Volker Beck

Volker Beck (born 12 December, 1960 in Stuttgart) is a German politician, specifically a Green Party representative in the Bundestag first as their Speaker for Legal Affairs (1994–2002) and now as the Green Party whip. He is the member of parliament representing Cologne and was reelected as MP and whip in September 2005.

He is also a famous homosexual. Beck served as spokesman of the Association of Lesbians and Gays in Germany (Lesben- und Schwulenverband in Deutschland (LSVD)) for over ten years. He is well known for his campaigning in favor of gay marriage. He is also often referred to as the "Father of the German Registered Partnership Act". He lives with his partner Jacques Teyssier in Cologne, Berlin and Paris.

He has struggled for equal rights for gay couples since the 1980s. Currently he is sponsoring an "anti-discrimination act" in civil law and at the workplace, outlawing discrimination based on race, ethnic origin, sex, sexual identity, religion, age, and disability. Just recently on his initiative the German Bundestag decided that the Federal Republic of Germany will erect a national memorial in the centre of Berlin for homosexuals persecuted by the Nazi Party.

Between 2001 and 2004 he was chief negotiator for his party on the new immigration law coming into to force 2005. He is publicly known for being a very tough negotiator.

On 27 May, 2006, Beck was attacked and injured by right wing extremists during a Gay Rights demonstration in Moscow. [http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,197270,00.html report from moscow] On May 2007 he was arrested and put in a bus in front of the city hall of Moscow by the police. He wanted to hand over a petition signed by several Members of Parliament at Moscow City Hall. He was attacked and had eggs thrown on his head. [http://www.gayrussia.ru/en/actions/detail.php?ID=9257] Beck spoke in favor of continuing European Union sanctions on Uzbekistan, originally instated after the Uzbek government did not allow an international investigation of the Andijan massacre, on 17 October 2006. [http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/10/b4458ee7-915b-4c61-8e9c-e445020e5b0a.html German Lawmaker Sees No Rights Progress In Uzbekistan] RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty]

He is also important figure in recompensation for victims of national socialism. He negotiated the foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (slave labor recompensation).

Awards

He was honored by President Rau on the advice of Jewish organisations (the Central Council of Jews in Germany and the Jewish Claims Conference) as "Knight of the Distinguished Service Cross". Beck also supported the Holocaust memorial and is a member of the Federal Foundation which erected the memorial.

Equality Forum honoured Beck in 2005 as one of forty heroes for his extraordinary contributions toward LGBT equality. He is the only non-north-American who was honored.

In 2001 the International Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials (INLGO) honoured his work for the gay and lesbian civil rights movement in Germany with the "Like-a-rock Award". In the same year the Berlin Gay Pride festival honored him with the "Rainbow Award".

On 5th October 2006 during [http://www.glbthistorymonth.com GLBT history month] Volker Beck was featured by Equality Forum.

References

External links

* [http://www.volkerbeck.de/ Homepage of Volker Beck]
* [http://equalityforum.org/40-beck.cfm hero]
* [http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,2035868,00.html debate on Moscow and the consequences]