Life

German car park announces “diversity spaces” for LGBTQ+ community

By Jordan Robledo

4th October 2021

A car park company in Germany has showcased its support of the LGBTQ+ community with a brand new set of “diversity” parking spaces.

Created by Hanauer Parkhaus GmbH (HPG), the inclusive spaces were unveiled within a parking structure in Hanau, Germany – 15 miles east of Frankfurt.

The walls of the spaces have been painted with a rainbow flag and are reserved for people in the LGBTQ+ and migrant communities.

The three spots are also located near the exit of the large parking structure.

In a statement, local councillor Thomas Morlock explained that the inclusive gesture was made to protect and secure public spaces for queer and migrant drivers.

He also said the spots were created to set a “conspicuously colourful symbol” for ”diversity and tolerance.”

In an effort to monitor the activity, security cameras have been placed near the spaces.

The parking measure comes a few weeks after the country announced compensation for LGBTQ+ individuals who were persecuted under Paragraph 175.

The anti-LGBTQ+ legislation was first created in 1871 but was heavily used under Nazi rule.

Over 60,000 individuals in East and West Germany were convicted under the law.

On 13 September, the country’s Federal Office of Justice reported that 317 applications were submitted and over 249 were approved for compensation.

If a person is approved, they could receive €3,000 per conviction, as well as €1,500 for every year spent in jail.

Payments are also given for each investigation that was opened and every year spent in pre-trial custody.

Before enacting their compensation plan, the German parliament first condemned the law back in 2000. 

At the time, a statement was approved that expressed the country’s regret over keeping the law in place after the war.

The deadline to apply for government compensation is July 2022.