Gay soldier: German Army discriminates

BERLIN, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- A former paratrooper in the German Army says discrimination against gays continues almost two decades after it was officially abolished.

Udo Kappler, 42, told Deutsche Welle he went form being in the top 20 percent of his division to getting poor performance evaluations after he came out of the closet two years ago. He said no reason was given for the change.

"From one day to the next, I was all of a sudden the 'worst soldier' in my company," he said.

Kappler fought his poor evaluations and won. He was then faced with an even worse charge when a group in his unit said he had sexually assaulted another man but he then fought that charge, and also won.

Kappler remains in the Bundeswehr but is no longer a paratrooper. He works in an office, living with his partner.

"Around here gay soldiers are viewed as wimps or as feminine," Kappler said. "It's a big problem for men anywhere to be labeled 'effeminate,' especially in the military. On the one side there is the heterosexual soldier with his big gun -- and then there's the gay soldier with his pink hand bag."