in West Germany. 1971–2000 1974 – General Gay Association, the second openly LGBT rights organization in German history, is established. 1985 – Herbert Rusche becomes the first openly gay member of the Bundestag. 1987 – Jutta Oesterle-Schwerin becomes the first openly lesbian member of the Bundestag. 1994 – After German reunifaction, the Supreme Court rules that the age of consent for sex must be equalized, although its unclear what part of the Constitution the court based its ruling. 1994 - On June 11, Germany deletes the Paragraph 175 StGB (Strafgesetzbuch), which under changing conditions made sexual acts between men a punishable crime. 2000 – The Bundestag officially apologizes to gays and lesbians persecuted under the Nazi regime, and for "harm done to homosexual citizens up to 1969". 21st century 2001 – Germany recognizes civil partnerships for same-sex couples (without joint adoption until Oct 2004, then with step-adoption); Klaus Wowereit becomes the first openly gay politician elected mayor of Berlin (and, by virtue of Berlin's status as a state, one of the two first openly gay premier of a German state; also makes Berlin the largest city in the world with an openly gay mayor); Ole von Beust becomes the first openly gay mayor of Hamburg. 2004 – Same-sex stepchild adoption is legalized; Guido Westerwelle, leader of the FDP, becomes the first leader of a major party to come out. 2008 – On May 27, the Memorial to the Homosexual Victims of Nazi Persecution is handed over to the public in Berlin. 2009 – Westerwelle becomes the first openly gay member of the Federal Cabinet (Vice Chancellor and Foreign Minister under Angela Merkel coalition government). 2013 – Barbara Hendricks becomes the first openly lesbian member of the Federal Cabinet (Federal Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under Angela Merkel's coalition government) 2017 – In June 2017 the pardoning of men convicted in the postwar era under Paragraph 175 was passed by law in the Bundestag. One week later, a majority of Bundestag MPs voted in favor of a bill legalizing same-sex marriage in Germany and granting homosexual couples full adoption rights. 2019 – Conversion therapy is completely banned for minors and partially banned for adults in December 2019. 2021 - In May a bill passes the Bundestag that provides compensation to LGBT servicepeople in the military for past discrimination and harassment. See also LGBT rights in Germany Violence