Tag Archives: Cologne University

German Chancellor Says Same-Sex Couples Should Not be Allowed to call Their Unions ‘Marriage’

In an online interview with German Youtube star Florian Mundt, alias LeFloid, as part of the ‘Gut Leben’ (good living) campaign, German chancellor Angela Merkel has said while same-sex couples should get marital benefits; a civil partnership should not be called marriage.

Merkel said she didn’t oppose same-sex marriage, but would wish to be call it something else.

I’m someone who is very supportive of us eliminating all discrimination,’ Merkel said when asked for her personal stance on marriage equality.

We have come a long way; when I remember, 25 years ago, many people didn’t dare to say that they are gay or lesbian. Luckily we overcame this; you can enter a partnership, a civil partnership.”

In June, members of Merkel’s Christian Democratic party sent an open letter claiming marriage equality would see the institution of marriage lost.

Also read: Angela Merkel Rejects Same-Sex Marriage in Germany

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For me, personally, marriage is a man and a woman living together. That is my concept, but I support civil partnerships. I support us not discriminating against them when it comes to taxes, and to remove any other discrimination wherever we may find it.”

Mundt accused Merkel of quibbling and wanting to keep marriage between same-sex and traditional couples separate, although it would be the same on paper.

He said

For me, there is still a difference. It’s not the same, but they [same-sex couples] want the same. Everything else is an exclusion for me.”

The chancellor claimed people had to accept different opinions on the matter – including herself, as the opinions in her party as well as in the German government differ, but ‘you’ll have to endure that for a while.’

I don’t want discrimination and [I want] equality, but I make a difference at some point.”

Her interviewer countered quickly:

So you could say: no to discrimination, but we’ll keep differentiating between the two.”

Merkel responded

No discrimination, Marriage as a man and a woman living together.”

Watch the full interview here:

Angela Merkel Rejects Same-Sex Marriage in Germany

A spokesman for Germany’s chancellor Angela Merkel has ruled out introducing same-sex marriage.

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Today was an important milestone in dismantling discrimination and the chancellor is pleased about that, but same-sex marriages are not a goal of this government. Every country makes its own laws – some countries go one route while others go another. In Germany we’ll take a path that suits Germany.”

Some have blamed the government’s coalition agreement for lack of flexibility on the issue.

Following the vote in Ireland, the German Chancellor faced calls for her government to catch up and introduce equality, with opposition Green leader Katrin Göring-Eckardt directly calling on Merkel to act.

Germany allows same-sex couples to enter into registered life partnerships that provide some of the benefits of marriage – but the Chancellor’s CDU/CSU coalition continues to oppose same-sex marriage.

Thomas Jaeger of Cologne University said:

This government isn’t capable of spontaneous reforms and is unable to move with the times. These are two big parties in the way of each other that don’t have the courage to tackle anything not agreed on in advance in their coalition agreement.”