section_path: Political positions/LGBT+ people
section_name: LGBT+ people
paragraph_text: LGBT+ people
  
  Merz has made statements about LGBT+ people perceived as insensitive. When asked in 2001 about Berlin's then mayor Klaus Wowereit coming out as gay, he said "as long as he doesn't come near me, I don't care". In November 2018, Merz said that introducing same-sex marriage in Germany was the right thing to do. In September 2020, Merz was asked if he would have reservations about a gay chancellor, and said "concerning the question of sexual orientation, as long as it is within the scope of the law and does not concern children—at this point I reach my absolute limits—it is not an issue for public discussion". He clarified after an outcry that he had not meant to link homosexuality with pedophilia.