Even though many international publications wrongly announced last week that Germany had legalized same-sex marriage, they haven’t. The German parliament approved same-sex marriage in a vote last week, but the law still has to be approved by an Upper House vote (something that will likely happen this week). In the meanwhile, Germany’s extreme-right Alternative for Deutschland (AFD) political party (which is led by a lesbian) has promised to institute a legal challenge to stop same-sex marriage dead in its tracks.

AFD’s Vice Chair Alexander Gauland said, “We are currently examining a complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court. I am for such a move. ‘Marriage for all’ means a free-for-all that harms our society.”

Germany’s Interior Minister, Thomas de Maiziere, says that the AFD’s lawsuit might have a chance because the same-sex marriage law approved by the parliament lacks key provisions explaining how same-sex civil unions currently offered by Germany will convert into full-fledged marriages after same-sex marriage gets legalized.

Maizière said, “There will be serious problems with the implementation, one must then repair afterwards.”

However, not everyone agrees with Maizière. The German publication Bild Zeitung says that the AFD may lack the legal standing to challenge the law, adding that such a challenge would have to come from a member of the federal government, a parliament member or a German state. Currently the AFD has no members in the German parliament, but that could change in the upcoming September elections.

The AFD’s opposition to same-sex marriage might seem weird considering that the AFD party’s public face is Alice Weidel, a 38-year-old lesbian parent who lives with her longtime female partner, but their opposition falls in line with the AFD’s campaign pledge to “strengthen marriage and the family” (i.e. heterosexual marriage).

Their platform says, “Children need both parents” and society needs to “strengthen fathers.” They also oppose gender equality efforts and public school sex education courses.

The AFD is also anti-immigration and anti-Islam. They consider Islam as incompatible with German values and want to close borders and end pro-refugee asylum laws. Every single Muslim member of the German parliament voted in favor of same-sex marriage.

Featured image by zefart via iStock