Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church

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Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church
(HuK)
logo
legal form Registered association
founding 1977
Seat Aachen ( ⊙ coordinates: 50 ° 46 ′ 36 ″  N , 6 ° 5 ′ 1 ″  E )
main emphasis Church political work
Action space Germany
Members about 450
Website www.huk.org
Stand of the Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church at the 35th German Evangelical Church Congress 2015
Flyer by Rainer Hoffschildt et al. (1981) with a statement by Eduard Lohse on homosexuality and the church
Stand of the Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church at the 35th German Evangelical Church Congress 2015
Council of delegates in Dresden in autumn 2014

The Ecumenical Working Group for Homosexuals and Churches (HuK) is a registered association of women and men that deals with the topic of homosexuality , religion and churches in Germany .

history

The founders of the working group, which later became the HuK, met at the German Evangelical Church Congress in Berlin in 1977 and formed the homosexuals and church working group . The HuK is one of the older lesbian - gay organizations in Germany. In 1978 the HuK had 71 members, in February 1979 there were 101. Regional groups were formed, for example in Berlin, Frankfurt am Main and Tübingen . In terms of content, homosexuals were initially concerned not to be classified as “sick” by the churches and to end the discrimination against homosexuals under service law .

The HuK was already present at the Catholic Day in Freiburg in 1978 - even if it was more hidden: It found shelter with the Protestant student community, in the "Alternative Center". The attempt to be included in the official program of the following Catholic Day in 1980 failed due to the fear of contact of the Roman Catholic Church. The Roman Catholic Church was initially unable to enter into dialogue. An appeal to the German Bishops' Conference and to the Central Committee of German Catholics , which called for an end to discrimination against homosexual people in the church and the initiation of a dialogue, found almost 3,000 supportive signatures on the Catholic Day. At the same time, the HuK participated in the preparation of the Catholic Day from below, which took place in 1980 parallel to the Catholic Day . Until 1994 it was the only opportunity for HuK to be present on site. Only then was it possible for the HuK to be present at the Catholic Days.

From the 1970s onwards, the primary focus of the HuK was the Evangelical Church Congress . Participation was also difficult at first, marked by the concerns of the organizers and obstacles in accessing the events. There were also attacks by evangelicals . At the Kirchentag in Nuremberg in 1979 , the HuK organized a panel discussion on the subject of "Homosexuality and the Gospel". Helmut Kentler , long-time HuK member, sat on the podium. The domestic consumer and sat down on this Kirchentag with a resolution of Pastor Klaus Brinker one, the Church of Hanover , a parish ministry had refused. With 4,709 supporting signatures, the resolution received such a large number that it became an official declaration of the Kirchentag.

The beginning of the 1980s was also marked by structuring and consolidation of the group. At first the organization was not yet a registered association and there were heated discussions about whether the association should commit itself to such a fixed legal framework or whether that was more of a threat. This has been seriously discussed since 1981 at the latest. Since this year membership fees have also been raised in order to finance the activities at the church congresses. The members were very different, what they had in common was the discrimination they experienced by the churches. At the same time, the HuK was distrusted in the gay movement because it did not distance itself from the discriminating churches, but wanted to achieve progress within the churches.

On March 19, 1983, the association's charter was passed by the general meeting and a member working as a lawyer in Marburg was commissioned to register them with the association register. The responsible district court questioned the two major local churches, the Evangelical Church of Kurhessen-Waldeck and the Fulda diocese of the Roman Catholic Church. As expected, these raised concerns. Thereupon the district court of Marburg rejected the entry. The second attempt, with the addition of “ ecumenical ” to the name , was successful in 1985 at the Nuremberg District Court .

Since the Kirchentag in Frankfurt in 1987 , the HuK took part in the Protestant Kirchentag as a “normal” participant . In 2014, for the first time, the Katholikentag issued an invitation to the HuK, after the initiative had always come from the HuK until then.

Self-image

The organization wants to be the link between gay culture and the culture of the churches - cultures that are often alienated. It also sees itself as a "self-help group for lesbian Christians " and as an emancipation group . The HuK wants to work towards the equal recognition of gays and lesbians in church and society on a theologically sound basis and reduce discrimination along the way . Later on, the HuK also expanded its activities with regard to the interests of transgender people and intersexuality .

Act

The HuK breaks down prejudices and ignorance on the subject of homosexuality through information and encounters. This includes the correction of undifferentiated and unqualified statements about homosexuality and of structures that oppose equal treatment regardless of sexual orientation. The aim is a sexual ethic in which lesbian and gay relationships can also be lived equally and do not represent a hindrance in church life or for church office. In the meantime, the aim is to help lesbians and gays who have problems with their church employer because of their homosexuality and who are disadvantaged by the tendency protection . The solidarity among lesbians and gays should be strengthened.

Achieving these goals happens z. B. through statements on current events that affect the intersection of LGBT and churches or through the appearance of the HuK at German Evangelical Church Days and Catholic Days. But also the cooperation at the level of church parishes, church associations and bodies is an important starting point for the HuK in order to realize its goals.

A lot could be achieved in the Protestant regional churches . This includes the recognition of gay and lesbian lifestyles through to the blessing of same-sex couples and their equality with church weddings or the common life of gay or lesbian partnerships in parsonages. In the Roman Catholic Church there is hardly any success in the official church area, even if it can look quite different at the parish level in individual cases. The activities of the HuK are not always welcomed by the church hierarchy.

