Always in my heart

Volker Beck has been a MP for the Green Party since 1994. Since then he fought for marriage equality in the Bundestag. He is one of the leaders of a movement that ended with marriage equality in Germany today. He made numerous petitions, handed in draft after draft, fought against discrimination and for equal rights. Not only in Germany but also internationally. He was one of those parlamentarians that never accepted a no, but also took every little step they could. When he started this fight homosexuality was still illegal, homosexuals weren’t accepted as victims of the Nazis, and discrimination of homosexuals was everyday normality. He was always open about being gay at a time when it wasn’t seen as normal by the majority of people. He made sure that homosexuals weren’t criminalised any more, he fought for victims of the Nazis and fought for a memorial for them, he fought for those that were criminalised for their homosexuality and fought that those crimes were erased, he fought for marriage equality ever since. When Germany was one of the first countries to allow same-sex civil unions, he didn’t stop there. He continued to fight for same-sex marriages and he fought that same-sex couples have the same rights and wouldn’t be discriminated any longer. It were many, many small steps that he made possible with his persistency. Ever since he became a MP he fought for the rights of homosexuals, but also every other marginalised and discriminated group. Last week he persisted that the Green Party makes marriage equality one of the red lines in their party programme for the next election. This lead to similar reactions by the FDP, the Linke, and the SPD. This prompted Merkel to say that they maybe should talk about it some time in the future.

A clear majority of German MPs have voted to legalise same-sex marriage, days after Chancellor Angela Merkel dropped her opposition to the idea.

The reform gives gay men and lesbians full marital rights, and allows them to adopt children.

At present, same-sex couples are limited to civil unions.

But Mrs Merkel, who only decided to allow the vote on Monday, voted against the measure. Her political opponents were strongly in favour.