First time Head of State decoration in Austrian history for LGBTI-activism

Celebrating 25 years of Rechtskomitee LAMBDA (RKL), Federal President Dr. Heinz Fischer, has awarded the Golden Medal of Honor for Merits in the Interests of the Republic of Austria to RKL-president Dr. Helmut Graupner. This is the first time in history that an Austrian head of state honors merits against discrimination and for equality of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons by a state decoration.

The Golden Medal of Honor for Merits in the Interests of the Republic of Austria (which resembles a Knight´s Cross of 1class) awarded by Federal President Fischer in 2016 has been handed over in May 2017, thus 15 years after the end of criminalisation. Graupner back then (2002), by proceedings in the Austrian Constitutional Court, brought down the last homophobic criminal offence, infamous Art. 209 of the Criminal Code, and thereby, once and for all, liberated homo- and bisexuals from criminal persecution.

Dismissed Gay Policeman

Back in 1975 a long-serving and highly decorated constable had been discharged on the basis of having been convicted under Austria’s infamous homophobe offence, Art. 209 Criminal Code. The disciplinary sanction continues to perpetuate even today: the pension of the man is still cut by 25%. The Federal Administrative Court even in 2016 refused compensation saying the contacts, back then legal for heterosexuals (and today for all), would constitute "one of the most serious violations of duty" and the dismissal therefore not constiutute discrimination.

The Administrative Supreme Court just announced that it has asked the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for a preliminary ruling (E.B. v BVA).  Rechtskomitee LAMBDA (RKL), Austria’s LGBTI civil rights organisation, now hopes for final justice in this case started already eight years ago.

 European Court of Human Rights: Austria Must Pay Copensation for Sexual Segregation 
 Family Names & Wedding Halls: Chronicle of Shame
 4th Austrian Networking Conference

 
 

JUS AMANDI Ausgabe 1/2017 | JUS AMANDI Archiv

As of tomorrow: wedding-halls open to same-gender couples

As of tomorrow, 1 April 2017, registered partnerships in Austria will be concluded at the same place as marriages: in the wedding-halls of the civil registry offices ("Standesamt"). At the same time the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Austria has to pay compensation for the segregation it stubbornly has upheld for many years. persons.

 Historic: RKL-President Graupner Received Vienna State Golden Medal of Merits
 Registered Partnership: Family Names & Wedding Halls
 Federal Presidential Elections: RKL congratulates Alexander Van der Bellen

 
 

JUS AMANDI Ausgabe 4/2016 | JUS AMANDI Archiv