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An Openly Gay German Foreign Minister?


Guido Westerwelle x390 (Getty) | Advocate.com

Guido Westerwelle, who heads the Free Democratic Party of Germany, could be the first openly gay foreign minister of the country, pending the outcome of elections on Sunday.

Current polling shows that Westerwelle and the FDP could prove integral to the ability of Prime Minister Angela Merkel and her Christian Democrats to form a coalition government. If so, Westerwelle stands to receive a historic appointment that will likely test the tolerance of many world leaders more acutely than most German voters, according to The Times of London.

Germans are familiar, for example, with Klaus Wowereit, the openly gay mayor of Berlin. “What they have been uncertain about is whether a gay man, who sometimes takes his partner on official overseas trips, can function as a foreign minister,” reported The Times. “Could there, for instance, be snubs from President Ahmadinejad (who, after the execution of two gay men, told a Western audience: ‘We don’t have homosexuals, as in your country.’). Or jokes from Silvio Berlusconi (whose supporters recently used homosexuality claims to get rid of a critical editor)?”

Westerwelle, 47, came out in 2004 when he attended Merkel’s 50th birthday party with his partner, businessman Michael Mronz. He enjoyed a lighthearted image that included an appearance on Germany's version of the reality television show Big Brother.

In recent years, however, Westerwelle has grown more serious and emerged as the leader of his party, now on the cusp of a coalition government and a historic appointment.

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Reader Comments
  • Name: Daniel S
    Date posted: 9/27/2009 6:52:14 PM
    Hometown: New Hope, PA

    Comment:

    Well, points to Westerwelle for not even being remotely closeted. Reuters is flush with photos of him and his partner (openly described as such in the captions) appearing as a couple in post-election events. It's actually rather heartening to see supporters of a mainstream political party cheering a gay man who happens to be their party leader, especially with his partner at his side. Even though the CDU, and especially the CSU, aren't especially gay-friendly there is nonetheless some benefit to the gay community from having out elected officials. Hopefully he will do a good job in whatever role he negotiates for himself in the new coalition. Given the CDU/CSU's poor showing, and the FDP's great one he should have some extra weight in Merkel's next government.

  • Name: Souza
    Date posted: 9/27/2009 11:08:34 AM
    Hometown: São Paulo

    Comment:

    I would like to see him and his partner shaking hands with the pope.

  • Name: Helmut
    Date posted: 9/26/2009 7:36:28 PM
    Hometown: Los Angeles

    Comment:

    Joe. A governing coalition between CDU and SPD would indeed be a victory for gay rights. I lived in Germany and Holland as an openly gay man in the 70'2 and 80's and never felt oppressed or in any kind of danger. Sure there were no gay rights marches etc - but there were also no crazy politicians or religious figures calling us sick and perverted. But most importantly there was no significant violence against gays. Now in cities like London, Berlin, Hamburg and even Amsterdam can now be very dangerous for us. Once you leave the gay neighborhoods you must be careful in public, in the subway, on the streets etc to be identified as gay - because the Muslim youth from Turkey and Northern Africa is eager to beat you up. It is an irony that the conservative parties in Europe who are calling for stricter immigration rules turn out to be the best ally for gays in Europe. We left gay discrimination behind in the 70s and 80 and are now importing it back through a muslemization of Europe.

  • Name: joe
    Date posted: 9/26/2009 7:26:22 PM
    Hometown: anderssen

    Comment:

    You are historically and politically incorrect. The FDP was the first and only party who back in the early 70's called for the abolishment of paragraph 175 a left over from the nazi time that criminalized homosexuality in Germany. They continued to work for personal freedom including gay rights. Their possible coalotion partner (CDU) has apparently no issue with appointing him to the post. Meanwhile the SPD (Social Democrats) and the Green Party are busy calling for tolerance towards the increasing Muslim population in Germany who much like in England and the Netherlands are openly, aggressively and violently opposed to homosexuality. Lets hope Angela and Gido will win tomorrow!

  • Name: Eric Skoda
    Date posted: 9/25/2009 1:47:24 PM
    Hometown: Frankfurt / Germany

    Comment:

    While this sounds great for us LGBT folks in Germany, it would actually be a bad thing. If Westerwelle's party becomes part of the ruling coalition with the Christian Democrats, it means nothing will happen in terms of LGBT rights in German for years to come. His party has very little backbone and has historically not proven itself as a strong force for LGBT rights. So while an openly gay foreign minister would make great PR, it would do nothing for us living here. So here's hoping for a different candidate!



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