Homosexuality – population is only tolerant to a limited extent © Daniel Naupold
Is marriage in its traditional form a discontinued model?? According to a survey, the majority is in favor of opening up marriage. At the same time, however, many have great reservations about same-sex partnerships.
The society is already so far, the policy lags behind the developments – so it is often said, when the opening of the state marriage for homosexual couples is talked about. This seems to be confirmed by a new study presented in Berlin on Thursday: According to the study, 83 percent of respondents think that marriages between two women and two men should also be possible.
The study was commissioned by the federal anti-discrimination agency. Their leader, Christine Luders, stressed that approval for marriage equality has never been higher. It is a "sad sign" that in Germany, unlike in 14 other European countries, there is still no "marriage for all". Her plea: The legislature should no longer delay what a majority has long taken for granted. And Green Party member of parliament Volker Beck points to the coalition agreement between the CDU/CSU and SPD, according to which legal regulations that put same-sex civil partnerships in a worse position should be eliminated.
No complete equality
In Germany, homosexual couples have been able to enter into a civil partnership since 2001, giving their relationship a legal framework. For example, in tax law, this partnership is now largely equal to marriage. Gay or lesbian couples still cannot adopt children. However, in the case of registered civil partnerships, so-called successive adoption has been possible since 2014: according to this, couples can adopt a child if it had previously been adopted by the respective partner
In the Bundestag, the Greens regularly submit bills for opening up marriage. The majority of SPD and left-wing parties are also in favor of equality. The CDU/CSU rejects it, although some members of parliament, such as CDU presidium member Jens Spahn (CDU), are campaigning for it.
Different positions of the churches
The two large churches position themselves differently: In many Protestant regional churches, such as in Baden, there is now a marriage or blessing for homosexuals. The Catholic Church clearly opposes "gay marriage" – even under Pope Francis.
When a majority of the population in Catholic Ireland voted in favor of opening up marriage in a referendum in 2015, Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin spoke of a "defeat for humanity". The prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller, said the Irish "yes" to same-sex marriage meant "discrimination against the marriage covenant of a man and a woman and thus also against the family".
Marx: Consensus extremely difficult
The chairman of the German Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Reinhard Marx, pointed out in the same year that there was nevertheless a range among the bishops in dealing with questions about homosexuality: A worldwide consensus among the Catholic bishops on this ie is "extremely difficult.".
On closer examination of the new study, there are also reservations among the respondents. After that, it seems at least questionable whether German society is really as liberal as the clear vote in favor of "marriage for all" suggests at first glance: after all, it also shows that derogatory attitudes are definitely still widespread among the population. For example, 38 percent of respondents described it as "very" or "rather" unpleasant when two men show their affection in public. About 18 percent consider homosexuality "unnatural," according to the report.