Outside the church, the HuK is recognized as an expert organization in questions of homosexuality and the church. In a number of proceedings, the Federal Constitutional Court asked the Federal Constitutional Court to comment on norms control proceedings in accordance with Section 27a of the BVerfGG . These include the procedure

  • that the state governments of Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia 2001 against the civil partnership law and
  • which the state government of Bavaria tried in 2004 against the law on the amendment of civil partnerships , but withdrew in 2009 without justification and
  • which dealt with successive adoption from 2009 .

organization

Board

The HuK is an association that is supported by voluntary work. The board also works on a voluntary basis. It consists of three to five members. The last elections took place in 2012. A delegate council works between the general meeting and the board, which supports the board in its work.

Work organization

Internal organization

The HuK is divided regionally on the one hand. Regional groups exist in a number of cities and regions. The group in Hanover is organized as an independent registered association . The groups take part in the activities of the HuK to varying degrees. On the other hand, the HuK is divided into thematic working groups. These include the working groups

  • Protestant Church Policy (EvKiPo),
  • Catholic Church Policy (KathKiPo),
  • Internet,
  • Public relation,
  • Materials for religious education and
  • to prepare for the upcoming Evangelical Church Congress or the Catholic Congress.

In addition, individual advice is offered.

Networking

The organization also works in the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups , in the ILGA and in the Church from Below Initiative . It is networked with numerous other church or Christian-oriented LGBT organizations and beyond:

Members

Although the association's claim is cross-gender, most of the members are male. Lesbians are also organized in women-specific associations (see below).

literature

sorted alphabetically by author

  • Michael Brinkschröder u. a. (Ed.): Rising seeds. 40 years of the Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church . Kohlhammer Verlag , Stuttgart 2017. ISBN 978-3-17-032504-3 , therein:
    • Wolfgang Buchmeier: The HuK Working Group on Protestant Church Policy (EvKipo) , pp. 74–81.
    • Klaus Fitschen: The beginnings of HuK , pp. 14-23.
    • Markus Gutfleisch: Changing the Church with Catholic Days, pp. 46–55.
    • Franz Kaern-Biederstedt: "First times", "Life stages" and "Change of subject". The HuK at the German Evangelical Church Days , pp. 33–45.
    • Andreas Merschmeier: The participation of the HuK in proceedings before the Federal Constitutional Court , pp. 113–117.
    • Nulf Schade-James: "Under the pavement, yes there is the beach ..." , pp. 281–290.
    • Thomas Wagner: From gray to colorful. From the Catholic Working Group to the Catholic Committee , pp. 64–73.
    • Bernd Wangerin: The HuK advisory group , pp. 56–63.
    • Michel Wörner: The development of the HuK in the 80s , p. 24–32.
  • Markus Gutfleisch: 40 years of the Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church . In: HuK-Info 200 August / November 2017, pp. 7–9.
  • NN: A short history of the HuK . In: HuK-Info 100, May / June 1993.

Web links

Commons : Ecumenical Working Group on Homosexuals and the Church  - Collection of Images

Remarks

  1. ↑ According to your own understanding, "critical and constructive" ( declaration of principles of January 10, 2000 - preamble to the statutes of the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Church (HuK) eV ).
  2. ↑ Even leading, progressive theologians of that time were very insecure when dealing with homosexuality, such as Helmut Gollwitzer (see: Fitschen, p. 17).
  3. ↑ In the proceedings that Klaus Brinker had therefore brought before church courts, he was represented by Gerhard Schröder (Fitschen, p. 18). He was defeated ( NJW 45/1983, pp. 2606-2608).
  4. ↑ The minimum number for this was 3,000 signatures.
  5. ↑ Christian homosexuals: Pope needs even more courage : press release of July 30, 2013.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Fitschen, p. 14.
  2. ↑ NN: Little story .
  3. ↑ Fitschen, p. 15.
  4. ↑ Fitschen, p. 15.
  5. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 46.
  6. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 47.
  7. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 49f.
  8. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 47.
  9. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 47.
  10. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 50.
  11. ↑ Fitschen, p. 18ff.
  12. ↑ Fitschen, p. 22f.
  13. ↑ Schade-James, p. 283.
  14. ↑ Wörner, p. 24.
  15. ↑ Wörner, p. 26ff.
  16. ↑ Fitschen, p. 22; Wörner, p. 24.
  17. ↑ Kaern-Biederstedt: "First times" , p. 35.
  18. ↑ Wörner, p. 27f.
  19. ↑ Wörner, p. 30.
  20. ↑ Wörner, p. 31.
  21. ↑ Wörner, p. 32.
  22. ↑ Gutfleisch, p. 54.
  23. ↑ cf. “Declaration of principle: Preamble to the statutes of the Ecumenical Working Group Homosexuals and Churches (HuK) e. V. "
  24. ↑ Merschmeier.
  25. ^ Judgment of July 17, 2002 , file number 1 BvF 1/01; HuK's involvement is listed in recitals 23 and 44.
  26. ↑ Merschmeier, p. 115.
  27. ↑ Merschmeier, p. 116.
  28. ^ Association statutes: § 6 The board .
  29. ↑ An overview can be found here .
  30. ^ HuK Hannover eV
  31. ↑ Buchmeier.
  32. ↑ Wagner.
  33. ↑ [1]
  34. ↑ Lesbians and the Church .
  35. ↑ Network of Catholic Lesbians .
  36. ^ Mary and Martha Network .
  37. ^ AG Gay Theology .
  38. ↑ interspace .
  39. ↑ Queerubim - First gay and lesbian choir for sacred music and more.
  40. ^ Project gay and catholic in the community Maria Hilf .
  41. ↑ Gay-lesbian Stammtisch Dresden .