"Dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I am glad to welcome you at this conference on behalf of the German Public Services and Transport Workers Union (ÖTV).

In many countries trade unions and the male and female homosexual movement are facing each other with indignation. This is not true for my trade union and this not only since today.
Already 10 years ago on its congress in 1988 ÖTV has called upon the Germen Trade Union Federation (Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund) and all its individual trade unions “to advocate removal of discrimination of homosexual men and women in profession and society”.
This corresponds to what we are standing for, namely that the commitment for the interest and rights of male and female employees also includes the commitment for the interests and rights of homosexual men and women, bisexual and transsexual men and women and female employees.
Our goal of maintaining and creating jobs, of improving job conditions and securing income can only be achieved if we include in trade union action the very differentiated interests of all members.
This includes also action against social exclusion and unequal treatment of homosexual men and women, bi-sexual and transsexual men and women because such an exclusion is affecting the work of those concerned, is impairing their job conditions and may even jeopardize their professional existence.
What homosexual men and women need even more urgently is international publicity and solidarity in the many countries where they are being persecuted or where partly even their lives are in danger.
Good decisions can easily be made within trade unions. A realization of decisions in practice takes often a long time.
Since 1998 we have

• supported the foundation of study groups ”homosexual men and women”;
• contributed to the abolition of the criminal law clause 175 and to the adoption of a discrimination ban in three Länder constitutions;
• given legal aid to male and female homosexual colleagues in cases of discrimination on the job;
• carried out educational trade union workshops for strengthening of the self-confidence of homosexual male and female employees and for information and enlightenment of trade union officials;
• published a magazine for homosexual men and women;
• presented a draft for an anti discrimination law.

There are certainly also in other countries a variety of activities and results of male and female homosexual work by other trade unions. They probably exist in a variety which cannot be presented by me and many others here completely.
Therefore it is my desire that this variety becomes visible and leads to a productive exchange of experiences!
On an international level as well the ÖTV has contributed to the fact that already the World Congress 1993 of the Public Service International (PSI) has engaged itself to act upon all national governments in order to abolish discrimination of homosexual men and women.
Also the trade unions united in PSI are urged to start own activities.
Therefore I am also glad that PSI is represented here by our colleague Ros Harvey who is presenting the policy of equal opportunities of the PSI.
Her presence offers to all participants working within the large organizational scope of PSI the chance for an international networking.
But also for the colleagues from other trades and sectors there is the chance for it in the ‘sectoral workshops’.
Such networking is necessary also in Europe.
The supranational institutions present definite requirements for action to the trade unions which they have to meet in the interest of their homosexual men and women.
For example the European Court of Justice decided on 17th of February 1998 that the British Railway Company South West Trains is not obliged to grant to the mate of their employee Lisa Grant privileged tickets which it is offering to marriage partners or mates of heterosexual employees.
The reason given was that a discrimination ban due to sexual orientation was not included in the law of the European Community and that permanent homosexual relations despite the actual development of mentalities towards homosexuality did not come under the right of respect of family life protected by the European Convention of Human Rights.
But at the same time the European Court of Justice referred to the anti-discrimination clause in the Amsterdam treaty dated June 1997, which after taking effect of the Treaty might represent a new legal basis - this anti-discrimination clause explicitly includes the criterion of “sexual orientation”.

On initiative of Claudia Roth, Member of the European Parliament, the European Parliament in February 1994 has passed with a large majority a resolution on equality of rights for homosexual men and women in the European Union.
Among others also the fighting against discrimination of homosexual men and women on the job is mentioned and the EU-Commission as well as the heads of government are asked to issue corresponding anti-discrimination clauses.
Therefore we call upon the EU Commission to present as quickly as possible a suggestion for an anti-discrimination guideline.
Moreover the EU Commission as a public employer shall set a good example and issue their respective own rules for their employees! For the regional workinggroup “Europe” it ought to be a rewarding task to outline requirements for action by the European trade unions.
The resolutions and activities of the ÖTV would not be possible without the engagement of homosexual men and women in ÖTV.
Twenty years ago - hence ten years before the resolution of 1998 - in Berlin the first “working group homosexuality” in ÖTV has been established.
From 1978 over 1988 until today it has been a long way - which is being documented by an exhibition.
And even today despite a clearly increased candour our trade union ÖTV is also benefiting from the fact that male and female homosexual, bisexual and transsexual members are organising themselves, are openly articulating and contributing their interests.
The same is true for other trade unions and therefor the exchange on types of organisation and strategies of homosexual men and women in their trade unions is an important topic during these three days.
This includes the question as to whether our western strategy of self-organisation of homosexual, bisexual or transsexual male and female employees might also take effect in countries and societies where discrimination and exclusion take different or worse forms.
And the question must be asked whether our strategies are correct in such countries where the differences between heterosexuality and homosexuality are not that decisive because sexuality is more ambiguous there.

