The action plan is titled “Strengthening together. Overcoming discrimination” and was developed jointly with associations. Social Affairs Minister Ulrike Scharf (CSU) emphasized that it is about freedom, tolerance, and safety – calling it a “real hard location factor” for Bavaria. The decision came more than three years after the initial announcement; other federal states have had such plans for years.
Scharf pointed to rising hate crimes: the number of offenses against queer people nearly doubled between 2021 and 2025. Nationwide, there were around 2,400 cases in 2025, almost 13 percent more than the previous year. The action plan addresses exactly this and sends a “clear commitment to protecting LGBTQ* people.” All administrative districts are to receive counseling services; the 2026/2027 double budget allocates 2.8 million euros for projects.
The LSVD+ Bavaria sharply criticized the plan. Board member Markus Apel said: “Instead of a comprehensive strategy, existing project funding is being declared a plan.” There is a risk that central demands in education, health, family, and safety will not be implemented. The Greens in the state parliament also voiced criticism: “The action plan obviously lacks the ‘action,'” said Florian Siekmann.
Positive voices came from Lambda Bavaria, the umbrella organization for queer youth work. Board member Jonathan Wehrstein praised the action plan as an important step toward a more queer-sensitive Bavaria. The state is finally on its way to “closing a gap.”
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
