Munster

Goal

Against the backdrop of current social and legal developments concerning the diversity of equality needs, the Main and Finance Committee of the City Council of Münster decided on 3 April 2019 to expand the work area of the Office for Gender Equality to include the LGBTIQ* scope of work. Since April 2020, half a full-time position has been available for this purpose in the City of Münster’s employment plan. As a result, the Administrative Board of the City of Münster took note of the work plan for equality and equal rights for people of all gender identities developed by the Office for Gender Equality in 2020 and supported the six goals formulated in this work plan for improving the lives of people who experience discrimination based on their gender identity:

Policy

We are characterised by the conviction that all people, regardless of their gender and sexual or gender identity, deserve the same rights and the same appreciation. We work intending to achieve real gender equality within the city administration and for the whole of urban society. In our understanding, equality is a process as an expression of social justice and the possibility of equal participation in society. For us, equal opportunities are also a quality feature of a city worth living in. To achieve this goal, the City of Münster as an employer signed the Diversity Charter in 2009 and is committed to creating a respectful working environment for all employees – regardless of age, ethnic origin and nationality, gender and gender identity, physical and mental abilities, religion and ideology, sexual orientation and social background. In 2022, the City Council of Münster also commissioned the administration to implement an LGBTIQ* action plan for Münster “Being able to live in our city in a self-determined and non-discriminatory way”. In this way, we promote self-determination and empowerment of LGBTIQ* people so that they can confidently represent their interests concerning equality.

  1. Implementation of the provisions of the PStG (“Personenstandsgesetz”) concerning gender entry
  2. Further development of gender-sensitive language in the city administration that takes all genders and gender identities into account
  3. Establishing counseling services for trans* and inter* people
  4. Visibility of gender diversity in urban society
  5. Further training and sensitization of municipal employees
  6. Expansion of internal city networking structures

The final report of the three-year work plan was submitted to the Administrative Board in 2024. Of the total of 16 measures relating to the six objectives of the work plan, all measures were started by the end of 2023 and 13 were finally implemented. The three measures that had not yet been fully implemented were transferred to an LGBTIQ* action plan. In October 2022, the City Council of Münster took note of and approved the report “Being able to live in our city in a self-determined and non-discriminatory way – an ‘LGBTIQ* action plan’ for Münster”, which was prepared by the Office for Equality. In autumn 2023, an additional half-time full-time position was created in the Office for Gender Equality to implement the action plan. This action plan is currently being implemented and an online survey for the population of the city of Münster has been launched. The objectives of the action plan are

  1. the development of measures in the fields of family, school, education, working life/profession, leisure/culture/sport, ageing/care with an intersectional approach and with the participation of independent organisations from the LGBTIQ* community and non- governmental organisations, experts from urban society and employees of the Münster city administration
  2. the implementation of the measures

Focus Areas

 Short Term

  • Further development of the sexual and gender diversity network with representatives of the city administration, the LGBTIQ* community and experts from urban society.
  • Implementation of the “LGBTIQ* visibility / rainbow colours in the cityscape” resolution with same-sex traffic light figures, lantern masks, bicycle stands and benches in rainbow colours.
  • Raising the rainbow flag at the Stadtweinhaus with the Lord Mayor and representatives of the LGBTIQ* community for IDAHOBIT on 17 May.
  • Implementation of a transition directive.
  • Finalization of the work plan on equality and equal rights for people of all gender identities with six goals and 16 measures.
  • Conclusion of the research project “Commemoration of the persecuted homosexuals and ‘forgotten victim groups’ of National Socialism and the post-war period”.
  • LGBTIQ* and human rights symposium.

Long Term

  1. Implementation of the council resolution “Being able to live a self- determined and non-discriminatory life in our city – an ‘LGBTIQ* action plan’ for Münster”

Collobaration partners

As part of the city’s sexual and gender diversity network, there is close cooperation with numerous NGOs and representatives from the LGBTIQ* community. These include, among others, the organisations funded by the City of Münster:

Track, LGBTI* youth centre and advice centre in Münster

Other Collaboration partners

Quality Circle Transsexuality, Münster