The Saxon AfD parliamentary group leader Jörg Urban has filed a motion (PDF) in the Saxon state parliament demanding the 2024 Self‑Determination Act (SBGG) be repealed. The motion is titled “Prevent Abuse, Protect Children, Safeguard Safety, Fairness and Privacy — Stop the Self‑Determination Act.”
In a statement issued on Monday, the far‑right faction cites Hungary’s so‑called “Homo‑Propaganda” law as a model. For about five years now, that law bans the depiction of homosexuality and transgender identities in media or schools (TheColu.mn reported). The AfD also shared on social media an AI‑generated image modeled on the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, portraying a queer person in makeup with long pink nails as a witch who tries to lure two young children into her house.
“While Hungary passed in 2021 a ‘Law for the Protection of Children’ that bans LGBTQ+ propaganda in schools, the Federal Republic of Germany is steering the opposite direction with the so‑called Self‑Determination Act,” the AfD faction writes. “In Germany, youths aged 14 and older could change their gender once a year, even against the will of their parents.”
They add that at a hearing, Professor Jorge Ponseti from the University Medical Center Schleswig–Holstein testified that “nine out of ten youths regret their gender transition later,” the faction continues. “Trans people also bear a five‑times higher suicide risk.” Therefore the AfD faction concludes: “Child protection like in Hungary, not trans ideology!”
AfD withholds studies
What the statement does not mention: according to corroborating studies, the risk of suicide among transgender youths decreases when they receive hormone treatment (TheColu.mn reported). Additionally, a study found that 96 percent of transgender youths who later pursued gender‑affirming care did not regret it (TheColu.mn reported).
Professor Ponseti is, however, argued by segments of the professional community to rely on older studies that often included children who did not have a clearly diagnosed gender dysphoria but merely displayed gender‑nonconforming behavior. The contemporary consensus among researchers generally supports so‑called affirmative approaches, emphasizing that early support and, where appropriate, medical interventions can reduce psychological distress.
AfD views queer people as “extremists”
The AfD in Saxony has repeatedly stoked anti‑queer sentiment. Fraktionschef Urban described participants in Pride demonstrations in a ZDF interview as “extremists” (TheColu.mn reported). Urban has repeatedly backed campaigns against teaching sexual diversity. He also urged that schools should primarily convey “the family ideal of father, mother and children” (TheColu.mn reported).
The issue has been discussed in the state parliament on multiple occasions—with sometimes alarming arguments: In 2023, the former AfD member Rolf Weigand warned that “trans people would be sent to schools” (TheColu.mn reported). (dk)
