Have a long road ahead of you and you have to go through a lot. Its not over just because youve realised who you really are. We 1st met her name is parents in early 2017 the start of a 2 year journey they invited us to accompany. When at the age of 15 when a decided to come out his chance to end he could hardly find the words to tell his parents. We thought rene wanted to tell us that she was lesbian so thats the 1st thing i asked and then i asked her if she felt like she was in the wrong body. And then you were relieved want you to burst into tears. After coming out it was clear in a wanted to live life as a boy. And off is a Small Community and always drive from berlin the family moved here 6 years ago from the german capital. Their family photos of his childhood renee feels no connection to his past. When i think back to my life as a girl its like i was living a totally different life thats what it feels like i dressed in pink and all i didnt get much more girl even that. She or he had a big box full of all kinds of princess dress up costumes including little slippers with heels and. They did and michelle like to think back of those carefree times when rene was still their little girl. As if when a cuddling with me it feels like yesterday and it was so cute look how cheerful. For the parents the 1st step is saying goodbye to their daughter the fact that i now have a son instead hasnt yet sunk in. To see if this visit its like a different phase back starting but that doesnt have a lot to do with what came before its very strange like a cut but i dont know when but that has created 2 lives maybe thats an exaggeration but it certainly feels like 2 separate harps and the other half is beginning now. After coming out rene was eager to start hormone therapy to give his body more masculine attributes but he had to undergo a year of psychotherapy and way to turn 16 before doctors would prescribe hormones. Hes now been taking testosterone for 2 months. Every day he applies a gel onto his skin to turn his body into a mans. So that it stays that way hell have to continue the treatment for the rest of his life. My voice is changed fat has shifted ive got more muscle facial hair ive got more and denser body here. Id like my voice to deepen a bit more not much deeper i dont expect that. All thats needed to officially turn renee from a girl into a boy is the removal of an east from the end of his name in his passport. Today family and friends have come for visits its bigots birthday. At home among familiar faces when a appears increasingly at ease. With. His aunt much keener has also noticed a change since her niece became her nephew. So. There is a difference now she used to be withdrawn we were a little worried about her sitting alone in her room at her computer i sensed something was up or not as far as i can now after saying i know im transgender its like a switch has been flicked. Now he comes out of his room and plays with the dog a lot you can just tell he feels better. I mean they didnt find new friends after his family moved his 6 years ago but he stayed close to his cousin. Shortly before news coming out. That strengthened their bond. He came out before me he was sitting on the bed. He was sitting on the bed i was exactly and you go i dont know how to tell you this and im like whats wrong and he goes im gay and im like is that all i knew that already. The hard thing about coming out is the pressure you put on yourself we actually knew our parents would accept it the hard part is that you have to accept that its ok to not be normal. Thats the hardest part because youre always trying to understand why youre not like everyone else normal but then you realize no one here is normal. Transgender is a number that describes people whose gender identity doesnt match the sex they were assigned at birth. Germany has seen a more than 3 fold increase in gender confirmation surgeries since 2007. But not all people who identify as transgender undergo operation. Renee has started working out every day to get into shape. I usually feel pretty small and really want to be bigger muscles arent just for looks they have a function feeling stronger would boost my selfconfidence. It helps a lot to look more masculine because then people perceive you differently and its important to me to not be mistaken for a girl. That makes me feel like im on the right path ive been on top. Thrown for a year and they say you only see most of the changes when youve been taking it for 2 years. Being transsexual and old it is no longer officially classified as a psychological disorder. But psychotherapy can be helpful for people making the transition. When youre for us. Im very glad that we found such a good therapist. I feel renee is that good hands and i find the things they discuss very interesting. Things that would never occur to me to bring up. The war. And over. My mom asked me to give you the. International womens day its not yes its International Womens day thank you. Lets get started and we can tell are you good no complaints. Because the training going good good its going really well and im still having trouble working out my abs though i havent spoke whats going on which comes i conclude they has been seeing fair appears to be good since his coming out sessions were a condition of his medical transition as was living in his new identity for 12 months only up to passing the socalled daily life test could the therapist provide a medical recommendation for his home and therapy air attacks this is. The daily life test is important to allow people time to grow into their new gender identity. Student in the same way they need to grow into their new name. You live a different life as a man or a woman. And it takes a lot of motivation and inner drive to proceed down this demanding