"I suspect that the rejection could have something to do with my well-known Sinti last name"

Kelly Laubinger had planned something in the summer of 2021. She wanted to do more sports again, she says on the phone. They chose a well-known fitness center in Neumünster. The educator lives not far away, and she strolled by with a friend. It should be a short visit, a get-to-know-you, a quick registration. The fitness studios in the republic had tough times of the pandemic behind them, and many aggressively advertised for new customers during this time. But for Kelly Laubinger, a bad suspicion arose that day, which accompanies her to this day. She was rejected as a member for reasons she believed to be advanced. On October 28, the civil lawsuit will be heard at the district court.

Laubinger has been used to discrimination since childhood, she says. She is a Sinteza, meaning she belongs to the ethnic national group of Sinti. Today she is the chairwoman of the Federal Association of Sinti and Roma and is also the chairwoman of the local Sinti Union in Schleswig-Holstein. Her surname Laubinger is a very common and typical name in the Sinti community, similar to Schmidt or Meier in mainstream German society. She says: "Even when I was at school or during my vocational training, I experienced that many people associate my last name with prejudices against Sinti and Roma."

Kelly Laubinger describes the visit on June 14, 2021 as follows: She introduced herself at the counter and said she would like to become a member. She had her vaccination card with her and proof of her earnings. There was a lot going on in the fitness center, one employee took her name, another employee added a little later that he had to “consult” with the boss. Then she was told: There was an order from the authorities and because of Corona they were only allowed to accept a certain number of members. This has already been achieved. A friend of hers overheard the conversation, Kelly Laubinger first left the studio and called other fitness studios in the region. Nothing had been heard there of the ordinance limiting the number of members.

She went back into the studio. "I was calm and friendly, but persistent and kept asking." Other fitness employees spoke to her about "house rules" or, according to Laubinger, spoke of an "instruction from the boss". The result remained the same: she was not allowed to become a member. In writing, the Laubinger fitness center referred to the priority given to family members and life partners of regular members. The fitness center did not respond to a WELT request for the exact reasons for the cancellation.

On the day of the cancellation, something happened that Kelly Laubinger said was "very surprising". The fitness center had rejected her - but at the same time advertised for new members in the free advertising paper, offered free trial training sessions and went to catch customers. Two friends of hers who seemed interested in membership were immediately offered a contract. "I suspect that the rejection could have something to do with my well-known Sinti surname."

After a consultation with the Schleswig-Holstein anti-discrimination association, she decided to hire a lawyer. Attempts to arbitrate beforehand failed, and now a civil court has to decide on the accusation of discrimination.

The fitness center from Neumünster did not respond to a catalog of questions from WELT. In the spring of this year, a spokeswoman for the fitness center told other media that Kelly Laubinger had "completely misrepresented" the situation at the time. Laubinger is now demanding 1,000 euros in compensation in the process, and then wants to donate the money.

"For me, the case is quite clear. There is no plausible explanation for Ms Laubinger's rejection," said her Hamburg lawyer Martin Klingner. "My client is not concerned with the money, but with the signal effect of this case." Since the incident, Kelly Laubinger has become increasingly involved in association work and became chairwoman of the Federal Association of Sinti and Roma. "I noticed that I would like to do more against discrimination and for the empowerment of Sinti and Roma."