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The Acceptance of LGBTQ+ Persons in Academia: Empirical Evidence from Germany

Author

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  • Alexander J. Wulf

    (School of Business and Law, Campus Berlin, SRH University of Applied Sciences Heidelberg, 12059 Berlin, Germany)

  • Helmut Metzner

    (Magnus Hirschfeld Federal Foundation, 10117 Berlin, Germany)

Abstract

LGBTQ+ persons and related issues remain barely visible in German academia, reflecting limited acceptance as well as heteronormative and discriminatory structures. This invisibility negatively affects career trajectories, well-being, and protection from discrimination of LGBTQ+ academics, while also hindering research on LGBTQ+-related social issues, injustices and forms of disadvantage. In addition, LGBTQ+ students lack important role models. To examine this exploratory finding more systematically, this project was carried out in collaboration with the Magnus Hirschfeld Federal Foundation, collecting written responses from 26 German academic institutions to a set of open-ended questions delivered by email on the visibility of LGBTQ+ persons. The responses were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Our findings show that most institutions perceive the visibility of LGBTQ+ academics as low and recognise a need for new networking opportunities. Germany thus provides a valuable example of the dynamics of LGBTQ+ inclusion in continental Europe, where diversity has historically played a less prominent role than in US and UK contexts, and where cross-national comparisons suggest significant variation in levels of inclusivity.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander J. Wulf & Helmut Metzner, 2025. "The Acceptance of LGBTQ+ Persons in Academia: Empirical Evidence from Germany," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 15(1), pages 1-17, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jscscx:v:15:y:2025:i:1:p:18-:d:1828861
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