Two transgender women have made history in Germany after they were the first to be elected to the country’s parliament.
Tessa Ganserer (left) and Nyke Slawik (right) both won seats Sunday while running for the Green Party.
In the federal election, the centre-left Social Democrat Party narrowly beat Angela Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union, ending Merkel’s 16 years in power.
The Greens also celebrated winning the third-largest proportion of the vote in the election, the party’s best ever result.
The two transgender Greens MPs made history as the first openly transgender women to win their seats in Germany’s Bundestag.
“At a time when people still make fun of us, when some trans people still face [bullying] or lose their jobs, this is historic,” 27-year-old Slawik told Reuters.
Tessa Ganserer told Reuters her election was “a historic victory” for “the trans-emancipatory movement and for the entire queer community.”
She said it shows Germany is becoming a more accepting country.
“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for the trust shown by the voters,” the 44 year old, who transitioned in 2018, wrote on Twitter.
“I’m still overwhelmed, but I’m really looking forward to my new job in Berlin! My congratulations too @nyke_slawik! #QueerRepresentationMatters.”
Germany’s two transgender MPs will push for LGBTIQ law reform
Both politicians have vowed to push for new laws protecting the LGBTIQ community in Germany
Tessa Ganserer, who has two sons, wants to make it easier for lesbian mothers to adopt children.
She also shared her own experiences to campaign for Germany to make it easier for trans people to update their identity documents.
Government figures say the process takes an average of nine months and costs an average of $AU2,990 to complete.
Nyke Slawik has also campaigned for a nationwide action plan against homophobia and transphobia, as well as improvements to federal anti-discrimination laws.
Ich bedanke mich von ganzem Herzen für das Vertrauen der Wähler*innen. Ich bin noch ganz überwältigt, freue mich aber riesig auf meine neue Aufgabe in Berlin! Meinen Glückwunsch auch an @nyke_slawik!#QueereRepräsentanzMatters pic.twitter.com/1HOb2x3Nt4
— Tessa Ganserer (@GansGruen) September 27, 2021
View this post on Instagram
For the latest lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) news in Australia, visit qnews.com.au. Check out our latest magazines or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
No Comment