Germany: boyfriend not welcome

The first openly gay shooter from a traditional German Schützenvereine shooting club has been allowed to take part in a national marksmanship competition after agreeing not to bring his long-term partner.

Schützenverein are considered conservative bastions in Germany, but 44-year-old Dirk Winter broke new ground when he became his club’s top marksman, or Schützenkönig, in June and named partner Oliver as his “queen” — a title normally reserved for the wives of heterosexual champions.

However, the federal Schützenverein association would only allow Winter into the national competition if he left Oliver at home.