Herbert Rusche
Encyclopedia
Herbert Ludwig Rusche is a German
politician and LGBT
activist.
Rusche was born in Bad Neuenahr. In his childhood, he lived in three different cities. After his schooling, he lived in Kaiserslautern
, Heidelberg
, Berlin
, Hamburg
, Offenbach am Main and Frankfurt am Main. Rusche left the Protestant Church in 1970 and became a Buddhist
in 1977. In 1977 he also opened the first health food store
in Offenbach with a friend. In the 1990s he was self-employed with a telecommunication business. He encountered severe health issues and retired permanently disabled in 2004.
since 1970. He, with some other friends, founded the organisation Homo Heidelbergensis in 1972, the first gay group in Heidelberg. In 1973 Rusche became a member of the organisation Homosexuelle Aktion Westberlin (HAW). Later he worked in Frankfurt as an activist with Anderes Ufer. He then became a member in Aktionsgemeinschaft Unabhängiger Deutscher in Offenbach/Frankfurt and also became member of the Green List Hessen (GLH). In 1978 Rusche he was a GLH candidate for the parliament of Hesse
, but lost with the GLH only getting 1,1% of the vote.
Later Rusche became a founding member of Sonstige politische Vereinigung DIE GRÜNEN and of the party Die GRÜNEN
. Rusche was Landesgeschäftsführer of the Greens in Hesse. In 1982 the party won 8,6% of the vote in Hesse and the party was in parliament in Hesse (Hessischer Landtag) for the first time. The Green party later also won in federal elections and became a member of the Bundestag
for the first time. Rusche was a member of the Bundestag from 1985 to 1987.
During his time in Bundestag, Rusche, who is openly
gay
, worked for the equalizing of the age of consent
, AIDS
causes, and financial help for people with AIDS. He and Petra Kelly
worked on the situation in Tibet
. After he left the Bundestag, Rusche has worked for different AIDS organisations and for Homosexuelle Selbsthilfe. In 2001, Rusche left The Greens
because of the party's political decision on Kosovo
. In 2003 he became member of the new LGBT organisation Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee (whk) in Hesse. Since 2004 Rusche has been a delegate of Buddhistische Gemeinschaft within the Deutsche Buddhistische Union (DBU). He became one of the members of the "Rat" (board of directors) of the DBU in early 2008. On August 24, 2009 he joined the Hesse
chapter of the German Pirate Party.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
politician and LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
activist.
Rusche was born in Bad Neuenahr. In his childhood, he lived in three different cities. After his schooling, he lived in Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern
Kaiserslautern is a city in southwest Germany, located in the Bundesland of Rhineland-Palatinate at the edge of the Palatinate forest . The historic centre dates to the 9th century. It is from Paris, from Frankfurt am Main, and from Luxembourg.Kaiserslautern is home to 99,469 people...
, Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Offenbach am Main and Frankfurt am Main. Rusche left the Protestant Church in 1970 and became a Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
in 1977. In 1977 he also opened the first health food store
Health food store
A health food store is a type of grocery store that primarily sells health food, organic foods, local produce, and often nutritional supplements...
in Offenbach with a friend. In the 1990s he was self-employed with a telecommunication business. He encountered severe health issues and retired permanently disabled in 2004.
Work as politician
Rusche has been a member of the gay communityGay community
The gay community, or LGBT community, is a loosely defined grouping of LGBT and LGBT-supportive people, organizations and subcultures, united by a common culture and civil rights movements. These communities generally celebrate pride, diversity, individuality, and sexuality...
since 1970. He, with some other friends, founded the organisation Homo Heidelbergensis in 1972, the first gay group in Heidelberg. In 1973 Rusche became a member of the organisation Homosexuelle Aktion Westberlin (HAW). Later he worked in Frankfurt as an activist with Anderes Ufer. He then became a member in Aktionsgemeinschaft Unabhängiger Deutscher in Offenbach/Frankfurt and also became member of the Green List Hessen (GLH). In 1978 Rusche he was a GLH candidate for the parliament of Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
, but lost with the GLH only getting 1,1% of the vote.
Later Rusche became a founding member of Sonstige politische Vereinigung DIE GRÜNEN and of the party Die GRÜNEN
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
. Rusche was Landesgeschäftsführer of the Greens in Hesse. In 1982 the party won 8,6% of the vote in Hesse and the party was in parliament in Hesse (Hessischer Landtag) for the first time. The Green party later also won in federal elections and became a member of the Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
for the first time. Rusche was a member of the Bundestag from 1985 to 1987.
During his time in Bundestag, Rusche, who is openly
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
, worked for the equalizing of the age of consent
Age of consent
While the phrase age of consent typically does not appear in legal statutes, when used in relation to sexual activity, the age of consent is the minimum age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. The European Union calls it the legal age for sexual...
, AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
causes, and financial help for people with AIDS. He and Petra Kelly
Petra Kelly
Petra Karin Kelly was a German politician and activist. She was instrumental in founding the German Green Party, the first Green party to rise to prominence worldwide.- Early life :...
worked on the situation in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
. After he left the Bundestag, Rusche has worked for different AIDS organisations and for Homosexuelle Selbsthilfe. In 2001, Rusche left The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
because of the party's political decision on Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. In 2003 he became member of the new LGBT organisation Wissenschaftlich-humanitäres Komitee (whk) in Hesse. Since 2004 Rusche has been a delegate of Buddhistische Gemeinschaft within the Deutsche Buddhistische Union (DBU). He became one of the members of the "Rat" (board of directors) of the DBU in early 2008. On August 24, 2009 he joined the Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
chapter of the German Pirate Party.