On 8 February, AfD member of parliament Tom Weidig posted a Facebook message[1] that can only be described as transphobic, congratulating US President Trump on his executive order banning transgender people from participating in team sports.
A whole series of anti-queer comments were posted under this post, as well as trans-feminist statements in particular. In a comment that has since been deleted by the author himself, a call was made for the ‘extermination of LGBTIQ+’. This comment was liked by the Member of Parliament Weidig and two other people.
Rosa Lëtzebuerg, the advocacy group for LGBTIQ+ people in Luxembourg, is not only dismayed by this post, but also by the fact that it was liked by an elected representative. The fact that Mr Weidig has now apologised in interviews after some media outlets have already reported on the incident is further proof for Rosa Lëtzebuerg that things are different. The member of parliament has not yet published an official statement on his own social media channel or on the party’s website, which suggests that his apology is not directed at his own followers, but only at the public that demands it. Furthermore, a ‘like’ given ‘in the heat of the moment’ [2], as heard in Här Weidig’s statement on Radio 100.7, must always be considered as an endorsement of the call for hatred and violence in question. Even ‘in the heat of the moment’, such a comment should not be allowed.
Rosa Lëtzebuerg reports that the association has filed a complaint with the police, including the author of the hate comment in question and the ‘like’ given to it by the Member of Parliament Weidig.
We therefore demand that Mr Weidig recognise his political responsibility as a politician and live up to his responsibility as a representative of the people and, as a consequence, resign from his political offices in the Chamber and in the Council of State.
Publishing and supporting such messages and not taking the right and proportionate path cannot remain without consequences.
We therefore criticise the ADR party, which has so far (as of 11/02/2025, 13:00) neither commented on the incident nor taken any disciplinary action against its MPs. This behaviour contributes to a radicalisation against queer people and must be condemned with the utmost firmness.
[1] https://www.facebook.com/share/p/162kqVYMwY/
[2] https://www.100komma7.lu/news/Tom-Weidig-entschellet-sech-fir?pd=radio
