How do you get an underground guest contribution in the “Welt” by five authors on the supposed “sexualization” of children by ARD and ZDF out of the world? Springer-Verlag tries this volte with a contrary guest article in its newspaper. The Federal Government Commissioner for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity, Sven Lehmann, writes in the Monday edition that “the pamphlet is dripping with homophobia and transphobia, is not scientifically sound and works with fake news”.
The Green politician also stated in his contribution entitled “Transphobia is not an opinion”: “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 would be discriminated against because of their being. “We are tired of our existence being negotiated at all. We are tired of hostility towards LGBTIQ* being presented as a legitimate “opinion” and not as what it is: group-focused enmity.” Lehmann, and here the politician shows himself, only attacks the authors of the crude message, but not their bearers: the editor-in-chief and editors of the “Welt”. So much calculation should already be for mutual consideration in the near and distant future.
The controversial guest article by the five-strong team of authors was published last week, perfectly fitting the start of global action weeks (“Pride Month”), which focus on diversity. The abbreviation LGBTIQ stands for the community of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer citizens.
The “Welt” article criticizes the public service broadcaster, in whose programs, in her view, “the fact that there are only two sexes” has been “denied”. The post also said children were being “indoctrinated” and “intrusively sexualized.”
The guest post sparked widespread criticism. There were also controversies and protests within the Springer media company. Springer boss Mathias Döpfner then wrote to his own employees _ the text can also be read on the “Welt” website _ that the contribution of the guest authors was “underground” in the matter. For everyone who feels part of the LGBTIAQ* community, the text is a violation and an impertinence. At the same time, Döpfner went into the fact that the media company was uninvited from a queer job fair after the appearance of the guest contribution by the external authors. The almost 18,000 employees would be held jointly liable, wrote Döpfner.
