Superintendent Leon Dietrich fights for more education with LGBTQI+ in mind
Chief Superintendent Leon Dietrich has dedicated himself to a very special task since 2020. He holds a very important and always challenging position. Because: At the Lower Saxony Police, he is the first point of contact for LGBTQI+.
His tasks in this area are multifaceted. Among other things, he also devotes himself to the area of public relations. After all, this is an important factor that is (unfortunately) often forgotten in everyday life.
Ideally, education and tolerance take place on different levels. On the one hand, queers should of course know whom they can approach with regard to problems. On the other hand, the public should also be reminded again and again that there is more than "just" man and woman. A look at the details shows that Leon Dietrich seems to be made for this job. He knows what he's talking about and - by the way - puts an incredible amount of heart and soul into his work.
How does Leon Dietrich engage in LGBTQI+ outreach?
The chief inspector remembers well the time when he had to come to terms with his trans identity. Even as a child, he did not feel comfortable in his female body and somehow knew that his innate body did not fit him. For a long time he lived as a lesbian woman until he decided to transition.
A lot of time has passed since then. Now, among other things, he wants to help children and young people find themselves. After all, even today it is difficult for many to come out as homosexual or transsexual. The fear of discrimination and violence is often too great. That's why Leon Dietrich regularly organizes internal training sessions on the topic of LGBTQI+ and also wants to educate the public about the issue. An ambitious task, but one that he takes very seriously. For this, he is celebrated by many queers.
The fact that he is so committed is more important than ever in this day and age. Especially after the alarming increase in hate crimes against the LGBTQI+ community, it is imperative to take action to bring about change. Also, from a psychological perspective, many queer people who turn to Dietrich should be happy to have someone who understands them sitting across from them.
First successes and positive reactions
What certainly many did not know: transsexual and intersexual persons are only allowed to apply for the police service since January 1, 2022. Until then, gender reassignment surgery was still an exclusion criterion for a position in the police.
That's why it would not have been possible for Leon Dietrich to even take the job he does today after coming out. In the meantime, however, much has changed. His colleagues know about it and the police have a helpful offer.
Leon Dietrich, however, remains tireless: now he wants to prove that both society and the police have changed. His goal is, among other things, that no queer victim of violence should feel ashamed if they decide to go to the police and report the crime.
This is exactly what he wants to convey every day. At the same time, he hopes that many more colleagues will join him and help him make even more LGBTQI+ people feel safe and understood in the police force.