service organisations and checkpoints in Germany (https://www.aidshilfe.de/adressen) also offer anonymous HIV tests and tests for other STIs, they are unable to meet demand.

This means that people who want to be tested for STIs only have the option of a medical or laboratory test. These tests are not anonymous and are not covered by health insurance in the constellations described, so people may not get tested for fear of the costs.

We therefore call for all people in Germany to have access to at least one annual screening test for sexually transmitted infections covered by health insurance (both statutory and private), in addition to any services offered by public health authorities.

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 10 February 2021 and last revised on 11 April 2023.

Today, people with HIV have a normal life expectancy with a good quality of life. They have access to highly effective antiretroviral therapy that prevents AIDS so that no one has to die from the consequences of an untreated HIV infection. Effective HIV therapy also protects their sexual partners from HIV infection, i.e. people with HIV do not pass it on during sex without a condom. The desire to have children can also be fulfilled naturally, as healthy children can be born during HIV therapy.

In addition to using a condom, other ways of protecting yourself against HIV infection include protection through therapy and taking medication to prevent the risk of HIV (PrEP). An extraordinary medical development: from a deadly threat to a well-treatable chronic infection!

Nevertheless, people with HIV are still discriminated against and excluded today, as the current study “Positive Voices 2.0” by Deutsche Aidshilfe (DAH) shows. For example, by potential (sexual) partners, at work, when visiting doctors and in their personal environment. The reasons for this are manifold and are often based on misinformation and prejudices.

One current example is the completely incomprehensible exclusion of people with HIV from the police force in Saxony. According to a small question to the Saxon state parliament in April 2022 (printed matter no. 7/9350), applicants with HIV are not suitable for the police service.

Stigmatisation due to HIV infection primarily affects men who have sex with men (MSM), but also drug users and people who work in sex work as well as people who have experienced flight. Stigmatisation also occurs within the queer scene. For example, people with HIV are assumed to be careless or irresponsible. However, only each person can take responsibility for themselves. People with HIV are not solely responsible for this, but everyone involved in sex.

Discrimination and stigmatisation mean that people with HIV suffer from mental illness more often than average. In addition, the fear of marginalisation prevents people from getting tested for HIV.

Leipzig Pride therefore campaigns for comprehensive education about safer sex, for realistic images of life with HIV and how it has changed over the last 20 years, and for anti-discrimination work on this topic.

Sources:

https://www.aidshilfe.de/

https://hiv-diskriminierung.de/

https://hiv-diskriminierung.de/positive-stimmen-20

https://www.aidshilfe.de/meldung/studie-diskriminierung-macht-vielen-menschen-hiv-leben-schwer

This demand was adopted by the CSD Leipzig plenum on 12 May 2021 and last revised on 13 April 2022.

Due to the fact that several generations in a more tolerant society are now able to come out openly, there should have been an increasing lesbian presence over the years. When homosexuals are mentioned, lesbians are “included”, as gay men often dominate images and topics. The queer community also reflects society in general. Lesbian women, like all other women, have to constantly fight for independent attention, linguistic labelling and political relevance. Leipzig Pride is working towards giving the lesbian lifestyle more publicity.

“It’s just a phase.”

“You don’t have the courage to REALLY come out.”

“Never with bi.”

Bi and pansexual people are exposed to specific prejudices and discrimination, on the one hand by mainstream society and on the other by the queer community itself.

Another problem faced by bi people is their invisibility. Their sexual categorisation by others is always dependent on the gender of the respective partner. This external categorisation results, among other things, in a permanent pressure to justify themselves. Figures show that bi-/pansexuals have a higher rate of depression and suicide than homosexuals as a result of these exclusions.

We therefore call for public information and education programmes that aim to create visibility for bi-/pansexual realities and reflect prejudices. We also call on the community itself to discuss and discard exclusionary behaviour.

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 12 May 2021.

Asexuality is a form of sexual orientation and describes people who have little or no sexual attraction to other people. In the kind of sexualised society in which we currently live, people who feel little or no sexual desire and do not suffer from it are barely noticed and quickly devalued as pathological.

Asexual people are exposed to enormous psychological pressure, as they are often not met with understanding either in heteronormative society or in the queer community. In addition, they often experience stigmatisation or even incorrect treatment in a medical context. Sentences such as “you’ll have sex one day” or “you just have to find the right person” are a threat or an invitation for asexual people to have sex that they don’t want. It is not uncommon for threats of rape to be made in order to “cure” or “correct” the asexual person.

