Kim Trau:
Rechtswohltat oder "Schweinerei"?
Kim Trau:
Legal Relief or a "Big Mess"?
The discussion of the Transsexual Act as seen in the press and petitions to the German parliament from 1975 to 1982
English abstract
In her article, Kim Trau looks at an important aspect of the German trans* movement’s history and the German government’s approach towards transsexuality, namely the conflicts seen in the late 1970s and early 1980s leading up to the Transsexual Act. The author analyzes petitions from trans* people to the German parliament as well as press articles on the debated introduction of legislation for a group that was still largely unknown and misunderstood. In doing so, she uncovers pioneers of Germany’s trans* movement and trailblazers of legal recognition, as well as a phenomenon whose outlines are still being defined and an Act that still stands at the heart of a struggle over inclusion and exclusion.