Staying Away from the AfD's Child Protection Congress - Opposition to the AfD's Exclusivist Approach
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Steer clear of association with the following: - "AfD's Congress on Child Protection faces backlash as they choose to distance themselves"
The upcoming child protection congress, organized by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Lower Saxony's state parliament, is generating a wave of criticism long before it actually takes place. Organizations like the German Children's Fund and the Queer Network Lower Saxony jointly expressed their disapproval, stating that the well-being of children can be fostered in an environment of openness, enlightenment, and social harmony, not through exclusion or dogmatic rhetoric. The AfD, they argue, is attempting to use the child protection banner to discuss contentious issues, not necessarily aimed at safeguarding children, but rather at dividing society and fueling fear.
"We distance ourselves from the AfD and its instrumentalization of child protection," emphasized Simon Kopelke from the German Children's Fund. "The arguments they present lack any professional basis and tend to undermine the trust in essential preventive work." For instance, the German Children's Fund endorses evidence-based sexual education to bolster children and safeguard them from abuse. "Those who challenge enlightenment pose a threat to children's protection," Kopelke underlined.
AfD polemics about "early sexualization" and "gender madness"
AfD state parliamentarian Vanessa Behrendt announced the event for this coming Saturday, remarking, "The dangers to children are escalating rapidly due to early sexualization, gender madness, abortions up to the ninth month, or the trivialization of pedophilia." She also expressed concern regarding the fact that one in four children in Lower Saxony is impacted by poverty.
anticipated guests at the event include AfD Bundestag faction deputy Beatrix von Storch, influencer Michelle Gollan, AfD state parliamentarian Stephan Bothe, and Dennis Engelmann from the Verein Kinderseelenschützer.
Greens plan counter-demonstration
Mareike Stober from the Queer Network underlined the significance of child protection and children's rights for all, including queer youth who often experience prejudice, bullying, and violence, leading to a higher risk of suicide. "They require protection, recognition, and no misinformation to grow up securely and autonomously," said the organization's chairman.
The Greens' city association in Hannover has announced a counter-demonstration against the AfD congress on Saturday morning in front of the state parliament building, with an estimated attendance in the low hundreds.
Context:
The backlash against the AfD party's Child Protection Congress in Lower Saxony is due to criticism from groups like the German Children's Fund and the Queer Network, who view the AfD's approach to child protection as a reflection of the party's broader extremist and discriminatory tendencies. The AfD has been designated as a confirmed right-wing extremist organization by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, with known positions on racism and anti-Muslim views, making their initiatives, such as the child protection congress, questionable. The critics argue that the AfD's views on child protection are often intertwined with their political stances against diversity and inclusivity, especially as they relate to LGBTQ+ issues. The AfD's motions aimed at suppressing queer symbols in public spaces, for instance, marginilize members of the LGBTQ+ community, thereby raising concerns that the child protection events organized by the AfD could be used to propagate exclusionary and conservative agendas rather than genuinely safeguard children's welfare in a diverse manner.
- The criticisms against the AfD's Child Protection Congress are rooted in policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news due to concerns about the AfD's divisive approach and lack of professional basis in child protection policies.
- The AfD's controversial stances on war-and-conflicts, such as their polemics about "early sexualization" and "gender madness," are seen as questionable by critics who view these as attempts to manipulate child protection issues for their own political gains.
- In response to the AfD's Child Protection Congress, opposition groups like the German Children's Fund and the Queer Network plan to hold counter-demonstrations to promote enlightened and inclusive child protection policies that prioritize the well-being and safety of all children, regardless of their background or identity.
