A safe haven back van. Thats true. You could live here without being bothered with the vibrant cosmopolitan city of berlin. Attracts l g, b t q i, people from around the world, including trans people. The Transgender Community has become increasingly visible in recent years. Boom, blue trans people have always existed around the globe in every culture. Berlin has played a key role in trans history for more than a century. Now people come to the city from around the world so they can lead lives unconstrained by gender roles or conservative sexual norms. According to the city authorities, berlin is home to between 2 and 300000 queer people and estimated 8 percent of the population. Its not clear how many of them identify as trans or intersects many places cater for the l. G b t q i. Community berlin, square magazines, eagles. Soya has collated a map of relevant venues on its online portal. Because the euler d e Advice Centers specialists, doctors, hundreds of Party Locations and cafes as well as Cultural Resources such as museums and bookshops. Were taking you on a 4 chapter journey through berlins queer past and present one that explores one. Why trans asterisk people from around the globe come to berlin to day to how a scientific pioneer challenged prevailing sexual nomes more than a century ago. 3, how berlin achieved cult status for its quiz, seen in the 19 seventies and full what life is like for trans people in berlin to day and what problems they encounter. But what does being trans mean . Well, 1st off, trans people are part of the Queer Community. Queer is a collective term for people whose gender identity and or Sexual Orientation does not correspond to the heterosexual norm. Trans asterisk is an umbrella term for people whose your identity differs from the sex that they were assigned at birth. Ah, well then there is a huge range. There are some people who identify themselves, trans man or trans woman. And then recall this. They fit into gen a binary and some people dont even defy what male or female gender. And they defend themselves. For example, as non button eric chapter one. So why do trans asterisk people from all around the globe flock to berlin . We asked 2 young members of the Trans Community who have moved to the german capital. Felicia maletchko, a tour guide in berlins gay museum, which focuses on l. G, b, t, q. I, themes and culture. And holden, my dog, a, me, an opera singer from the u. S who has put down roots in berlin. In tile, mon, called fun tish, bon east bush, out of us come to yard st. Lindsey. My name is, hold him the dog, me. And i moved to germany in 2013 because germany has about a 3rd of the worlds opera. And i am treasure under. I felt comfortable sort of relaxing myself as a trans person in berlin. Hi, my name is felicia my pronouns. Are she her . And im a transgender activist and tour guide in berlin. I came out in 20 sixteens of 6 years ago and coming out of us, very mixed experience had a very positive experiences here in berlin, in the communities in space, i was moving in the area. I was studying and the friends i had the social circles i have most of that was very positive. Felicia, again transitioning in 2015 at the age of 20. She came to berlin because she wanted to live in a city where she could come out as trans holden came to berlin from the United States for work, but it wasnt just a career move. There were also some highly personal reasons for the relocation. I think what attacks it trans and queer people internationally to come to berlin is partially that theres a big, Big Community here already. And everybody sort of knows that berlin has like the trans queer city, like it has that International Reputation for it already. When i think also because i dont want to call it a utopia, but it, it because its not necessarily used hope yet, but its like berlin is a really great place to be trans and queer, feels really, really safe. And i think a lot of the world is not safe. And so i think a lot of trans people come here because they know basically theyre going to be safe. And, and if they come from really oppressive countries or oppressive places, bob, its going to be so much better here. I think thats a major part of it. There are huge opportunities for trans people here. There is a chance for Community Just in places like this is we are at now are in other Community Spaces all across the city. Things trans people in the rest of germany often dont have one, dont have to that degree. Which is the reason why many trans people moved to berlin in order to live their life. Berlin 1st became a queer haven over a century ago. That long history has helped give to days city its colorful and inclusive reputation. But the terms we use now to describe queer people are comparatively new. The term transgender didnt really come into existence until the middle of the 20th century. Is not to say that people werent experiencing discomfort and theyre assigned gender dysphoria or feeling a desire to express gender more broadly or more or differently than them society. Um would have wanted or expected. Oh, tempted to how a pioneer challenged sexual norms more than a 100 years ago. Oh, berlin became internationally famous in the early 20th century for its hedonistic decadent night life. But it was also where the 1st groundbreaking research on sexuality and gender identity was conducted. And the 1st sex reassignment surgery, magnus, her spelled, was the driving force. He was a pioneer of sexology and one of the 1st people to scientifically investigate, sexual and gender identities. In 1919, he set up the institute for sexual science and berlin. He coined the now outdated term transvestite for people who described themselves as trans asterisk today. He actually researched on the entire spectrum of gender identity and sexuality. He assisted people in his practice as a doctor to try to come to terms. He gave people a vocabulary about what they were experiencing, and