Germany’s cabinet has approved a bill to compensate gay soldiers and veterans who were discriminated against in the past because of their sexuality. The proposed legislation aims to offer some redress to soldiers who were convicted for homosexuality by military courts, demoted or had their military careers affected.
If the bill is passed by the Bundestag (the German federal parliament), their convictions will be expunged and those affected will be paid a symbolic amount of €3,000 (R55,000). “I know that we can’t make up for the personal injustice they suffered but, with the lifting of verdicts and the payment of lump-sum compensation, we want to send a signal — a small signal — of redress, to restore the dignity of these people who wanted