Nearly a year since I last dressed as a woman :(

[Hannah Samira]

Viel Spaß noch in Deutschland!

Danke!!

[theqnoumenon]

You're the only one who knows your host family, before you could just talk about the topic with them in general, not telling first your feelings and seeing their reaction to this. Then, depending on their response, tell them or not.

I can say that in the main cities in Europe there's usually no problem with this (although in Spain we have these marvelous people from HazteOir, this sort of organizations use to be a minority). I feel kind of identified with you, next year I'm moving next year to the US and I'll have to build again a safe space .-.

[SailorMars1994]

You're the only one who knows your host family, before you could just talk about the topic with them in general, not telling first your feelings and seeing their reaction to this. Then, depending on their response, tell them or not.

I can say that in the main cities in Europe there's usually no problem with this (although in Spain we have these marvelous people from HazteOir, this sort of organizations use to be a minority). I feel kind of identified with you, next year I'm moving next year to the US and I'll have to build again a safe space .-.

How have you managed to go to the US for a year? I been wanting to spend a year in like Arizona

[theqnoumenon]

How have you managed to go to the US for a year? I been wanting to spend a year in like Arizona

Well, it's for studying in California for an academic course. I'm doing now all the paperwork, but feel free to contact if you want to know about applications or something ~

[Fresas con Nata]

With regards to the ILGA image I posted, it should be noted that the metrics they used to colour the countries are based exclusively on laws and regulations. Malta (88%) jumped to the top on 2016 because of some new laws that were enacted during 2015. So, while Germany may be apparently doing bad at only 55%, the actual acceptance of average people on the street may be different.

It's also no secret that there are regional and local variations. Where I live in Spain (70%), for instance, people are pretty conservative and they will yell at two women walking the street hand in hand. Or, while Eastern Europe is a hard place to be a LGBT, wikitravel gives a good reference for Bucharest:

Bucharest is home to the leading gay community in Romania, the city being a lot more lenient towards LGBT couples than any other Romanian places. Romania is just starting to get accustomed to LGBT individuals

In any case, our immediate environment is among the most important factors that dictate how much we can be ourselves. If I lived with my parents in Malta and they didn't accept me, I wouldn't be able to express myself, while if I lived with a friend of mine in Chișinău, Moldova (14%), life wouldn't be awful because she is pretty accepting.

[sarah1972]

You could check www.gendertreff.de which is a German resource site, maybe it helps finding a local LGBT group in case you are interested...

Hugs Sarah

[Rachel_Christina]

Hey! Yes I'm in Germany right now and I am originally from England. Ohh how come you're in Switzerland? I have just about 4 or 5 months left here so not too long, Uni has just started again as well so that might make the time go faster!!

Yea I thought you wher, I am Irish/Swiss.
And I work here on a winery,
Pitty I could have took a drive over, could a been cool lol

[Talita]

Hello Samira

Where in Germany are you located?

I have also recently arrived in Germany (from South Africa) and I now stay in Heilbronn, near Stuttgart. I did manage to bring lingerie with me so while I haven't dressed completely for a while I do 'under-dress' daily.

Life here is probably a bit easier for me because I'm fluent in German, I live on my own, and do my own laundry.

Tschüss
Talita

[myraey]

Nothing is black and white. Germans like bureaucracy , it is a stereotype but has some truth to it. It takes a long time to change the laws in a country like Germany which also has a very strong tradition of federalism.

Christianity its true but the followers in general are not too strict about it.
Not everyone is liberal (the exact definitionnis another question) in cities like Berlin but it is very segregated  Sometimes people are very tolerant to the extreme but have very outdated views on these issues if they do not affect themselves that much. The small towns might have very liberal people in them.

[Wild Flower]

Transylvania supports transgender people I heard.

[goliard]

Actually, Germany fares only slightly better than Hungary, and even worse than Greece!



(sorry apparently I can't make it larger than 400px wide)

Im german and maybe you have to seperate this from how LGBT is accepted by the people. The legal cituation of this group is in some ways even more restricted than in the US (same sex marriages for example). Still I would say in everyday life germans are much more accepting then americans.

[Kaylin]

Hi Hannah!

I am also from the UK and been debating being open during a research project I am doing in a different city during the summer break (just going into fourth year undergrad), but opted not to as I hope to do my PhD there and I don't want to 'burn bridges' as it were.

I also just posted a thread (linked below) about my own frustrations at not being able to present as a woman, so I understand those feelings.

I'd be very interested to hear how you feel about the environment here in the UK, and also within university. I know its a separate subject, so feel free to PM me if you are interesting in discussing that

Kay



https://www.susans.org/forums/index.php/topic,222672.msg1971353.html#new

[jentay1367]

My whole expectation process was turned on its ear. The people I expected most to support me, were either dubious of hostile to my transition. The people I secretly suspected of being reactionary and ignorant, not only came to my aid, but they have educated themselves and now advocate the process for those that seek it. The world doesn't do what you want and it will surprise the crap out of you.

[Kaylin]

Hannah, I just got your message but I can't reply yet because I'm new! I won't forget though haha  I would give you my email (I have one just for Kaylin) but I can't actually get it to you privately

Kaylin

[femfem]

Hello,

I haven't posted on here for quite a while now and I just felt like I wanted to do a little update.
Currently I'm on a year abroad in Germany, living with a nice family who are really cool and would be accepting (I haven't told them about being Hannah). Despite this, it has been a nearly a whole year since I last dressed up as a woman and it's slowly giving me the hump.

I've not brought any female clothes or accessories to Germany with me and I've slowly grown to regret that. While it's true that I don't have a lot of time and freedom to do so anyway I wish I still could be myself for a little bit. I've bought a few pieces of makeup since I've been here but I'm sadly not often able to try it on.

I just wanted to give a little update - I'm still here, I still want to be a woman and (surprise, surprise) I'm still in the closet!! x

This reminds me of a situation that a close friend of mine had to endure before she came back to America... Basically, she had left for China, for a study abroad program whenever she was a senior in university, and she only intended to stay for a matter of months, obviously, since she was on the verge of graduating.

Somehow, she ended up staying in China for an extra 2.5 years, which wasn't her intent at all, and it was exacerbated solely because she had gender dysphoria that was only getting more severe by the day. She lived with receptive people and whatnot, but it probably wasn't the most comfortable or ideal of places to transition, especially as someone from abroad.

Ultimately, she wound up traveling to a different far-East country, and stumbled upon estrogen,  legally, there somehow---and she left some of it in my kitchen cabinet, now that I think about it... lol. I've had her over a few times...

Anyway, my point is that she's now a successful, fully transitioned trans woman, and she's just now approaching age 29. The poor girl suffered through gender dysphoria---in China---for over two years, and didn't get to cross-dress, etc. But, she made it somehow, and is super-outgoing and pretty. It definitely encouraged me whenever I conceved how difficult it was for me to have sustained GD in a foreign land. Hope it somewhat speaks to you as well.

Good luck,
K.C.