For many German sexual minorities, the federal parliamentary elections scheduled for February 23rd are no longer seen as an opportunity to win new rights. Rather, the focus has shifted to protecting the hard-won gains achieved over the years and preventing a rollback of progress. The chilling rhetoric from far-right groups and conservative politicians has left many in the LGBTQ+ community concerned about the future.

“Politicians are referring to the withdrawal of the Self-Determination Act, which has only been in effect for three months. What a ridiculous thing,” said Joyo Ludwig, 26, a non-binary individual who has recently been officially recognized as neither male nor female.

In Germany, the Self-Determination Act allows individuals to change their gender by simply filing a report with the local registry. Thousands of transgender people, including Ludwig, have already either completed or applied for these gender changes.

Before the act, Ludwig had to endure years of waiting, substantial financial costs, and invasive questioning about his sexual preferences and underwear choices. The Self-Determination Act brought a new lease on life, allowing him to live authentically.

“The self-determination method gave me great hope. Finally, I can live as my true self, and the documents relating to my identity say so,” he related in a telephone interview with the Thomson Reuters Foundation. He described a path down which hopes and fears travel.On the 23rd, everything may disappear and fall back into various forms of a new era of oppression and prejudice and sexual minorities will be thrown into an upswing.

Recent polling data shows a significant surge in support for conservative and far-right parties, which has many activists worried. The conservative Christian Democratic and Social Union (CDU and CSU) has garnered 29-30% of the vote, while the far-right party, AFD, is polling at 20-21%. The expected outcomes mirror the fears of some in the LGBTQ+ community that their rights could be undermined by incoming leaders who have repeatedly demonstrated opposition to LGBTQ rights.

“The CDU and AfD exerting this influence will pave a dangerous path, periodo and its negative effects may not only apply to the realm of sexual minorities.”

CDU promises include protecting children from what they term “trans fanaticism, early gender determination, and gender-related ideas.” They also advocate for prohibiting various medical treatments that affirm transgender identities, such as administering adolescent blockers and hormones. The CDU also requested the abolition of the Self-Determination Act and the reduction of budgets for educational programs that accept LGBTQ+ ideas from children and young people. These proposed laws could lead to significant setbacks for LGBTQ+ individuals who have fought for legal recognition and protection.

The CDU’s potential refusal to work with on implementing already-in-place laws at the federal level that restrict the rights of textual minorities is a prime example of the risks posed by potential increased representation in government for the AfD party.

This problematic stance is similar to the recent trend in some U.S. states where conservative lawmakers have been introducing and passing legislation that limits the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ individuals. For instance, the Texas State Legislative misaligned to put in place an order to investigate parents bringing transgender youth to healthcare providers as child abuse. This trend in the U.S. mirrors the concerns in Germany.

Given the historical progress in Germany and beyond, these fears of potential regression are legitimate. On the one hand, many people are assured by the CDU’s promise of adherence to the rule of law, which serves as a beacon of hope. If the newly formed party will stand their ground and if they will be capable of bidding out any dissident dissenters from its ranks willing to make a compromise.

The community’s anxieties resonate with broader concerns globally, highlighting the fraught nature of LGBTQ+ rights in a changing political landscape. Recent polls have shown declining support for LGBTQ+ rights in the U.S., with a significant portion of Americans expressing discomfort with trans individuals, especially in states with strong political and social conservatism.

“German politics is at a crossroads. Some parties are trying to freeze the status quo and want to return to a past situation. From my perspective, both the sexual minority community and the rest of the population are now aware of what is that may lead to what the outcomes will be in this election. I can’t see It.”

The concerns see an influx of promises from coalition governments of Social Democrats, the Green Party, and Liberal Democrats established in 2021 to completely ban conversion therapy (psychotherapy that changes patients’ sex orientation)guaranteed anti-discrimination laws.

In which these promises have been addressed, still, the coalition government hasn’t been able to submit the bill before it has failed to implement other promises for victims of compulsory sterilization.

“(Now) it’s a mixed feeling of anger and resignation.”

Against the backdrop of political uncertainty, the LGBTQ+ community in Germany is rallying, seeking solidarity. As Legislative Elections on the 23rd approach.

“Currently, support for the general public through the magnitude of recent protests disputing the cooperation between the CDU and AfD. What I feel is that their mere presence on the street symbolizes the active interest of ordinary citizens.

“There will always be more people like us.”