LSVD Berlin-Brandenburg released on Wednesday its set of election policy questions for the Abgeordnetenhaus election on September 20. The queer rights group sent ten queer-policy questions to the parties running. Ten parties replied in total. This includes all parties that polls show have a credible chance of entering the legislature — namely the CDU, SPD, Greens, Left, and AfD. In addition, five splinter parties also responded.
“In light of the increasing threat level facing queer people, all parties have a duty, whether in government or in opposition,” said Florian Winkler-Schwarz, LSVD’s state director. “Queer communities don’t need vague promises, but reliable structures, predictability, and concrete political action. Our election policy questions illuminate which parties propose meaningful solutions, where questions remain unresolved, or where positions fail to provide the necessary protections.”
Specifically, LSVD asked the parties about strengthening the state’s anti-discrimination law, embedding queer topics in curricula, and how queer infrastructure could be improved. Some responses were even bizarre. When asked how queer refugees could be better protected, the far-right AfD proposed a “restrictive migration policy.” The CDU refused to answer how Rainbow Family households in Berlin could be practically relieved in administrative proceedings.
The election could be very close according to surveys: an INSA poll released last Friday put the CDU at 20 percent, narrowly ahead of the Left at 19 percent, AfD at 17 percent, Greens at 16 percent, and SPD at 15 percent. All other parties would fail to clear the five-percent threshold — FDP and BSW are the strongest minor parties at three percent each. The poll suggested there would be no majority for any two-party coalitions. Possible coalitions would be a black-green-red Kenya coalition or a red-green government led by the Left.
The LSVD has compiled the responses of all parties into a downloadable PDF. (dk)
