Berlin Senator Cansel Kiziltepe urges fast‑track of queer amendment

Berlin’s Senator for Diversity and Anti‑Discrimination, Cansel Kiziltepe (SPD), wrote to Bundestag President Julia Klöckner (CDU) urging a rapid parliamentary debate on a constitutional amendment that would add “sexual identity” to Article 3 of the Basic Law. The amendment, approved by the Bundesrat in September 2025 after a Berlin initiative, aims to explicitly prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Kiziltepe warned that hostility, hate and violence against queer people are rising and stressed the need for a clear constitutional guarantee. The identical bill was first read in the Bundestag on 9 October by the Greens and then referred to the Committee on Legal Affairs and Consumer Protection, where it has stalled without a set deadline for completion.