Documentary "How God Created Us" receives German Television Award

On Tuesday and Wednesday evening, the winners of the 2022 German Television Awards were announced. A special highlight was that the documentary "Wie Gott uns schuf - Coming-Out in der katholischen Kirche" won the German Television Award for best documentary/reportage.

Also nominated in this category were "The Outbreak - Was the Pandemic Avoidable?", "Gladbeck", "Die Nacht, als die Flut kam - Protokoll einer Klimakatastrophe" and an episode of "Team Wallraff - Jetzt erst recht!".

Queer documentary receives German Television Award

"As God made us" to kick off the #OutInChurch movement.

The authors of the documentary "How God Created Us" spent a total of two years researching for their series. They contacted employees of the Catholic Church and spoke with them about their queerness. Even today, the Catholic Church still withholds the sacrament of marriage from homosexual people. In addition, many believers are also skeptical about the blessings as they are practiced in some parishes.

But are there really only people working under the leadership of the Catholic Church who believe that same-sex love and faith are incompatible? More than 100 faces of the Church prove the opposite. They chatted with the authors about the compatibility of faith with queer lifestyle. Homosexuality in the church thus got a face.

However, the bishops and cardinals under whom these people work have no problems with the sexuality of the outed people. Accordingly, they can continue to do their jobs in the future (and after the documentary). At that time, "Wie Gott uns schuf - Coming-Out in der katholischen Kirche" was broadcast in prime time on the German television station Ersten.

The "#OutInChurch campaign" was also based on this. Under the hashtag of the same name, believers, Catholics and Catholic women fight for more tolerance and acceptance for queer members in the Catholic faith community.

A moving acceptance speech

Although the Catholic Church has numerous queer members of the faith, many official representatives continue to refuse to accept them and provide them with the same sacraments as heterosexual believers.

The hopes that many had for the synodal assembly in this context have now been dashed - at least for the time being - as a re-evaluation of sexual orientation within the Catholic Church has been abandoned. Hajo Seppelt also mentioned this in his speech.

He addressed his acceptance speech to the people who dared to show themselves in front of the camera and talk about their sexual orientation as part of the queer documentary. The prize actually belongs to them. In addition, he also draws attention to the fact that these people are still discriminated against. He is sure that there is still a big problem between queer people and the Catholic Church.

Many bishops were also shocked by the decision not to re-evaluate the sexual orientation of people. After all, the "no" sparked a discussion that did not bypass the public ... And probably will continue in the future.

Not the only award for a queer production

Not only "Wie Gott uns schuf" but another queer production was able to take home one of the coveted prizes. The NDR six-parter "Kevin Kühnert and the SPD" won in the category "Best Docu-Multipart/Series.

In the queer documentary, the openly homosexual SPD Secretary General Kevin Kühnert was accompanied for three years.

Viva la Diva - Who is the Queen?" was also among the nominees. At the time, Tim Mälzer hosted a show in which celebrities dressed up as drag queens with painted fingernails. Mickie Krause was able to claim victory for himself.

 

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