BERLIN (Reuters) – Two German politicians from the Greens have made history by becoming the first transgender women to win parliamentary seats in Sunday’s national election.

Nyke Slawik and Tessa Gansererer stood for Greens, who came in third place in the election. This increased its vote share to 14.8%, from 8.9% in 2017, and will play an important role in building a three-way coalition government.

Gansererer, 44 said it was a historic win for Greens and trans-emancipatory groups as well as for the queer community. She also added that the result is a mark of a open, tolerant society.

It is easier to ratify a sexchange on identity documents if Gansererer has been elected to Bavaria’s regional parliament.

Gansererer is a father to two boys and wants legislation to permit lesbian mothers to have children.

Slawik (27) said that these results are amazing. Through the Greens candidate list in North Rhine-Westphalia, she was able to secure a place in parliament.

“Madness!” It’s madness!

Slawik called for an action plan to combat homophobia and transphobia across the country, as well as a law that allows individuals to determine their own fate and improves on federal anti-discrimination laws.

In 1969, Germany made homosexuality illegal and legalized same-sex marriage in 2017. However, the number of hate crimes committed against LGBT+ individuals jumped by 36% last yea according to police figures. This shows that there is a rise in homophobia among some parts of German society.