Transition refers to the harmonisation of trans* people with their actual gender. To put it somewhat casually, it means making visible to the outside world what has long been clear on the inside. Transition is usually a year-long process - which can be very challenging for the trans* person. The three typical levels are briefly outlined below.
Social transition: from coming out as trans* to appearing in public
Coming out as a trans* person - how does it work? Whether as a child, teenager or adult, at some point a person realises: "There's something wrong with me, everyone thinks I'm 'male' or 'female', but I know better." This inner coming out is often not easy because there are no role models, hardly any children's or school books talk about it and there are only a few role models. If a person then realises ("I'm trans*"), it's usually time for the external coming out, namely telling other people what's going on: in the family, among friends, at work, at school... The feedback is usually different. A positive experience can always be followed by a negative experience due to devaluation, not being taken seriously or, unfortunately, discrimination ...
The external coming out makes visible to the outside world what is usually already clear on the inside, supported, for example, by different ("gender-typical") clothing, a different appearance, accessories such as baseball caps, binders (fabric on the upper body that makes the chest area appear flatter) or packers (from socks to dildos, anything that looks like "something in your trousers"). In public spaces, a lot changes for the trans* person: from being addressed by their new first name (or not), to being looked at on the street or at work, to going to a public toilet and the possible hostility that comes with it.
Medical transition: from testo to gender reassignment surgery
If you have health insurance, the costs of hormones and gender reassignment surgery are covered by the health insurance companies. However, the conditions for approval are high: one year of accompanying psychotherapy before hormones are granted, one and a half years before surgery is covered (e.g. mastectomy, i.e. male breast reconstruction, hysterectomy or penoid reconstruction). With the diagnosis F.64.0. the accompanying psychotherapy, it is certified to be "transsexual".
With prescription testosterone (e.g. as a gel that is applied daily or as an injection that is given every 14 days or every three months, depending on the testosterone preparation), the body changes: the voice becomes deeper, including the voice break, beard growth occurs, muscles and fat are redistributed.
Counselling centres run by and for trans* people provide more information: how to find a good accompanying therapy, how hormones work, where to find competent surgeons and answers to all medical questions.
Legal transition: ... to the new first name
Changing your first name from Susanne to Michael, being authorised by the state to change your civil status in the civil register from "W" (as in female) to "M" (as in male) or vice versa - both have been possible in Germany since 1981 under the Transsexuals Act (TSG). It has been heavily criticised by human rights and trans* organisations because: the process of getting a new first name is too long (up to one and a half years), too expensive (up to a few thousand euros), only goes through the local district court and involves not one but two assessments, usually by psychotherapists commissioned by the court.
In regions where there is not a large selection of trans*-friendly assessors, it happens from time to time that the trans* man or trans* woman has to show their wallet, belt or stockings to check whether the person is "male" or "female" enough. Sounds absurd? It is. Following the court proceedings, the new first name becomes legally binding and all important documents have to be changed, whether driving licence, certificates or identity card. Sterilisation has only been no longer required to change marital status since 2011, when the Federal Constitutional Court finally deemed this operation to be an infringement of the physical integrity of trans* people.
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