Asexual people are not childish or sick, they do not need to be patronised or cured. The lack of sexual attraction also describes a deviation from the heterosexual norm, which is why asexual people are just as much a part of the queer community.

This demand was last revised on 5 June 2024 and adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride.

Aromanticism is a form of romantic orientation and describes people who feel little or no romantic attraction to other people.

Today’s society places a high value on romantic relationships, regardless of the fact that other interpersonal relationships (familial, friendly, etc.) are just as important. This is why aromantic people are often labelled as “inhuman” or “emotionally cold” and are accused of not being able to feel love at all, not even in the form of friendships or family cohesion.

Legally protected forms of relationships such as marriage are expected to be linked to romantic attraction and romantic feelings for each other. However, many aromantic people choose to settle down in queerplatonic relationships with one or more trusted people or move in with good friends to whom they have committed – such forms of relationships should be recognised, enabled and protected by law in the same way as romantic relationships, as they are of equal value.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of CSD Leipzig on 22 May 2024.

People with disabilities are largely restricted in their self-determination and lifestyle by barriers and a lack of access to society. This can affect people of any sexuality or gender identity, who face multiple forms of discrimination – even within the queer community. As these barriers are avoidable and can be changed, we at Leipzig Pride are calling for the city of Leipzig in particular to act as a role model by creating more accessibility for these people, e.g. by expanding barrier-free public transport stops and a comprehensive expansion of the guidance system for the blind so that people with disabilities can also reach us and take part in Pride.

We call for an end to existing discrimination against women and trans people in parenthood laws. Currently, a man who is married to the mother of a child at the time of birth is automatically considered the father – regardless of whether he is also the biological father of the child.

Children who are born through sperm donation, for example in a lesbian marriage, currently only have one legal parent without an adoption: the birth mother. The non-birth mother of affected children or a trans parent have no legal protection of their parental status without an adoption. The first parent position on the birth certificate is currently reserved for mothers, and only women can be considered as such.

In future, this classification as a parent should also be possible for trans, inter and non-binary people who give birth. They must also be entered in the register of births with their aligned gender and name instead of the one assigned to them at birth in order to put an end to “identity falsification”.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride on 3 July 2024.

Many new family forms and living arrangements are penalised by current legislation. Despite social progress, rainbow families encounter social and legal frameworks that do not always take their living conditions adequately into account. Reservations about the diversity of love and living arrangements are particularly persistent in the context of families and growing up children.

However, there is an urgent need for reform not only for rainbow families, but also for single-parent families, patchwork families, multi-parent families, cohabiting couples and foster families. Among other things, there is a need for reform in parentage law, child
social law, inheritance law and pension law. But also in the law of reproductive medicine with regard to egg donation, embryo donation and surrogate motherhood, as well as in private international law with regard to the recognition of family relationships established abroad.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride on 3 July 2024.

With the current tax law (spousal splitting), married couples save tax if one person earns significantly more than the other. For example, in families where one person works full-time and the other part-time or stays at home and earns nothing, for example because of the children.

However, a third of all children today are born outside of marital unions and their parents have no splitting advantage. Conversely, more than half of married couples are childless and benefit from tax advantages.

The creation of a modern tax law (including the abolition of married couple splitting) would ensure more equal opportunities and also reduce obvious injustices in the tax system.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride on 3 July 2024.

Ignorance and prejudice against queer people are a major driving force behind discrimination and even violent offences. This can only change through comprehensive awareness-raising, education and anti-discrimination work. The topic of “sexual identities” receives little attention in research and teaching. Modern, enlightened and life-world orientated sexual education is not accessible to students at Saxon universities, but is reflected in the curricula of Saxon schools and pre-school education. This contradiction means that sex education does not take place in the classroom. Gender diversity should be anchored in the training of all educational, teaching, socio-educational, therapeutic and medical professions.

Since August 2016, the orientation framework has stipulated, among other things, interdisciplinary teaching for family and sexuality education as a school task. The aim is to promote individual development and coexistence. The lessons should not only discuss scientific issues, but also ensure that a variety of ethical, social and cultural issues are dealt with. This should take place in general education schools in various subjects across the board and in cooperation with extracurricular partners.