he offered actual assistance in the case of, for example, of trans men and women. He helped them with, with early on gender confirmation surgery with homeland therapy with 6 i tree was tactical, less is like a hair movable, so he really didnt make a difference in all other peoples lives. By james conway is the translator of berlins 3rd sex, written by magnus hair, spelled it was published at the start of the 20th century. And was one of the 1st works about berlins queer subculture he ish failed, was himself part of this community and wrote about then use like the queer night club and cabaret el dorado. It was later targeted by the nazis before that berlin was a place of freedom and experimentation in the viola era. You have really elva who is known to us through the um, the book and the film, the danish girl, the movie, the danish girl from the year 2015 retails the story of lily albert, the danish trans person, an artist was a media sensation. She was one of the 1st intersects people to undergo gender reassignment surgery. In 1930, she came to germany for the procedure he overcame from denmark and consult with bruce levels his throat. And he guided her through tend to confirmation surgery madness. Harshfield wasnt just a doctor and a scientist. He was an activist campaigning for the rights of queer people. This campaign included a revolutionary regulation in berlin from the year 19 o 9 co drafted by harshfield, a granted trans people the right to dress as they pleased in public and in the workplace. They no longer needed to fear arrest for public order offences. Yes said hut mitten, pull inside president and deal else. God, it does. The 1st world negotiated a deal with the police chief which looked like this an athlete. Herschel would issue a medical certificate ignore on a diagnosis which red transvestite claim fiscal. The diesel duck noisy good. With this diagnosis, the trans person would go to the Police Headquarters and get a photo id stating that they are transvestite interstate. These appellate zones, and plants 15th and possible that soon, and then the document would be stamped by the police chief div upon spelt or after esparza. Life has come to put it silent. Has the if this trans person walking down the street and the Police Stopped them, say they could show their transvestite id and the police would refrain from arresting and charging them with an up c, n c fester name on until the 1st. In other words, to island this was a waiver, beating legal persecution help local. And that was an important milestone set at 19 o. 9 on her spilt initiatives. Yeah. Once non dot, knowin for the 2nd gazette, sort of household to convince her team here spelled was ahead of his time. But not everyone agreed with his ambitious reforms. As far as the nazis were concerned, he embodied every thing they despised about the unjust and weimar republic. When they seized power in 1933, the nazis ran sites the Research Library at here spelled institute. It was one of the 1st targets of the nazi book burning program. By diesel bishop all pennell for the d vista fall knocked us hills. At this book, learning that from the bust of Marg Marshfield was carried over the heads of the nazis as they marched towards the bonfire. Little fear, he might institute miss seizing these trophies from the institute. There was a way of showing that the spirit of the bye mar, era must be extinguished, wi symbolically casting them buzzed and the entire contents of the library into the flames went dusk. Isnt the swift good in . Does foil go bolton built . I was almost a pagan ritual to cleanse germany of quote unquote, unclean tendencies. Madness her spelled was on an International Lecture Tour when the nazi came to power and laid his institute to waste. He never went back to germany. After all, he knew that as a gay jewish social democrat, he would never be safe. And the 3rd rash legless, his phone died, a broken leg. He died on wheels, bertha out and of his difficult to that. But he died having seen his last work literally going up in flames. Hersh felds, reformist influence was lost during the nazi dictatorship. Berlins free spirit disappeared for decades and with it the freedoms that queer people had fought so hard to gain. But then came the 19 sixties and seventies chapter 3, how berlin became a cult location for the Queer Community in the seventys when berlin was still divided by a wall, there were places in both parts of the city where transgender and queer people could gather and express themselves, ill be it in different ways. As of responding by damage south, west berlin really was a safe haven back then. Thats true, then you could live here without being bothered. Youre wrong, we didnt really have any rights, but we could get everything we needed is copyrighted. There was a Trans Community which meant we could communicate with each other. This is scott, there were already basic networks in place, which is important because you need information. And that existed in west berlin within this, but the Trans Community was as small as it existed here. And you didnt have to feel that you would just on your own, obscene, or my most sinister sca food harm yolanda to resign. Ah norah occurred as written a book about her life story. As a, as in the time 63, when i came to west berlin in 1973, it was the 1st place i had ever heard of trans people consent or i learned there were people who were trans from. And that was very important for me because i saw that it was impossible that these people actually did exist. As a mentioned certain has gotten there was a nightly drag show, which was also something really special about it. But for me, it was also an opportunity to go and see trans people, your transmission to see it. Not every one on stage was trans allen. There were also gay man who had made a career of performing and dragged his grandma i but there were also trans women performing and seeing them was very, very