By Volker Beck
Member of the German Bundestag

WARSAW, June 9, 2006  —  This article is an expanded version of what Volker Beck of the German Green Party said during an address to the International ‘Culture of Diversity’ Conference in Warsaw, part of the city’s ‘Gay Pride’.  Mr. Beck was injured during the violence at last month's Moscow Pride.  He was also arrested by the riot police.

Is the situation in Warsaw as bad as that in Russia?  The vice-chairman of the governing League of Polish Families party, Wojciech Wierzejski, has already publicly threatened participants in tomorrow’s demonstration with being “beaten with batons”.

Tomorrow, we will see whether the Polish government follows the example of Putin’s Russia and tolerates the violence of right-wing extremists and fanatics, or whether it decides to protect peaceful people against those who seek to use violence.

Does protection against violence apply to all citizens, or only to those who share the government’s point of view?

On May 27, a demonstration in support of tolerance was planned in Moscow.  The demonstration was banned.  The participants in an international conference against homophobia were attacked by rightwing extremists.  Some people were injured.  The police were present in great force, yet did nothing to protect the peaceful lesbians and gays — indeed they facilitated the violence.

Oppression of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people is not a minority issue.  It affects all democrats.

That is why I went to Moscow.  I wanted to lend my support to our courageous friends who are fighting for civil rights, for the realisation of democratic rights.

Lesbians and gays have to cope with major problems in Russia.  There is a massive threat of violence.  The hatred which this expresses is frightening.  It is intolerable when people are humiliated, kicked and beaten up just because they love differently from others.

It is also frightening that there is no clear support from the state for the rights of lesbians and gay citizens.  On the contrary, the mayor of Moscow deprives people who advocate tolerance and equal rights of their freedom to demonstrate.

A tacit understanding exists between the perpetrators of violence, religious preachers of hate and Moscow’s policymakers.  This is wholly reprehensible.

The Russian foreign minister, Sergi Lavrov, justified the oppression of homosexuals by saying that varying views on human rights exist in Europe and Russia.

Mr. Lavrov, there is no European or Russian interpretation when it comes to human rights.

■ German politician Volker Beck: Human rights are universal.

Freedom of opinion, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly are fundamental democratic rights.  Like all citizens, lesbians, gays, bisexual and transgendered people have the right to demonstrate in order to draw attention to their problems and their political demands.

Anyone who impedes this — or even prohibits it — acts undemocratically.

Russia has recognised the European Convention on Human Rights.  The ban on demonstrations imposed by the mayor of Moscow clearly violates this Convention.

The official reason for the ban is totally hypocritical.  Allegedly, the city government cannot guarantee the safety of the participants.

However, it is the responsibility of states which have signed the European Convention on Human Rights to safeguard — and if necessary to enforce — freedom of opinion, speech and assembly for all citizens.

These fundamental democratic rights must be particularly safeguarded in the face of people who resort to violence to deprive others of their rights.

By banning the demonstration, Mayo Luzhkov is leaving the field open for people of violence and prophet of murder.  That is a crime against democracy.

No one is forced to love lesbians and gays.  It is a matter of respect, f the democratic acceptance of diversity.  Human rights are indivisible.  Oppression of lesbians and gays is incompatible with the values of a democratic Europe.

I cannot give advice on Polish domestic policymaking — and I do not intend to do so.  But I can tell you about how the situation has developed in Germany.

Sixty-seven years ago, Nazi Germany overwhelmed eastern Europe with a war of annihilation.  The goal was enslavement and genocide.  At home, the murderous racist policies Nazi Germany included an unparalleled persecution of homosexuals.

Tens of thousands of men were sentenced by the courts because they engaged in homosexual acts.  Thousands were murdered in concentration camps because of their homosexuality.

In the light of its past, Germany has a special responsibility to work proactively to end human rights violations against lesbians, gays bisexuals and transgendered people.

