Some 5,000 persecuted under Germany's notorious anti-gay laws are due to be rehabilitated and compensated, the Bundestag, the lower house of German parliament, decided on Thursday.

Those affected will have their convictions rescinded and be paid 3,000 euros ($3,350) in compensation, as well as an additional 1,500 euros for every year they spent in prison.

The criminalization of homosexuality in Germany, known as Paragraph 175, was written in Nazi Germany, where homosexuals were persecuted and murdered. West Germany retained the law unchanged after the war. Communist East Germany effectivly removed Paragraph 175 from its laws in the late 1950s.

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West Germany's criminal code was reformed in 1969, but paragraph 175 wasn't completely stricken until 1994, four years after German reunification. Female homosexuality, meanwhile, has never been illegal in Germany.

Some 64,000 men were persecuted under the law. It is unclear how many of those men are still alive today, although Germany's Justice Ministry estimated the number to be around 5,000 at most.

The bill still needs to be approved by the Bundesrat, the parliament's upper house, although it has already announced that it will vote in favor.

Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the Bundestag decision was a "belated act of justice," adding that the state had a great debt. "The norm created unimaginable suffering, which led to self-denial, sham marriages, harassment and blackmail."

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LGBT community voices delight and grievances

The decision was also welcomed by Germany's LGBT community. Lawmaker Helmut Metzner, who sits on the federal board of the Lesbian and Gay Federation in Germany, described the decision as a "historic step forward."

"After many long years of ignorance, a portion of the victims of state persecution have been given their dignity back," Metzner said.

However, the ruling did stoke some criticism. Metzner said the financial compensation was too small and failed to take into account that victims had been ostracized from society and fired from their jobs. Those effects were still being felt in pension payments.

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A change in the draft bill by the conservative union parties also provoked anger among the opposition parties. Compensation was due to be paid out to all victims who had relations with anyone over the age 14, the age of sexual consent in Germany.

However, the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister-party pressured the bill to be changed to only compensate only to those who had relations with anyone aged more than 16.

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Wahid, Syria Wahid is attending his first ColognePride since arriving from Syria three months ago. It's his first Pride ever. "I can live how I want in Cologne," Wahid said. "Study, marry," he added, "what you need for a normal life." (German law forbids marriage between people of the same sex, but an alternative system offers many of the same benefits.)

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Michaela, Rheinbach This is the first year volunteering at ColognePride for Michaela, who lives in the region and has attended for years. "I think it's really important after Orlando," Michaela said. Her words of wisdom for the weekend: "Love and peace. Love is love. God bless you."

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Juan Carlos, Peru Juan Carlos has lived in Cologne for eight months, but he's been to Pride here before. It's his favorite in Europe, even over Barcelona, London and Berlin. "I would like to open minds in South America. I'm a photographer. I upload a lot of pictures. It makes my friends and family in Peru think. We can't change the minds of people, but we can teach them that we can all live together."

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Trans Family Trans Family - from left to right this year, Kenneth, Andrea and Christina in the back row and Timon in the front - have pushed their efforts at ColognePride for 15 years. As the event has grown, so has visibility of transpeople, but equality remains a dream. "Everything changes too slowly," Christina said. True change, they said, will only come when transpeople and their allies enter government.

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Max and Pierre, Bern Max (left) and Pierre have been coming to ColognePride for a decade. It's a favorite, and they go to celebrations on both sides of the Atlantic. With Max volunteering for security on Sunday, the topic of the Orlando killings came up. "People at home discouraged us" from going to Cologne, Pierre said. But, Max said, they decided that "in light of Orlando, it's important to be loud and proud."

As struggle for LGBT rights goes on, ColognePride offers respite Daniela, Sandra, Luka and Mila, Berlin It's the first ColognePride for the young family, though they have been to similar events in Cologne and Berlin. Daniela (right) said she and Sandra were looking forward to having "our kids see that we're not the only ones." Their big wish, though, for themselves, baby Mila and Luka in the stroller is "marriage for all." Daniela says it will happen "sometime, but not in the next while, I believe." Author: Milan Gagnon



dm/sms (dpa, epd, AFP)