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Rainbow flags at the Red City Hall for the Berlin Pride summer (archive)
Photo: snapshot-photography/F.Boillot / imago images/snapshot
A controversial guest article in the newspaper »Welt« on gender diversity drew criticism from federal politicians.
The Federal Government Commissioner for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity, Sven Lehmann, also wrote in a guest contribution to "Welt" that the pamphlet "oozes with homophobia and transphobia, is not scientifically sound and works with fake news".
The Green politician also stated in his contribution: "I am not only writing this reply as a government official." He is also writing it as a gay man and as someone who is in solidarity with all minorities who are discriminated against because of their being.
“We're tired of our existence being negotiated at all.
We are tired of LGBTIQ* hostility being presented as a legitimate 'opinion' in the first place and not for what it is: group-focused enmity.”
Döpfner criticized the post internally
The controversial guest article by five authors was published last week – shortly before the start of global action weeks (»Pride Month«), which focus on diversity.
The abbreviation LGBTIQ* stands for the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersexual and queer people.
In their »Welt« contribution, the five authors criticized public service broadcasting.
In his programs it was allegedly "denied that there are only two sexes".
The post also said children were "indoctrinated" and "intensely sexualized."
The guest post sparked criticism.
There was also controversy within the Axel Springer media company, to which the »Welt« media brand belongs.
Springer boss Mathias Döpfner then wrote to his own employees that the contribution of the guest authors was "underground" in the matter.
Döpfner's text can also be read on the »Welt« website.
For everyone who feels part of the LGBTIQ* community, the text is a violation and an impertinence.
At the same time, Döpfner stated that the media company had been unloaded from a queer job fair after the guest article had appeared.
The almost 18,000 employees would be held jointly liable for the article, wrote Döpfner.
Ulf Poschardt, editor-in-chief of the "Welt" group, also spoke up.
Among other things, he wrote that there had also been criticism of the way the guest post was presented on the website.
The opinion piece was illustrated with a graphic of the mouse from the ARD children's format "Sending with the Mouse" - next to it an upside down rainbow flag, which stands as a symbol for queer life.
The graphic and title of the article, which is still available on the website, have been changed.
muk/dpa