German Catholic Lay Committee Supports Constitutional Change for LGBTQ+ Protections

Andreas Heek

The Central Committee of German Catholics — the lay body who along with the German Bishops’ Conference organized that country’s Synodal Way from 2019-2023 — is advocating for the formal addition of LGBTQ+ people to the list of protected populations enshrined in the German nation’s constitution, or Basic Law, reports katholisch.de. 

Theologian Andreas Heek, an organizer of the Committee’s effort as a member of the Forum of Catholic Men, told katholisch.de that the LGBTQ+ community asked the German Church to support broader efforts to amend the Basic Law, and the Committee responded positively.

Heek said the Forum agreed because they believe “that the basic rights of LGBTIQ people are not sufficiently protected.” Although the Basic Law prohibits discrimination based on gender, Heek said that that provision did not take into account gender diversity, and that at the time it was instituted male homosexuality was still a criminal offense, a status that was only changed in 1994. Since decriminalization, no constitutional protection of LGBTQ+ people has been implemented. 

Though pieces of German legislation, such as the Self-Determination Act and “Marriage for All,” provide civil protections to LGBTQ+ Germans, Heek notes that these provisions are much more easily revoked than protections enshrined in the constitution because the amendment process is intentionally difficult. The theologian wants these protections to be more legally sturdy, “Especially today,” he said, when LGBTQ+ civil rights are “being questioned by right-wing radicals and sometimes even by left-wing extremist circles.” 

“We as a Catholic men’s association feel particularly obliged and encouraged to include this group in the Basic Law because they may be particularly at risk,” Heek added.

When Heek’s organization originally agreed to advocate for the amendment, it was feasible that it might be completed by the current coalition government, however, elections to the Bundestag, or German Federal Parliament, are fast approaching. Heek said that if the amendment is not made during this legislative section, it will still be “a demand that a new federal government must also face.” He added that the Central Committee backed the initiative by a “large majority.” 

As to why the German Catholic lay community is committed to LGBTQ+ civil rights, Heek said:

“As the Catholic Church, we have a special responsibility towards LGBTIQ people because in the past we ourselves were involved in discriminating against these people based on church teachings. The Church has learned a lot from this and is now learning step by step to show these people a new appreciation. We are therefore particularly called upon to take on our responsibility towards these people in order to show that we have learned and that we would like the Church to be a safe place for LGBTIQ people. That is why we believe that supporting such a legislative initiative is an important thing.”

When asked about the institutional Church’s own position on LGBTQ people, and whether there would also need to be an “initiative here [in the Church] to make LGBTQ+ people visible,” Heek said “We try to continually stimulate discussion within the church,” and notes that during the German Church’s Synodal Way “there were clear resolutions that aim to promote the acceptance of gender diversity.”

“But we have a wide range of disputes at the global church level, and these naturally revolve around the church’s teaching authority,” Heek said. The theologian remains hopeful, though, saying:

“But we must continue to conduct these discussions patiently and rely on the power of conviction. It is a long process and I know that it tests the patience of queer people enormously. But I am sure that constant dripping will wear away the stone.”

–Jeromiah Taylor, New Ways Ministry, February 1, 2025