The number of registered crimes against queer people in Bavaria doubled in 2023: from 96 in 2022 to 190 last year. This emerges from a response from the Ministry of the Interior to a request from the Green parliamentary group. The crimes were directed against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other queer people. These included insults and threats, but also several cases of physical harm. Bayerischer Rundfunk first reported on the numbers on Wednesday.
“The doubling of crimes against queer people is frightening,” said the state parliament Green Party’s spokesman for interior and queer affairs, Florian Siekmann. He fears the number of unreported cases will be much higher: “The all-time high is even more threatening when you consider that 80 to 90 percent of attacks still go unreported.” The victims suffered particularly from this hate crime. “Every attack violates their human dignity. They are attacked because they love who they love and are who they are,” said Siekmann.
He called for contact persons for victims of anti-queer crimes at all police headquarters. “This is the only way we can strengthen the trust of the community, promote the willingness to report cases and improve the low clearance rates.”
In addition, Bavaria is the last federal state that finally needs a real queer action plan. All relevant ministries would have to be at the table, especially the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Culture. And: The new gender ban that has just been decided must be lifted. “Markus Söder’s gender ban only adds fuel to the fire. Above all, it reinforces those who have previously harbored dislike and hatred towards queer people. It is incompatible with a queer action plan,” said Siekmann. If an action plan comes, the gender ban must be lifted, he demanded.