Questioned Affinity of Queer Voters Towards the AfD: An Examination of their Motivations
Brewing Trouble in Berlin's Bedrooms
Grabbed a cocktail with my buddy Seb at Möbel Olfe, and we started chatting about Romeo, that online dating and sex platform, that's a staple in Germany. Back in the day, setting up an account was like a rite of passage for gay Berliners. Fast forward to today, and it seems the boys may just be the ones putting the right-wing politicians in power.
In February, Romeo released a mind-boggling survey regarding Germany’s Bundestag elections, conducted between January 24 and February 2. You guessed it—60,500 people showed their political inclinations, with the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) in the lead, snatching 27.9% of the votes. The Greens trailed behind with 19.9%. Now, queers flirting with far-right politics isn't exactly something new.
The AfD, despite being headed by a married lesbian, has stirred up controversy due to their plans to abolish gay marriage. Every time they marginalize LGBTQ+ lifestyles, they fan the flames of social acceptance for violence against our community.
Remember Ernst Röhm, Hitler's commander of the Sturmabteilung (SA)? Well, he was gay. And today, Alice Weidel, the AfD’s chancellor candidate, is an out lesbian. Drawing parallels between yesterday and today might be impactful, but it's hard not to make those connections.
Why would queers back the far-right, though? Well, let me break it down: mostly we're talking about white, cis gay men and women. As they start to gain some societal acceptance, it seems they're emboldened to reveal their darker side.
Luckily, there's a silver lining. In Berlin, and 54 other cities across Germany, the queer community is pushing back against the political pendulum swinging to the right. On February 15, the first Winter CSD (Christopher Street Day) began symbolically at 11:55 (Fünf vor Zwölf, translating to time's running out). The event aimed to encourage queer individuals to Wähl Liebe, meaning 'choose love' and 'vote'. While I usually scoff at such sentiments, the collective intention to rally queer voters for their own interests deserves some recognition.
There's another ray of hope: while Romeo's survey sent shivers down the spines of many in the queer community, it's important to note that it isn't exactly a scientifically sound or representative poll. The poll's results could have been skewed by anyone who clicked the link. Surprisingly, another poll by queer news portal Queer.de shows the Greens taking a commanding lead.
It seems the AfD has stealthily snuck its way into national politics, and who knows—maybe the queer community has unknowingly ushered them in. Let's hope they considered their decisions carefully, as Alice Weidel did before aligning herself with the party—only to realize that if the AfD gets everything it wants, they would be some of the first to face the consequences.
In the midst of war-and-conflicts shaping Germany's political landscape, the queer community's involvement in politics has become a general-news topic. The Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) garnered the majority of votes from a survey conducted by Romeo, an online dating and sex platform popular among German queer individuals, potentially signaling a concerning shift in support for far-right politics within the community.
