Private Life
"Out" for some 50 years, he has always been living in stable partnerships, since 1977 with Wolfgang Gindorf né Christiaens, born in 1956. Together, they sued for legal marriage rights all the way to the German Supreme Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) - in vain at first, but with the Court ruling that the German Congress should provide for some legal institute for same-sex partnerships. This ultimately led to the Federal Domestic Partnership Law (copying marriage law in most respects but name) which came into force on 1 August 2001. After the necessary additional State law was passed and came into effect on 1 October 2001, Rolf and Wolfgang were legally joined that same day at the local Registry Office. Thus, after their long fight for rights, values and symbols, they were finally married - shortly before their silver wedding anniversary.
Read more about this topic: Rolf Gindorf
Famous quotes containing the words private life, private and/or life:
“As in private life one differentiates between what a man thinks and says of himself and what he really is and does, so in historical struggles one must still more distinguish the language and the imaginary aspirations of parties from their real organism and their real interests, their conception of themselves from their reality.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)
“Old politicians, like old actors, revive in the limelight. The vacancy which afflicts them in private momentarily lifts when, once more, they feel the eyes of an audience upon them. Their old passion for holding the centre of the stage guides their uncertain footsteps to where the footlights shine, and summons up a wintry smile when the curtain rises.”
—Malcolm Muggeridge (1903–1990)
“Death is an endless night so awful to contemplate that it can make us love life and value it with such passion that it may be the ultimate cause of all joy and all art.”
—Paul Theroux (b. 1941)