According to a survey by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)1, almost one in three LGBTI+ people in Germany suffer discrimination in the workplace – one in five LGBTI+ people in social services/health care and one in six at school/university.
Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation can occur at a “small” scale, for example through obscene jokes or insults. In general, discrimination and violence against LGBTI+ people can take place in a variety of ways:
- insult (e.g. “fucking gay”, cyberbullying)
- Physical injury (physical violence against oneself)
- Threat (e.g. “I’ll find out where you live and beat you to death tranny”)
- Blackmail (e.g. “Give me money or I’ll out you”)
- Sexual assault (obscene jokes or sexual insinuations in the workplace)
- Slander (denunciation to defame critics, forced outing)
- Damage to property (e.g. “faggot” scratched on the bonnet)
The “Rosa Hilfe” is there for you if you have been a victim of discrimination/violence. This also includes everyday discrimination which you might consider “normal”.
You can also take action and report to the police or the public prosecutor. Every report makes discrimination and violence visible and can generate political pressure to improve the well-being and safety of LGBTI+ people.
Source and further information: https://100mensch.de/kampagnen/zeig-sie-an/
https://strong-lgbti.de/1EU Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), LGBTI Survey, “A long way to go for LGBTI equality”, 2020