LGBTQ+ in Germany Joyce’s Travel Blog

Date: 2024/07/20-07/29
Location: Düsseldorf - Köln- Berlin, Germany
Goals: Building connections with participants from Japan and South Korea, and learning the LGBTI+ advocacy and anti-discrimination structure in Germany,
Outcomes: Deepened the connection with Japanese activists for future visiting trip preparation, and visited the state-level and national-level anti-discrimination governmental agencies in Düsseldorf, Köln, and Berlin, learning the development of anti-discrimination and gender recognition-related laws and policies in Germany.

TEC’s executive director Joyce Teng took a trip to Germany in July 2024, during which she experienced different cultures as well as learned in depth about the LGBTQ+ issues in Germany. In this travel log, Joyce wants to share with everyone what she saw and learned in Germany. 

Moment of opportunity
Since the legalization of same-sex marriage in Taiwan, Taiwan Equality Campaign has continued to stay in contact with activists in other countries. In 2023, TEC set up our “international project team” with several staff members. In addition to further sharing and exchanging information and opinions with our international colleagues, the team also formed the “East Asian Alliance for Anti-Discrimination” with activists from Japan and South Korea, aiming to carry out regional advocacy work through more networking. This time, at the invitation of German Institute Taipei, a delegation consisting of activists from East Asian countries (Taiwan, Japan, and South Korea) paid a visit to Germany. Throughout this trip, TEC was not only given an opportunity to exchange experiences in equal rights advocacy with German activists but also built more connections with our partners from East Asia.       

Germany’s journey to equal rights
Germany’s legal system offers relatively comprehensive protection to the LGBTQ+ community. In addition to the right to marriage, Germany has also passed the “Anti-Discrimination Act” and the “Self-Determination Act.” However, Germany is in the meantime facing another concern: many young men have joined the conservative right-wing party (AFD), whose stances include anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ+. Incidents involving discrimination against LGBTQ+ have also increased over the years.

During this visit, the delegation not only exchanged experiences with government agencies and civil organizations but also took part in many cultural activities. For example, Joyce visited the Schwules Museum (LGBTQ Museum) in Berlin. The museum was first completely funded by civil organizations, exhibiting objects like the microphone used by an openly gay politician, before it started to receive government subsidies. While given civil engagement and state support, the museum has become a world-famous tourist site, discrimination, unfortunately, has not decreased. On the facade of the museum, one of the letters was missing. The delegation was told by the museum staff that it was a mark left by a gunshot that occurred a while ago. In comparison, hate crimes are not as prevalent in Taiwan.   

In addition to the museum, Joyce also joined the Dyke March and Berlin Pride. Joyce shares with us: “Dyke March was a very political event. For example, on the issue between Israel and Palenstine, the community was in general more supportive of Palenstine. However, Jewish LGBTQ+ were also seen in the procession. There were some discussions on social media prior to the march, so a fairly large police force was deployed that day. During the procession, many political slogans like ‘No to Genocide’ or   ‘Ceasefire in Gaza’ were seen, while rainbow flags with the Star of David were also present. It showed that, although some tensions were sensed before the march, people were still able to express their political stance during the procession.” Different from the Berlin Pride taking place the next day, which was filled with singing, dancing, and celebrations, while music was also available, Dyke March was more like an occasion for people to advocate for their agendas. Joyce also mentions that an anti-discrimination organization they visited in Berlin shared that, in order to increase the visibility of the lesbian community, they specifically designed projects to subsidize lesbians, which was an example of how different equal rights measures may be adopted for different communities.    

The most memorable itinerary 
Through this visit to Germany, Joyce has learned more about the equal rights policies in Germany, while she also had some close exchanges with our partners in Japan and South Korea. For example, in 2021, our colleagues in South Korea conducted a living situation survey among LGBTQ+ teenagers/young adults between the ages of 18 and 35. A total of 4000 questionnaires were collected. The statistics gathered can perhaps be compared with the results from Taiwan and Japan in the future, both for the purpose of advocacy work and as a cross-national research project.  

Joyce tells us, prior to the trip, she had heard that Berlin was an amazing city with LGBTQ+-friendly parties everywhere. Next to her hotel were many bars. Whenever a passenger got off from an Uber, another would hop in to go to the next party, without any break. However, Joyce also experienced some inconvenience. For example, one had to pay 1 euro in order to use the toilet inside train stations. In comparison, living in a Taiwanese city is very convenient. When asked about other observations she made, Joyce mentions the subway (U-Bahn): similar to in the USA, subways in Germany smelled a bit like rubber or gasoline, a smell much less common in East Asian cities.  

As for her most memorable experience, Joyce says it’s the physical presentations at the Berlin Pride. Everyone, regardless of their gender and age, was active at the Pride and bravely displayed their body. Meanwhile, people with disabilities were present. For example, Joyce saw a woman dancing with a young man with a physical disability. She also saw a group of completely naked middle-aged men, who wanted to share the message of “being your truest self without any decoration,” despite the fact that their own body might not meet the mainstream definition of “fit.” A transgender woman traveling to Berlin from London was sitting by the roadside as she told Joyce: “Any person, regardless of age and gender, can attend the Pride. Anything can happen here. There are many beautiful things.”

While packed with political slogans, the Dyke March also had many heart-warming moments. Many casually dressed senior lesbians joined the procession on their bicycles. Joyce also noticed many children in both processions. Many heterosexual and gay parents brought their children to the march.  

Feedback and future actions
Returning to Taiwan, Joyce believes that this trip has allowed her to meet more international partners, such as the Equal Rights Coalition, a cross-national advocacy platform for gender diversity and equal rights. Germany and Mexico are the two co-chairing countries this year, with their diplomatic entity and civil organizations taking up the role jointly. During this trip, Joyce also met with the Foreign Ministry of Germany and the organization LSVD, one of the co-chairs this year. On this cross-national advocacy platform, few Asian representatives, either from the state or from civil organizations, have been present. As someone from Taiwan, a much more energetic player in terms of gender equality advocacy in Asia, Joyce expressed in this meeting how she looked forward to being engaged in the ERC through different formats in the future. We hope that soon we will have more opportunities to be part of the discussions and actions related to international LGBTQ+ advocacy.

After all, the anti-gender movement is taking place globally at the moment. By joining international platforms, TEC hopes to stay in dialogues with more countries and organizations, to learn about the development and narratives of the anti-gender movement in other countries, as well as to share how we carry out advocacy work in Taiwan, such as by fostering communications with politicians and promoting anti-discrimination law.  

Regarding workplace equality, Joyce attended a workshop for which LGBTQ+ groups located in Berlin were invited by the LSVD. Both activists from Germany and Japan mentioned collaborating with universities and LGBTQ+-friendly businesses to host job fairs, so as to demonstrate to young people the DEI values shared by companies. In the future, while continuing to host our workplace gatherings, TEC is also discussing with Taiwanese businesses about hosting similar events, which will not only help friendly businesses to recruit more talent but will also grant young people the opportunity to discover more friendly and inclusive workplaces.   

We invite all our followers to help us promote our international projects, pushing Asia towards gender equality. 
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