Joyn, a streaming provider, announced in November 2022 that they were searching for “Mr. Gay Germany”, a new queer competition format. The show was unique in that it followed the men in front and behind the scenes as they progressed through the stages of the contest. New episodes appeared online every week until the finale was released. However, only a few months after it was aired, the show has since been removed from the media library due to “cheating allegations”.
The winner of “Mr. Gay Germany” was Lukas from Alsdorf, who is now officially the “ambassador of the LGBTQIA+ community”. Shortly after the program, allegations were brought up against the winner that individual jury members knew Lukas before the election, giving him an unfair advantage over his competitors.
According to “Bild”, Joyn initiated internal investigations to avert any possible damage from the station because of the allegations. Joyn sent employees of the responsible production company and other candidates a catalog of questions. The show was then removed from the platform following doubts about the fair course of the selection process that could not be completely clarified after an internal review.
Lukas was criticized not only for the allegations against him but also for misogynistic statements made in a controversial Tiktok video. In response, Lukas said that a single person could not represent a large, colorful community. Despite criticism, Lukas was allowed to keep his title and was defended by “Mr. Gay Germany” CEO Patrick Dähmlow.
Despite the advantages given to her as a former chancellor, Angela Merkel is known for her down-to-earth attitude, often shopping at the market herself. She once even fell victim to robbery despite her personal protection.
