The Austrian portal Exxpress obtained the draft of the 191-page program developed by Mayor Michael Ludwig (SPO) and his team in cooperation with the NEOS party. The two parties call their alliance a “revival coalition.” The program outlines the main objectives of the coalition, including social cohesion, economic strengthening and modern education. The full program is divided into five major chapters and numerous sub-chapters. These include support for LGBTQ initiatives, most notably the opening of a transgender medicine center in Vienna, reports V4NA.
Vienna is a "proud rainbow capital"
“Vienna is opening a new chapter,” states the beginning of the coalition agreement’s table of contents. This also applies to the LGBTQ policies that have been supported for years by the city’s administration. A dedicated chapter of the program focuses on the LGBTQ community.
"Vienna is proud to be Austria’s rainbow capital. We deliberately declare ourselves an LGBTQ Freedom Zone,”
the draft states, adding:
“This plan includes examining the establishment of a transgender medicine center, as well as creating an interdisciplinary network comprising various medical and psychological disciplines.”
Although the draft would prohibit gender reassignment surgeries for children, it is more permissive in other areas. It promotes a scientific needs assessment to better understand the daily challenges of LGBTQ individuals and supports the preparation of a follow-up study titled “Queer in Vienna II.”