However, the implementation of this orientation framework is patchy. For example, queer identities are practically non-existent in Saxon schools. In history lessons, the victims with the pink triangle and the black triangle are ignored when discussing National Socialism. In German lessons, the authors’ sexual orientation is not mentioned, even though it characterised their work. Furthermore, the implementation of projects on sexual self-determination education is not guaranteed everywhere.

The current version of the orientation framework does not adequately address issues of sexual and gender diversity, and the promotion of marriage and family should take account of the realities of life and reflect or include both patchwork and rainbow families.

School is an important institution that has a decisive influence on the development of children and young people. It is therefore not only important that sexual self-determination education (e.g. through sexual education programmes) is provided, but also that the visibility and perspectives of queer lifestyles are guaranteed and that pupils are adequately supported in their individual sexuality.

Leipzig Pride is therefore calling for the orientation framework to be updated based on the Berlin/Brandenburg model and for a consistent review of its implementation.

This demand was last revised on 11 April 2023.

Sexual behaviour as part of social behaviour is individual for each person. There is therefore no single sexual behaviour. People can consciously choose between complete sexual abstinence and permanent debauchery. People who have sex frequently or with many different partners are often devalued. Likewise, people who live out fetish tendencies are labelled as “perverted” and people who live in polyamorous relationships are assumed to be all about sex. Homosexuals are also accused of being “perverted” with regard to their sexual practices, while lesbians do not practise “real sex”.

Our demand is therefore clear and unambiguous: this must stop. Everyone should focus on themselves and their own lives and be at peace with themselves. After all, only one thing counts: being satisfied and happy.

We assume that the sexual behaviour mentioned here takes place with the mutual consent of the sexual partners.

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 10 February 2021.

While Price places a great deal of emphasis on demands that affect society as a whole, we should not forget that we are also part of this society. Because even within the queer community, marginalisation and intolerance are everyday problems. Sexism, racism, classism and trans hostility, as well as discrimination based on appearance, age and many other characteristics are unfortunately also omnipresent in our ranks. The Stonewall uprising in 1969 started a movement in which queer people took to the streets as a united group and stood up for their common rights. In the spirit of this idea, we should once again remember that our community is diverse and sensitise ourselves not to forget the value of cohesion within the community alongside the acceptance that we demand from the outside. Because only together are we strong! That is why the Pride is committed to emphasising these values again and expects more respect and acceptance in our dealings with one another!

This demand was adopted by the Leipzig Pride plenum on 10 February 2021.

Sex workers are still stigmatised and discriminated against in our society because of their work. They experience everyday marginalisation, unequal treatment and are exposed to hatred, violence and state repression. Queer sex workers in particular are affected by multiple forms of discrimination.

The Prostitutes Protection Act has failed to fulfil its purpose since its introduction. It does not protect sex workers, but only creates new obligations for them. This is typical of a law that was not developed with the target group in mind. Even in public debates, sex workers are repeatedly denied autonomy over their own lifestyle. They are not trusted to be able to live their sexuality in a self-determined way, which is an inseparable part of their work. This paternalism must stop. After all, discrimination by the state and society are the biggest obstacles to sex workers living and working in dignity.

Sex work is a broad, heterogeneous field of work that cannot be generalised. For some, it is an expression of self-determination and autonomy to be accepted and desired with their own sexuality or identity. An experience that is not yet a matter of course in our society. CSD Leipzig recognises sex work as equal work and is clearly against a ban on buying sex. We condemn forced prostitution and human trafficking in the strongest possible terms. We demand equal rights and social participation for sex workers in order to strengthen and protect them.

This demand was adopted by the plenum of Leipzig Pride on 13 April 2022.

Exclusionary and discriminatory behaviour are not problems of individuals or social subgroups, but can be found in every social environment and run through society as a structure! Furthermore, homo-, bi-, trans- and inter-hostility cannot be viewed in isolation from other inequalities and certainly cannot be changed! We criticise outdated power relations such as those expressed in sexism, racism, classism, discrimination based on appearance and hostility towards people with disabilities! We are also focussing on ourselves and hostility within our community. Because even personal identification as queer and therefore as part of the LGBTTIQA* community does not protect us from negative comments among ourselves. The emancipation of one group cannot and must not be at the expense of others! Diversity is an opportunity for everyone!