Germany is getting its very first lesbian Constitutional Court justice: Susanne Baer. She is a currently a professor for Public Law and Gender Studies at Humboldt University in Berlin, and has been an advocate for equal rights for women and sexual minorities. The Green Party nominated her for the position, and a committee of the German parliament elected her.
The Constitutional Court’s purpose is to interpret the Grundgesetz, i.e. the country’s constitution. Sixteen judges sit on the court, and each serves a twelve-year term.
I could only find stories about this development in German.
That is probably because the process for becoming a high court justice in Germany is uncontroversial compared to the U.S., and isn’t followed with much detail even there. Nevertheless, Germany’s commitment to sexual diversity at the high court is notable and important, especially considering that Germany still treats same-sex couples unequally under its tax laws.
