Volker Beck
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Volker Beck (12.12.1960 Stuttgart) is a German politician, specifically a Green Party representative in the Bundestag first as their Speaker for Legal Affairs (1994-2002) and now as the Green Party whip. The member of parliament is representing Cologne.
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He is also a famous homosexual figure. For over ten years he was spokeman of the Association of Lesbians and Gay in Germany and is well known for his campaign for gay marriage. He is called "Father of the German Registered Partnership Act". He struggled for equal rights for gay couples since the eighties. Actually he sponsors an antidiscrimination act in civil law and at the working place for all criterias like race, ethnic origin, sex, sexual identity, religion, age and handicap. Just recently on his initiative the German Bundestag decided that the Ferderal Republic of Germany will erect a national meorial for the during the Nazi-era persecuted Homosexuals in the center of Berlin.
He is also important figure in recompensation for victims of national socialism. He negotiated the foundation "Remembrance, Responsibility and Future" (slave labor recompensation). He was honored by President Rau following a proposal of Jewish Organisation (Central Council of Jews in Germany, Jewish Claims Conference) as knight of the Distinguished Service Cross. Beck supported also the Holocaust-memorial and is member of the Federal Foundation which erected the memorial.
Equality Forum honors Beck in 2005 as one "hero" of thirty-seven individuals, two couples and one company for their extraordinary contributions toward GLBT equality. He is the only non-north-American who is honored.
In 2001 the International Network of Lesbian and Gay Officials (INLGO) honored his work for the gay and lesbian civil rights movement in Germany with the "Like-a-rock" Award. In the same year the Berlin Gay Pride festival honored him with the Rainbow Award.
Between 2001 and 2004 he was chief negotiator for his party on the new immigration law coming into to force 2005. He is publicly known for being a very tough negotiator.
He is living with his partner in Cologne, Berlin and Paris.
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