path. In. Full now rene isnt considering gender confirmation surgery. As cyrus on gender confirmation surgery is a major procedure no nerves get enough in the wrong place and then theres no going back. For me its not like youre just going on an attachment. I think it takes 3 operations each lasting 11 hours you know. And when your sexuality awakens you may find a way and maybe then it wont even be necessary to undergo surgery. And. After all that renees been through already the phase of finding his way has only just begun. One year into his sons transition bigot is still finding it hard to come to terms with the situation. At 1st i thought it would pass. Now i dont think the feeling will ever go away i think it will stay. Naturally im happy that rene feels good. In the tree oh and i also have no problem with the fact that rene isnt our boy. But that close bond we had in his childhood when he was a girl. And now that girl is gone. It still makes me sad. When they mature. Before coming out rene became increasingly withdrawn. Plagued by in a conflict he refused to go to school for almost 3 years. In 23 seen the family moved to the countryside motivated above all by renes wish for a more quiet life but now he enjoys venturing into the big city. And what do you think. Colorful true. Today is going to an open house or a private school for adults he wants to get a certificate of intermediary education but after years of refusing to go to school this appointment isnt easy for him. I feel stressed right now why what could happen and i think nothing. Is its just a situation the stress for this feeling but now im taking a step on its consoles i dont know. His old fears resurface. Its im nervous now i wasnt before. We come on ill bring you to the door ok we answer now to film inside. Towards good luck and text me if theres a problem. On. I remember from his early years at school how there was always this tension at home would he make it to school today or not. And so the day began with everyone on edge and that feeling came up again just now so. The nice refusal to go to school weighed heavily on the whole family. His parents tried everything to help alleviate his School Anxiety including at missing him to a psychiatric clinic. After in a declared that he was transgender he was at last an explanation for his problems so he just texted. As he rode square on a break and i probably wont find out before Summer Vacation whether ill get a place or not i like it better. So that sounds pretty positive lets see what he says whats on the her soft. You know so your money im the type of person who likes to sweep things under the carpet i just assume everything will turn out well wait and see but in hindsight you realise you were pretty stressed out. How to go. Good to hear. What was good. You know the whole setup was good but it all went by pretty fast i guess because no one had any questions for. The Adult Education center only has a few places for under age students like renee. He wont know for several weeks whether he can restart his schooling here. His family has also undergone a change for years joint outings simply when possible. Reasons ill get in the back. Of the. 18 months after starting home and therapy renee has gained selfconfidence and feels more comfortable in his body. Which addresses just the target for me to huge really to see remade swimming like a fish and going water and musing about swimming trunks fashions and the like. Its a totally different conversation to the types we were having one of 12 years ago i think its great that he no longer has to hide and shows his new body in public. No i dont you the high i didnt swim for 3 years because i felt so uncomfortable so its really nice going swimming with my family again good. On another round. Its really amazing to see the change and i think thats why im venturing out more because i feel like ive arrived at my goal and im no longer a stranger to myself so far and. Its relatively seldom now that i find myself mourning the loss of my girl. Its changed because i now see that hes finding his way. He can. Lend beckons renees been accepted at the school and a few months before his 18th birthday is moving into his 1st apartment. It feels good to be starting over i think i need a change of routine you know. Itll be easier to master everything here in the city then in the countryside. I think weve made the right decision for me besides i wouldnt of found a school like this where i live the. Biggest Nursing Service manager is relieved that her son has concrete goals again. Im hopeful especially because this school will give rene the time that he needs to complete his diploma. If it takes a year then itll take a year if it takes 2 years and it will take 2 years whatever. If in a adepts well to his new life hell become less dependent on his mothers support. Now. This morning it really kind of hit me and it made me a bit sad to realise that from now on hell only be home on the weekends in the course of time with less frequency which is totally normal it just hadnt really dawned on me yet. Yes. Good night im going to have a little rest. With your shoes on. So sweetheart sleep well. Well see and remember your dreams they say whatever you dream on your 1st night in your new place will come true for this i hope its no nightmare good bye bye. And call me if somethings up ok you know i will. Increasingly people who identifies transgender are not afraid to hide it rene has benefited from a new sense of social inclusion. He also feels less pressure in his new environment there are a few students at this bill in school who havent experienced personal appeal of a. Stroke on friday knew from the start ive been meeting people here who have struggled with similar problems isnt donals them cold and as were all here for a