special for me because i was able to see that it was possible to live that way. Who the best known trans performer at the time was ro, me hard was tardies for one of the reasons why disreputable west berlin became a hot spot for myth and the art community. The Dutch National arrived in berlin in the 1970s. Before that shed been a dancer at the famous Paris Night Club alcazar, seeing viner cuz she was an absolute idol. Of course, she looked amazing and that alone made her role model ive it will be in 1974 ro, me hug, opened her travesty club. She wrote me hug in west berlin. It quickly became a popular venue with those thinking a more open, inclusive night life experience. This was when really hug started dating david bowie, the singer like to play with gender roles and adopted an androgynous look in rebel rebel. He sings about a mother who is annoyed by her childs confusion. A boy at the same time dancer, marlo la fantastic, was lured by berlins free spirit and arrived from the United States. She loved the city so much, she ended up staying for 30 years. She also worked with ro, me hug for a time where she was coming from barron. And she wanted to expand me a name, and she came to say new work that they all came to the choir and enjoy of awe. Before she wrote me hug, there was the she new berlin oldest, clear cabaret, or travesty theatre as they are called, famed throughout europe. It opened in 1958 and closed in 2000. And 8. I can try to work in cabaret. She knew my dea region, the owner and founder of the capital, and i left on new york going to fair lin at the my current job where she knew it was a year. Then i and im standing working. And allah lobsting carefully at the either i cabaret and especially cross dressing were in vogue at the time, marlo felt more comfortable and accepted at the trans women and performer in germany than in the United States of america. And we just have different oh gee. And the girls want. Ready terminated again, theyre battling, but theyre living with them. And i, i liked it and jamie was very exciting. In a wall there, broadminded fantastic people. Im a lot travesty. Ah. Oh, the night clubs and cabarets shade to west berlins image around the world. Ah. In east berlin, there was also a small connected queer scene in communist east germany. Nadia schellenberg lived openly as a trans person and was an activist in the Queer Community groups. One of her main Meeting Places was the san tugs club which still exists today. Ah, as a 1000000000 via berlin was always melting hot for all kinds of people in east germany for intellectuals, homosexuals, artists, and miss fed them all. There wasnt much information in the eightys and from one, neither in west germany, nor in the east to go on read also wish. And what you did see in the media was almost always presented in a very negative lights, a man in womens clothing, but that was something out of the movies on clyde, on the popular infirmary, because in east berlin show, lot of fun miles door was a pioneer in the Trans Community, she began collecting every day objects in the 19 fifties and exhibiting them in the goods house. Mazda of the manor house became a villa, meaning an arrow museum, and a famous Meeting Place for east berlins Queer Community. On coming all topics for after coming out i met shalysea and thats how i found the Community Via luncheon was already well known in the east german scene. But after german reunification Peoples Awareness about her grew a lot. 60 sackcloth, charlotte of and miles door received the federal order of merit germanys highest order in 1992. She passed away in 2002, she to pave the way for todays more tolerant berlin. At the gay museum in berlin, and exhibition is dedicated to the efforts of trans activists like charlotte, a fun miles dwarf and Nadia Schellenberg chapter 4, how do you trans people live in berlin to day and what problems do they face . There are many spaces in berlin, a can act a safe harbors for trans cable, but not universally as video as a whole. Is huge dimension of head crimes and violence and discrimination that we experience in the streets in our workplaces and in our social environments. Its difficult to gauge the exact extent of violence against queer people until recently, only a fraction of anti l g b t q. I. Crime was recorded by the authorities in 2020 however, for lin became the 1st german state to publish an annual report. Monitoring the homophobic and transfer bit violence in 2021. The Victim Support Center monet. Oh, registered a spike and reports to fight an estimated 80 to 90 percent of incidence going unreported. The center recorded 731 cases of threats and attacks against transgender people, gays, and lesbians. In this, in between phase, where like, they cant tell if you are a woman or a man, people get really angry. They get angry that they, they cant figure it out, you know . And so now people would spit at you or had like, um, like boys would like squirt water at me with squirt guns or Something Like that. You know, like that stuff happens all the time. One time i was walking home late at night and a boy was riding his bicycle and he was just like harassing me and it was really scary. It was really late, it i and there was maybe around here and it is not only the fear of hate crime that weighs heavily on members of the Trans Community. Those who hope are classed. An uncomplicated medical treatment in berlin may also be disappointed. And if were talking about germany specifically then, um there are the, there is the issue of massive barriers for trans people when they are entering the medical system, looking for gender fleming treatments. Some of these various may include extensive waiting periods before access to im hormone replacement therapies are, and a kind of other medical procedures there long waiting periods with discriminating and humiliating processes that are part of that. Despite many obstacles, trans people are becomi