Homosexual soldiers were discriminated against in the early years of the Bundeswehr. A law should compensate the affected men. So far, fewer applications have been received than expected.
In the two years since the law on the rehabilitation of homosexual soldiers came into force, the Bundeswehr has received 178 applications for compensation.
This is less than expected, the Ministry of Defense announced on Tuesday in Berlin. In an evaluation report, however, the ministry states: “The objectives of the law have been achieved.”
The law not only aims at the individual rehabilitation of individuals, but also at collective rehabilitation measures such as the annulment of military service court judgments. “The collective effects of the law as a building block for more acceptance and tolerance of sexual diversity in the Bundeswehr go far beyond the mere assessment of the number of rehabilitations and compensation,” it said. So far, around 400,000 euros have been paid out to those entitled as symbolic compensation.
In 2021, the Bundestag decided that homosexual soldiers should be compensated and rehabilitated for their discrimination in the Bundeswehr and the National People’s Army of the GDR. Homosexual acts were a criminal offense in the Federal Republic until 1969 and also dealt with the military service courts. In the early years of the Bundeswehr, which was founded in 1955, homosexual soldiers had to reckon with being demoted or dismissed. Later they could remain in the armed forces, but were no longer entrusted with managerial tasks.
Source: Stern
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