Rolf Gindorf

Rolf Gindorf (born 14 May 1939) is a German sexologist. He is also a member of Mensa.

Life and work

Originally a graduate from a language school (diplomas in French, English, Spanish, Arabic), Dr. Gindorf first worked as a translator. Attending night classes in economics, law, and social sciences he became a successful export merchant and eventually president/controlling share holder of an international corporation supplying capital goods to the Middle and Far East. Then he started on his sexological career, studying sexual science, sociology, and psychology at the University of Düsseldorf, at the Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality, San Francisco (CA), and at Maimonides University, Miami (FL; Ph.D. in Clinical Sexology). He was a Clinical Assistant Professor at the American Academy of Clinical Sexologists, Orlando (FL, U.S.A.).

Today he works as director at the Institut für Lebens- und Sexualberatung (Institute for Sexual/Gay/AIDS-HIV Counseling) of the German Society for Social-Scientific Sexuality Research (DGSS) in Düsseldorf. He was Founding President (1971), President, Vice President, and now is Honorary President of the DGSS. - His main fields of interest are: gay and bisexuality research and counseling; sexual counseling and therapy; AIDS/HIV prevention and counseling; theoretical foundations of sexology; internet presentation of sexual science and counseling (1996 first German language sexological web site, meanwhile also in English).

He is the author and (co-)editor of more than 60 sexological publications [1], including eight books (two in English: Sexology Today. A Brief Introduction. Düsseldorf 1993, 141 pp.; Bisexualities. The Ideology and Practice of Sexual Contact with Both Men and Women. New York 1998, 270 pp., both with E. J. Haeberle) and two book series.

International activities, memberships, functions, and honors include: Scientific Advisor, Shanghai Sex Sociology Research Center; World Association for Sexual Health (WAS); European Federation of Sexology (EFS); Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS); Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS); Editorial Boards, Journal of Homosexuality and 'Sexuality and Culture'; International Scientific Committees, XIII. (1997, Valencia) and XIV. (1999, Hong Kong) World Congress of Sexology as well as 6. Congress of the European Federation of Sexology (2002, Limassol/Cyprus).

Focus: Homosexuality

One of the first post-war openly gay political campaigners, he made his own homosexuality public in a magazine article in 1964. In 1971 he founded one of the nation's first post-war gay lobbying organizations, the "Düsseldorfer Arbeitskreis Homosexualität und Gesellschaft", successfully lobbying for sex education reforms in schools. In 1976 he organized and conducted Germany's first gay/lesbian courses at public Adult Education Colleges ("Learning To Be Gay!"). – Subsequently concentrating on gay counseling and research, he remained a friendly, and sometimes participating, observer of new generations of gay activists.

Magnus Hirschfeld Medal

When he was honored with German sexology's most prestigious award, the Magnus Hirschfeld Medal, the award document read:

"The German Society for Social-Scientific Sexuality Research (DGSS) is proud to award its Magnus Hirschfeld Medal for Sexual Reform to Rolf Gindorf.

Over the past four decades, Rolf Gindorf has been showing exemplary and highly successful commitment to the cause of sexual reform in Germany. With the GFSS and DGSS, he has founded two sexological research societies, and with the DGSS Institute he has created a scientifically based sexual counseling body recognized all over Germany.

As President and Vice President of the German Society for Social-Scientific Sexuality Research (DGSS) he has organized numerous conferences on human sexualities of international scope. As a sexual scientist he has more than 60 publications to his credit, including the book series "Schriftenreihe Sozialwissenschaftliche Sexualforschung" which he co-edited. For three decades he has been heading the DGSS Sexual and Gay Counseling Institute in Düsseldorf. For many years he has also been sitting on various political committees to improve the social integration of gays and lesbians. Altogether Rolf Gindorf has been contributing essentially towards institutionalizing social-scientific sexuality research and professional gay counseling in Germany.

Today, on the occasion of the XVI. Conference on Social Scientific Sexuality Research at Lüneburg University, we honor Rolf Gindorf for 33 years of pioneering sexological work by awarding him the Magnus Hirschfeld Medal for Outstanding Service to Sexual Reform.

Lüneburg, June 27, 2004:
Prof. Dr. Gunter Runkel (President) --- Prof. Dr. Karla Etschenberg (Vice President)"

Peer Quotes

"... has achieved, by his own efforts and originally as an academic outsider, a remarkable success which puts to shame many a German University chair." - Prof. Dr. Dr. Erwin J. Haeberle

"I have learned much from him about facets of human sexuality ..." - Prof. Dr. Ernest Borneman

"... an expert from whom I learn gladly." - Prof. Dr. Helmut Kentler

"Founder and shaper of the DGSS, prime mover of humanitarianism." - Prof. Dr. Dr. Reinhard Wille

"Special Achievements: Rolf Gindorf institutionalized sexuality research through the social sciences, and professionalized gay counseling in Germany." - Who's Who

Private life

"Out" for some 50 years, he has always been living in stable partnerships, since 1977 with Wolfgang Gindorf né Christiaens, born in 1956. Together, they sued for legal marriage rights all the way to the German Supreme Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) - in vain at first, but with the Court ruling that the German Congress should provide for some legal institute for same-sex partnerships. This ultimately led to the Federal Domestic Partnership Law (copying marriage law in most respects but name) which came into force on 1 August 2001. After the necessary additional State law was passed and came into effect on 1 October 2001, Rolf and Wolfgang were legally joined that same day at the local Registry Office. Thus, after their long fight for rights, values and symbols, they were finally married - shortly before their silver wedding anniversary.