A look into the audience shows that many representatives from countries are here which from a Western centred view are called the Third and Fourth World.
We should abandon such a view because this conference is making an important contribution to trade union work in one world.
We are eager to listen to you, to learn about your problems as well as your strategies for solving the problems of homosexual male and female employees.
There are many things to learn for us.
Because your work takes place under conditions which for many Western female trade unionists seemed to have been overcome since industrialization at the beginning of this century.
A special welcome to you!

It is certainly not by chance that the fundamental decisions regarding male and female homosexuals in ÖTV have above all been supported by women and youths.
The modern male and female homosexuals movement has got its inspiration worldwide in many ways by the feminist movement.
As a woman and woman politician for many years I am familiar with a variety of forms of discrimination: discrimination occurs - openly or hidden by general rules or individual action, intentionally or involuntarily.
But: as a woman and woman politician I also find that the discrimination of women is found in the different situation of male and female homosexuals as well.
In Germany – like in almost all countries of the earth – women in social life are less visible than men.
Women have less access to qualified education and qualified gainful employment which places them at a disadvantage also on an economic level.
Female homosexuals as well are subject to such disadvantages compared with male homosexuals.
This means that they must fight for their interests on two sides.
On the side of women against their discrimination as women, on the side of male homosexuals against their discrimination as homosexuals.
This situation is not always easy for lesbians.
Male homosexuals as well are socialized as men and profit from the traditional structures and behaviour patterns between sexes.
I am asking whether there is no disadvantage of women against men also in the “little” world of male/female homosexual subcultures and women’s liberation movements.
Therefore lesbians organized in trade unions will treat this question also on this conference – in confrontation with their male homosexual colleagues as well.

Female homosexuality has also in Germany – despite private telivision and pretended taboo breaking of sexuality connected with it – still a smaller place value than male sexuality which shows itself also in German criminal law.
In Germany (like in Victorian England) female homosexuality was not punishable compared to male homosexuality.
This had less to do with greater acceptance than with less valuation or even the fact that it cannt be imagined.
Still today – at least in Germany – in everyday life the term “homosexual” means primarily homosexual man.

Perhaps also the fact that lesbians are under represented on this congress is a sign for the quiet discrimination of lesbians in the international labour movement.
In order to decrease underrepresentation of women the ÖTV has embodied in its charter a binding quota.
It does not suit me to give advices here but our present female ÖTV colleagues can certainly describe the positive experiences within the scope of this congress.

In Germany we are saying: “AIDS concerns everybody”. This is true and important for public warning and responsability with respect to this illness.
And nevertheless HIV and AIDS concerns at least in the Western industrial countries male homosexuals even more so: on the one hand male homosexuals are one of the largest victim groups and jeopardized groups of HIV and AIDS.
On the other hand discrimination and exclusion of people with HIV and AIDS and discrimination and exclusion of homosexuals have mutually grown stronger in an especially confounded way.
In this connection discrimination and prejudices, stupidity, ignorance and repression abet propagation of the illness in a fatal way.
Therefore we trade unions request:

• that HIV positive and AIDS affected people remain integrated into the working life as long as possible;
• that action is taken against prejudices and discrimination;
• that enlightenment on AIDS continues also on the job;
• that the specific problems of an AIDS illness are adequately taken into account at the social insurances.

Because HIV and AIDS have also major effects on the working life of those concerned it is important that a workshop of this conference will also treat these.
In view of so many discriminations impairing the job situation of homosexual men and women this conference is an important contribution to the elimination of such discriminations.
Therefore it is trade union pressure group policy in its traditional sense. That is also why ÖTV and PSI are supporting this conference.

Thank you very much for your attention. I wish you an abundant and fruitful exchange of experiences. Ad for us all a good and lasting effect upon publicity, trade unions, employers and politics."

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