Peter Kaiser-Ladinig: Mourning for Queer Politician
The "Queer SPÖ Währing" has suffered a great loss. Their chairman, Peter Kaiser-Ladinig, has unexpectedly passed away at the age of 33. This is exactly what became known last Wednesday. According to official information, Kaiser-Ladinig suffered from a "short but serious illness".
With the politician, the "Queer SPÖ Währing" loses a leading spokesperson for queer issues in Austria. In an obituary, his party members find fitting and touching words of farewell. Kaiser-Ladinig stood for commitment and for championing the rights of the queer movement. He was also known beyond the borders of his district.
Peter Kaiser-Ladinig: A man who was committed to the queer movement and gave it a face
Especially in the Austrian capital Vienna, Peter Kaiser-Ladinig managed to make a name for himself. In an obituary, his party colleagues spoke of him as an "enormously committed, creative and motivated fighter for our LGBTIQ community".
Throughout his tenure, he championed equality, diversity and tolerance. Time and again, he saw it as his concern to support people who needed help. For this reason, he was seen by many not simply "only" as a politician, but also as a kind of role model.
A look back: What made Peter Kaiser-Ladinig's work stand out?
At the latest, when Währing received its first rainbow zebra stripe, Kaiser-Ladinig managed to make a name for itself internationally as well.
In this context, the aforementioned rainbow zebra stripe represented more than "just" a few bright colors on asphalt. Rather, on its basis, the community was to be integrated even better into everyday social life.
Outside of classical politics, Peter Kaiser-Ladinig set up various charity events and also gave many lectures on LGBTQI+ topics and environmental protection, among other things. Because: In addition to his striving for more equality for the community, the area of sustainable climate policy also played an important role for him.
Communication between queers and non-queers: more important than ever
Kaiser-Ladinig was one of those people for whom it was obviously important to create a bridge between queers and non-queers. A "magic word" that played a big role in this context was: understanding.
At the same time, as was evident from the crosswalk, the community should always be actively involved and made visible. However, one "detail" that also most certainly distinguished this politician was his tirelessness in standing up for his cause.
Especially in politics and in the context of public discussions, after all, it is shown time and again that those who stand up for queers are often confronted with headwinds that should not be underestimated. In this context, however, Kaiser-Ladinig's skills obviously included staying on the ball and keeping an eye out for new tasks. He thus represented - not only in his district - an important interface that showed that the community and the rest of society are sometimes more similar than often assumed.
The "Queer SPÖ Währing" will certainly continue its actions in the spirit of the former chairman in the future... And at the same time never forget how important Rolle Kaiser-Ladinig was for the local people.