In the beginning, the Federal Republic of Germany in no way lived up to this responsibility.  Rather, homosexuals were oppressed and nothing was done to combat discrimination.

Over the last four decades, though, major changes have taken place in the values which exist within society.

Many people have realised that it is poison or co-existence within society if people are excluded because they love differently from the majority.

Many people have come to value the principles of freedom and self-determination and are prepared to also grant others their freedom.

They have realised that democracy does not mean a dictatorship of the majority, but rather a sensitive attitude towards minorities.

The more lesbians and gays are visible within society, the more distorted pictures of homosexuals lose their persuasive power.

People who have lesbians or gays as family members, or work with colleagues who are openly homosexual, are not as easily influenced by suggestions, intended to stir up hatred, that homosexuals are child molesters, sick or perverted.

They realise that lesbians and gays are completely normal people with strength and weaknesses just like everyone else.

That is precisely why those who preach hate, who seek to exploit old prejudices in their power struggles, do everything possible to drive homosexuals out of the public domain and into dark corners.

They are well aware that the demonisation of lesbians and gays can only continu in this way.  Invisibility breeds myths; visibility of lesbians and gays breaks down prejudice.

Of course, discrimination and prejudice have not been overcome completely in Germany either.  But they have been reduced considerably.

The large majority of Germans now believes that nobody loses anything by lesbians and gays being given equal rights.

Same-sex partnerships also have a right to legal recognition.  Five years ago, and Act on Registered Partnerships was introduced in Germany, giving homosexual couples the opportunity to register their partnership, with rights and responsibilities similar to those of marriage.

This was, initially, extremely controversial in Germany, as in other European countries.

Conservative and religious opponents of marriage between homosexuals claim that it is an attack on marriage and the family.  This is complete nonsense.  Marriage and the family are not institutions carved in stone throughout the ages.  Their forms have undergone radical change at various points in history.

The family today takes a variety of shapes.  In homosexual life-partnerships, as in others, the partners stand by each other and live by values which are important for our society.

Homosexual marriage is thus not an attack on family values.  Quite the opposite, in fact.  It provides support for people wishing to take on responsibility for one another — thus it promotes family values.

Today, the Act on Registered Partnerships enjoys broad acceptance within society.  Our constitutional court has also ruled that the protection of marriage and family is in no way infringed upon by legal recognition for homosexual couples.

Incidentally, one of the few German politicians who cannot accept recognition of same-sex partnerships is Erika Steinbach — somebody who is also well-known in Poland.  Even following the positive ruling made by our constitutional court, Erika Steinbach, who is a member of the Bundestag for the Christian Democrats and president pf the ‘Association of Expellees’, still stated that she would be in favour of revoking the law.

She would have much in common with Polish President Lech Kaczyński, education minister Roman Giertych or with Mr. Wierzejski on these issues.  This is a worrying thought.

The Czech Republic has recently introduced registered partnerships for homosexual couples.  This demonstrates that it is not some kind of law of nature that post-communist societies have to persecute lesbians and gays.

It doesn’t have to be that way.  In most eastern European states, though, there is so far no kind of recognition of life partnerships.  This represents massive discrimination.

In the absence of legislation, same-sex life partners are regarded as strangers before the law, even when they live together and care for one anther over decades.  This situation is an absolute disgrace.

It is unworthy of a democratic society to deny rights to one section of its citizens.  A modern social and family policy must also provide legal certainty for same-sex couples.  Legal recognition is vital if justice is to be achieved.

Persecution on the grounds of sexual orientation and homophobic attacks violate the fundamental human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights.

The right to a life free from discrimination includes protection from discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

All states are called on to ensure that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people are protected against discrimination, hostility and violence.

They must also ensure that lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgendered people enjoy the same respect, the same esteem and the same legal protection as other citizens in society.

Human rights are universal and indivisible.  Human rights that do not apply to everyone are not human rights at all.