Transgender Upheaval in Germany

 "Degrading, expensive and illogical" — that is how one trans* person described her experience of legally changing her gender in Germany.

Felicia Rolletschke (below) is one of many transgender activists who is fighting for a reform to the so-called Transsexual Law, which determines the legal process for trans* people to change their gender and name in Germany. By the beginning of 2021, the law will have been in place for 40 years — a time frame in which many countries around the world have seen great upheaval in their legislation around trans* rights.

There are currently two bills before the German parliament that aim to ease this process with a new "self-determination law" (Selbstbestimmungsgesetz). Activists hope such a law would reform the current costly, lengthy process — but the reform has faced some stiff opposition.

Activism?

Since the Trans Ohio Symposium has evidently been cancelled, I have decided to look for other avenues to be more active in the transgender community. I believe it is crucial now with the  onslaught of over two hundred anti LGBTQ bills now being attempted in state legislatures around the country. In fact, here in Ohio, one bill has been introduced which would punish doctors for helping transgender children with their medical treatments. Plus, it goes without saying, theses bills are Republican dominated efforts.

In my own small way, I am going to try to be more visible, volunteer more and even donate a portion of my very meager funds to efforts combating these bills when I can. As I have written about before here in Cyrsti's Condo, I am trying to get involved with an educational effort with senior care communities (or homes) in the Cincinnati area on how to care for transgender elderly patients.

Also coming up is the Transgender Day of Visibility, an event at Cincinnati State College and one ladies night out at the main Cincinnati Library.

Hopefully, in some small way, or ways, I can do my part to help the present and future needs of the transgender community.

I feel my attendance at the cross dresser-transgender support group meetings has almost run it's course and it's time to look for other things to do.