Linke on equality and diversity

The Left wants Thuringia to remain an open-minded state where people of every religion, origin, identity and skin color feel safe. To that end, places for people to meet are to be created, on a small and a large scale.

The Left wants an open Thuringia. All people should feel safe here. That applies to every religion, origin and skin color. The party wants to create places where people can meet.

The platform explicitly names Jewish, Muslim and Yazidi people. As examples of local meeting places it cites facilities run by the welfare associations Volkssolidarität and Arbeiterwohlfahrt and initiatives such as the Restaurant der Herzen. A state housing company is to plan neighborhood meeting spots and social and cultural offerings when building and renovating. The party links this to a firm stance against right-wing opponents of democracy.

The Left wants to promote a teaching and learning culture that is guided by human rights and takes a critical stance on racism and discrimination. To that end, materials are to be reviewed, data collected and contact points created.

The Left wants less discrimination in schools. Discrimination means someone is treated worse, for example because of where they come from. Textbooks should be checked for this. People affected should have places to get help.

Teaching and learning materials are to be reviewed for racist and discriminatory content. The topic is to become a fixed part of teacher training. A monitoring system is to track equality and discrimination in education. Awareness and training offerings are planned for educators, and contact points in educational institutions for those affected. Applicants with a migration background are to be actively recruited for teaching.

The Left wants to raise the share of women among doctoral candidates, professors and leadership roles at Thuringia's universities. To do so, the cascade model is to be put into practice.

There are few women professors at the universities. The Left wants more women in high positions. A fixed rule should apply for this. As many women should work at the top as on the level below.

Under the cascade model, the target for the share of women at one career level follows the share at the level below. The Left wants to use it to get more women doctoral candidates, professors and leaders. The legal rules on equality passed during its time in government are to be supplemented by further measures.

The Left wants to press at the federal level for broader adoption rights and a family law free of discriminatory provisions. It calls for a clear ban on medically unnecessary surgery on intersex children. In Thuringia, the state program for acceptance and diversity is to be implemented consistently.

The Left wants more rights for queer people. These are, for example, lesbian, gay and trans people. They should be able to adopt children more easily. Unneeded surgery on intersex children should be banned.

The state program for acceptance and diversity is to be evaluated and carried out; responsible staff with their own budgets would be appointed in the relevant ministries and the state parliament's administration. The party wants more open meeting places that also serve as safe spaces, and better protection against violence. Specialized psychosocial counseling is to be set up for young people in rural areas. The party also wants to use inclusive, gender-neutral language.

The Left wants to revise the state equality act so that women have better chances of promotion in the public sector. A fresh attempt at a parity law is meant to secure women's representation in Thuringia's parliaments. The state parliament would again get a committee on gender equality.

The Left wants a new law on equality. Women should move up more easily in public service jobs. A parity law should come. That means women should be equally represented in the parliaments.

Equal opportunity officers in the state administration and municipalities are to be given more rights. A public campaign is to win employers over to family-friendly working hours and workplace models. According to the program, the state should not dictate how families divide tasks but should create conditions under which care work can be shared fairly. The party also wants to fend off attempts to roll back progress on equality.

The Left wants a law to better equip women's shelters and counseling services so that more women affected by violence are reached. The Istanbul Convention, a European treaty against violence toward women, is to be implemented further. Shelters are also planned for affected men and trans people.

The Left wants to protect women better from violence. Women's shelters and advice centers should get more money. Violent partners should have to leave the shared home more often. Men and trans people should get safe places too.

Women's protection services and psychiatric care are to cooperate more closely. The party aims to have violent offenders removed from the shared home more often and wants to improve care for women with disabilities who experience violence. Confidential forensic evidence collection is to be expanded so that women can still report an assault later. In addition to the existing counseling center for men, shelters for men and trans people are to be created.

The Left wants to replace the principle of care for people with disabilities in the state constitution with the principle of self-determination. Their rights are to be developed further based on a review of the state inclusion act. Decisions are to be made with those affected, not over their heads.

People with disabilities should decide about their own lives. The Left wants to write this into Thuringia's constitution. Their rights should grow in the laws. Towns should involve their representatives more.

Further legal steps are to build on the evaluation of the Thuringian act on inclusion and equality for people with disabilities. Municipal bodies are to involve commissioners and advisory boards for people with disabilities more closely and on a more binding basis. Because, according to the program, women with disabilities face discrimination especially often, the party wants to specifically strengthen their rights and entitlements.

The Left wants to set up a police contact person for anti-queer crimes. The statistics on politically motivated crime would list racist and anti-queer offenses separately. Victim protection officers would be trained in dealing with LGBTIQ* people.

The police should get a contact person for anti-queer crimes. Anti-queer means aimed at lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and inter people. The police should count such crimes separately. The same goes for racist crimes. Victim protection officers should get training on this.

The statistics on politically motivated crime (PMK) would be expanded to include the categories of racially motivated offense and anti-queer violence, broken down by affected group. The Left also wants to push for this at the federal level. The Thuringian police guidelines for domestic violence cases would be revised with LGBTIQ* people in mind. The party also welcomes more women, migrants and queer people joining the state police.