A 72-year-old trans-identifying biological male from Germany has been allowed to change the sex on their birth certificate to female, with the government agency that handles such documents recognizing them as having been "born a woman."
Manuela Donner, a former school teacher with seven children who also identifies as a liberal Muslim feminist, began transitioning after retirement and only started practicing Islam last year.
"I was always a woman, but I didn't live it openly," Donner explained during an interview with northern German outlet NWZ, adding that they underwent a full medical transition as a senior.
While Donner claimed that outside of their family, the reaction has been positive, but noted that their children expressed a range of emotions. Some were accepting, while others flat-out rejected that their papa had decided to become a mama.
According to NWZ, it was during a trip to Morocco that the East Frisia resident first fell in love with Islam, and though Donner visited every year since then, it wasn't until 2023, at the age of 71, that they ditched their Christian heritage and converted.
Now, Donner is committed to living life as a Muslim woman, even going so far as to wear a hijab while out in public and refrain from consuming pork and alcohol. Per Islamic doctrine, however, they take it off inside their home.
"They are often stuck in the seventh century," Donner said of Muslims, adding that "Islam is still a male-dominated society today." They went on to cite a variety of examples, such as separate prayer rooms for each gender in mosques.
Donner said they want to change society's perception of the religion by showing that it can accommodate those with more liberal, feminist attitudes.
Germany is among the few countries in the world where, thanks to a recently passed law, residents can change their sex to match their gender identity on official documents.
