First two transgender women win seats in Germany’s parliamentary elections

Two politicians in Germany’s nationwide elections on Sunday made history by becoming the first transgender women to win parliamentary seats.

Tessa Ganserer, 44, and Nyke Slawik, 27, both ran as members of Germany’s Greens party.

“It is a historic victory for the Greens, but also for the trans-emancipatory movement and for the entire queer community,” Ganserer told Reuters.

“Madness! I still can’t quite believe it, but with this historic election result I will definitely be a member of the next Bundestag,” Slawik wrote on Instagram.

Both Ganserer and Slawik plan to address the rights of those who identify as part of the LGBT community, with a focus on issues like allowing lesbian mothers to adopt children and improving anti-discrimination laws.

In Germany, hate crimes against members of the LGBT community rose 36 percent in 2020.