Accepting his new position on January 5, Green Party politician Sven Lehmann said “everyone should be able to live freely, safely, and with equal rights.” In the newly created role of “Federal Government Commissioner for the Acceptance of Sexual and Gender Diversity,” Lehmann will be responsible for working with government ministries on policy projects affecting the LGBTQ community. He will also spearhead the government’s National Action Plan for Sexual and Gender Diversity. Germany’s month-old government — made up of the center-left Social Democrats (SPD), the Greens and the neoliberal Free Democrats (FDP) — previously set out the plan in their coalition deal. “Germany should become a pioneer in the fight against discrimination,” the agreement reads. In announcing his appointment, Lehmann said that protection of all people regardless of their sexual and gender identity “must be ensured in accordance with the Basic Law” (Germany’s constitution) and that “the fundamental rights of trans, inter and non-binary people must finally be fully enforced.” “We also need a broad strategy to combat hatred directed at groups — which explicitly includes ‘queerphobia’,” Lehmann said.