reason so it wasnt hard for me to come into a class without knowing anything about who my classmates would be fired with because we all share the experience that we didnt manage in the Normal School system so we have something in common. The minds on the disc you know so thats why its easier to integrate here into you know its not so unfamiliar. Complet from does. Most of his classmates now know that her name is chance gender. But often he faces insensitive reactions. On the street when i get asked stupid questions you can tell people just arent thinking about what theyre saying they just open their mouth and ask. Vaca make me feel like some kind of walking with a pedia entry and i find that quite unpleasant as the sun had on them some morning. Its a comfort to know his cousin lives nearby. In his company he doesnt have to do any explaining. Of a scope i think ill start looking for white ones but it could look cool for mr youre for me not for me. At ease in his new body buying new clothes is no fun pastime. The 18 year old can try on anything that strikes his fancy in the mens department. Before everything was much too big but now i fit into stuff that makes things a lot easier now my shoulders are actually too wide for many things but thats a nice problem to have. Ave has closely followed his cousins development. Hes much more selfconfident thats very obvious. And as a result everythings gotten a bit easier. For years when i was afraid of being taken for a girl in public and of inquiring glances questioning his gender identity. It was in this restaurant that rene went to the mens room for the 1st time back then it was a huge step today its the new normal. We were here having a meal and you were like man i need to go to the bathroom and at 1st you didnt want to go. So i had to the back of those. But thats because i was not testosterone yet. Still true although some think its no big deal. Super easy. Yeah easy peasy renees life is still a far cry from easy pass after. Almost 2 years hes much more at peace with himself than he was when we started filming. The spics is a better written stance and its vice versa my know what i want to by know who i am and where im at ive come a long way toward approaching my final destination just. As it was or at least a good main station. Look into the future all the time just. His experience of daily life as a constant emergency has given way to a feeling of normalcy though he will have to take home and his entire life and undergo regular medical checkups. Renee not only gets out of 1000000000 on the weekends when he visits his parents. Up until my child was 14 i had a daughter and then i had a son its not the case that the son who races the memory of the daughter in the past he was my daughter theres no denying it he was such a girlie. He and i belong to a rare breed of mothers who although they just had one child have a daughter and a son. A my sweetheart. Youre what youre all good. Friends. When the going was tough the family pets were a comfort to rene. This was the support of his parents who were always there for him. The topic of school is no longer to be that how. Come over so strong you know when your exams are you should have exactly the math is some time in mid may. Not 6 months have passed since when they moved to berlin he now has a completely different take on the face before his me. Trial you are. Angry i was pretty isolated here it was important for me to be able to go out in public without having people stare at me with this kind of look like kind of what are you now exactly which of. That was i think the most important thing for me thats for me to. Its not just when they whos starting a new life they get and michelle feel a bed in has been lifted. Instead of the stress level has dropped quite a bit and thats a relief of course the last few weeks and months were stressful in their own way what with the apartment and school but i must say i feel a little proud of the way we managed youre above all weve grown closer and closer theres more of a father son dynamic than anything that we had before yes i noticed that too that you sometimes watch the way i do things or theres a new quality to our relationship its true quality. Between the 2 of us nothing has changed at all we were super close before and still are. Thank god nothing has changed. But we dont stress that often enough that we can be proud of ourselves we should say that out loud more often. Because it was quite a ride a muslim mr and his fire. Certainly dont do that often enough. And im dashed i mean will she get the job and the computer will decide based on her voice. Artificial intelligence can hear a lot about us our state of mind or even if we kill. And then immediate value we put out of. Technology raises a lot of serious ethical concerns. To morrow to doing. Next on d w. Landed in the blind. In latin america sing silver and lead her daughter to ground every. Mining operations are taking a heavy toll on local residents some even pay with their lives. But as long as the International Demand for these resources keeps rising south americas mining boom will continue. In Food Movement on d. W. Have fun in pyongyang. The capital city of north korea is reinventing itself but only a few can enjoy the benefits of those the bush alone. Kim jong un has introduced n. C. V. S. Reward system to course allegiance to the regime. Those who dont make it into the fun metropolis often feel tom very. Have fun in pyongyang starts february 28th on d w. Welcome to tomorrow today the science show on d w coming up. The human voice can reveal a lot about us and that makes it a great interest to big business. How Computer Games can help prevent some of the effects of aging in the brain. And we join every set expedition in the South China Sea which german ship has