An opinion piece in the daily newspaper "Die Welt" caused a controversy, in which Springer CEO Mathias Springer got involved with a public letter to the employees.

In the criticized article, the authors Rieke Hümpel, Uwe Steinhoff, Antje Galuschka, Alexander Korte and Marie Vollbrecht accuse ARD and ZDF of indoctrinating “our children”.

The authors identify "transgender ideology in the 'Show with the Mouse', videos on penis removal or drug sex" in the program.

According to the Springer boss, the text on the matter is "underground".

"Generally" the "public service broadcasters" would be criticized for their reporting on transsexual identities among children and young people.

Overall" it "implies that there are only two gender identities.

Scientifically, the text is at best roughly one-sided.” The “whole tone” is “superficial, condescending and loaded with resentment.

Not far removed from the reactionary attitude: homosexuality is a disease.”

Unloading followed promptly

Döpfner leaves it open whether it was the right thing to publish the article, but supports the diversity of opinion that also applies here and points out that this is a guest contribution.

That's why he also criticizes the Uhlala Group, which has disinvited the Springer publishing house from the queer job fair "Sticks & Stones" because of the said guest article in the "Welt".

The Uhlala boss Stuart Bruce Cameron had identified the entire Springer group with the newspaper article and wrote that the article "made LGBTIQ+ hostile statements and spread misinformation".

In addition, “atmosphere is made against sexual and gender diversity and their representation.

The article harms LGBTIQ+ people and poisons public debate.”

“We at the Uhlala Group,” continued Cameron, “expressly distance ourselves from the article in the daily newspaper Die Welt and from Axel Springer SE, under whose umbrella this article appeared.

Against this background, we cannot continue our existing cooperation with Axel Springer SE.”

Springer boss Döpfner takes a stand against this not atypical cancel reflex.

Because of a guest article in a newspaper, “18,000 employees of this company were held jointly liable”.

And that despite the fact that the group has supported the queer job fair since 2010 and is involved in LGBTIAQ issues.

This is a (bad) example of the "polarization of politics and society" and the lack of a culture of debate.

The Uhlala managing director Cameron had been invited by the editors of "Welt" to represent "a detailed counter-position".