Hamburg's queer friendliness in change: a dialogue about acceptance and challenges
Hamburg's queer friendliness in change: a dialogue about acceptance and challenges
What does queer friendliness mean for Hamburg society?
The question of Hamburg's queer friendliness is more topical than ever and throws light on the social changes of the Hanseatic city. Different perspectives on acceptance and the challenges were discussed in a recent conversation between Thomas Thomsen (CDU) and Farid Müller (Bündnis 90/Die Grünen).
The degree of acceptance
Hamburg is considered a liberal city, but Thomsen and Müller announce different assessments of the location of queer people. Thomsen sees the city on a scale from 1 to 10 at an 8, while Müller only classifies the city at 7 out of 10. In his argument, Müller refers to growing social acceptance within the middle, which, however, pairs with increasing aggressiveness on the part of the opponents. This shows an ambivalent mood in the city, which has both progress and declining.
challenges and social problems
Both politicians recognize that society faces many challenges that are limited by everyday problems such as inflation and apartment. These real challenges often seem to distract the attention of the citizens of topics such as gender equality and queer friendliness. Thomsen emphasizes that the comprehensive presence of diversity in the media is sometimes perceived as exaggerated. This discrepancy between individual reality and the political discussion can lead to uncertainty.
The dialogue as a key
Müller argues that open and comprehensive communication via diversity is necessary to avoid misunderstandings in society. Diversity is no longer a marginal phenomenon, but a central feature of modern society. Politics must organize a structured dialogue with the citizens in order to correctly address the relevant topics and to promote a common understanding.
Important political measures for the LGBTQIA+community
The political actors agree that there are important measures that need to be taken to further strengthen acceptance against violence and discrimination. Müller emphasizes the importance of a advisory center for rainbow families and the need to create senior citizens that are specifically geared towards the needs of queer older people. The sensitization in the police commissioner is also an urgent topic to better recognize violence against LGBTQIA+personnel.
look into the future
The next election in 2025 raises questions about what could change in the political landscape and attitude towards the LGBTQIA+community. Thomsen expresses concern that maintaining a high standard of queer friendliness could remain a challenge. Müller, on the other hand, is optimistic and realizes that Hamburg, as a city, has to commit to diversity to work on the queer friendliness. This variety must be valued and actively promoted in order not to leave the extreme right.
This article was first appeared in scene Hamburg 08/2024
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