1.4 million euros for queer research: A milestone for democracy!”

1.4 million euros for queer research: A milestone for democracy!”

On March 8, 2025, a significant research project entitled “LGBTIQ* Movements as Agents of Democratization: Historical, Contemporary, and Future Resources for Imagining Inclusive and Diverse Democracies” started at the Free University of Berlin. This project is funded by the Volkswagen Foundation with 1.4 million euros and will run for three years and three months. The research activities are spread across the locations in Berlin, Giessen and Vienna and are carried out by a transdisciplinary team led by Dr. Andrea Rottmann carried out.

The project team is made up of scientists and practitioners working in the fields of queer archives, theater, history and political science. The aim is to counter anti-LGBTIQ* narratives and disinformation with historical knowledge. In order to realize this ambitious project, several innovative activities are planned, including the development and digitization of archive holdings, the creation of an oral history collection as well as theater workshops and digital storytelling.

Historical contexts of the queer movement

Queer history is characterized by challenges and successes that are deeply rooted in social structures. In the 19th century, queer people in Europe often experienced persecution, particularly through Paragraph 175, which criminalized homosexuality in Germany in 1871. The breakthrough in strengthening rights came gradually, for example with the founding of the Institute for Sexual Science in 1919 by Magnus Hirschfeld, a pioneer of the LGBTQ+ movement.

The terrible repression during the Nazi era led to thousands of queer people being murdered in concentration camps. The pink triangle that homosexuals were forced to wear later became a symbol of resistance. After the famous Stonewall uprising in New York in 1969, which is considered a turning point in the global LGBTQ+ movement, a new departure began. In Germany, this uprising inspired activists and led to the founding of the first Christopher Street Day demonstrations in the 1970s.

Demands and Progress of Queer Rights

The 1980s were heavily influenced by the AIDS pandemic. Amid stigma, unprecedented solidarity emerged within the queer community, with organizations like German AIDS Aid fighting for medical support and education. Significant legal progress was achieved with the introduction of registered civil partnerships in 2001, followed by “marriage for all” in Germany, which was introduced in 2017.

Since 2018, gender entries can be specified as “diverse”, and in 2020 a ban on conversion therapy for minors was passed. Despite this progress, discrimination and violence against queer people remain a key problem. Current issues such as transsexual law reform and recognition of queer parenthood still need to be addressed.

The visibility of queer people in culture, literature and media is growing, but the challenges remain present and require continued commitment.