German MP Tessa Ganserer will become the country's first transgender lawmaker when she resumes her seat in the regional Bavaria parliament next week, three months after being re-elected.
Ganserer, a Greens party representative, came out publicly during a press conference on Monday.
"Gender identity is a human right," Ganserer told reporters, an indication that she may push for a long-debated update to the nation's 30-year-old trans laws.
She added: "In future it should be possible for a person to apply to change their gender recorded at birth" [with the authorities].
"I am not doing this for fun - I didn't choose to be a woman."
According to , members of the trans community in Germany are presently required to have the support of two doctors before legally changing their gender.
Ganserer, who had previously served in local parliament after being elected in 2013, received the backing of Ilse Aigner, the president of the regional parliament.
"Mrs Ganserer has taken a very brave and highly personal decision," Aigner said.
"Our male colleague is becoming a female colleague, that should not be a problem in this house. A person's personality is always more important than their gender."
