The German Armed Forces’ first transgender commander has lost an appeal against a reprimand he received after his highly sexualized public behavior put him in violation of the military’s code of conduct. Anastasia Biefang filed a counter-complaint against the reprimand, alleging discrimination on the basis of his “sexual identity,” but has now lost his case.
Biefang originally enlisted in the Bundeswehr (German Armed Forces) as Marc Biefang, but transitioned in 2017 to much fanfare from media and trans activists. Following the announcement of his new gender identity, he made headlines as both the first transgender and first “woman” to become the Lieutenant Colonel of the Information Technology Battalion in Storkow, Brandenburg. But just two years later, Biefang received a disciplinary reprimand after his highly graphic Tinder profile was uncovered.
In the profile, Biefang described himself as “spontaneous, lustful, trans*, [in an] open relationship and looking for sex. All genders welcome.” The Bundeswehr found that the content of the profile violated his off-duty code of conduct. Shortly after, Biefang was transferred out of Storkow to a new post in Bonn. During a farewell parade in his honor, he rode on a military vehicle that had been transformed into a unicorn float as a symbol of the “LGBTQI movement.”
In 2020, the Southern Military Service Court ruled that the wording of Biefang’s Tinder profile raised doubts about his moral integrity, noting that the wording of Biefang’s profile would have led an outside party to understand that he degraded himself and his sexual partners to “mere sex objects.” This was deemed incompatible with his duty to uphold a the reputation of the German Armed Forces, and maintain good standing in the eyes of civilians. The court argued that the profile could raise doubts about Biefang’s values, particularly in his role as a commander overseeing approximately 750 soldiers.
Though Biefang challenged the reprimand, in May of 2022, the Second Military Service Senate of the Federal Administrative Court upheld the reprimand. The court clarified that the profile text portrayed “sexual indiscipline” and a “promiscuous sexual lifestyle.” As a commander, Biefang was also said to have had a special responsibility to remain compliant with the code of conduct, as he must credibly enforce disciplinary measures against subordinates, such as in cases of sexual misconduct. The court saw the profile text as posing a risk that Biefang’s ability to implement such measures could be questioned, as the text could create the impression of an “uninhibited indulgence in sexual urges.”
Unsatisfied, Biefang escalated his complaint to the Federal Constitutional Court, alleging discrimination based on his so-called “sexual identity.” This month, the court has declined to hear his case. The court justified this decision by stating that the reprimand had already been expunged after three years under the Military Disciplinary Code, meaning there was no longer a need for legal protection. Biefang had not sufficiently demonstrated why a legitimate interest in a ruling persisted.
Despite having been reprimanded, Biefang’s sexualized behavior has been a central aspect of his public persona.
During an appearance on German talk show Paillette geht immer (Sequins Always Work) in April of 2021, Biefang recounted that, as a teenager, he wore his mother’s clothes, masturbated in them, and blamed semen stains on his younger brother to conceal his actions.
In the same show, Biefang openly discussed his sexual preferences, stating: “I like to get fucked in darkrooms.” He also showcased his surgically enhanced silicone breasts and offered Olszinski to touch them. Olszinski asked, “Can I touch them later?” to which Biefang agreed, “Of course!”
Biefang regularly attended the “Fuck Your Gender” party series organized by The Nipple Liberation Army, which has been held in Berlin since 2018. The party offers attendees darkrooms with sex accessories and promote a “hedonistic, safe space with a focus on body positivity.” Biefang commented, “I’m part of a collective. We throw our own sex-positive parties. It’s awesome, right?”
In September of 2022, Biefang participated in Folsom Europe in Berlin, a fetish and BDSM event in the Schöneberg district. He wore a tight-fitting latex outfit that accentuated his silicone breasts and a heavy metal chain with an Abus padlock around his neck.
Folsom Europe is known for public BDSM demonstrations, spanking sessions, and darkroom parties on Fuggerstraße in Berlin, and it regularly attracts criticism. The BZ Berlin reported on residents’ complaints that the street turns into a “madhouse for men in leather harnesses and rubber masks” each year, with “martial costumes reminiscent of NS uniforms” and public sex occurring, despite children living in the area.
Biefang’s so-called “transition” and his relationship with his wife was portrayed in the 2019 documentary “Ich bin Anastasia“ (I am Anastasia), directed by Thomas Ladenburger. The film follows him from his time as soldier Marc Biefang to his surgical procedures in his role as lieutenant colonel. An explicit scene depicts a “penis party” at Biefang’s home, where a penis-shaped cake symbolized the lead up to his vaginoplasty surgery.
Biefang has been the deputy chairman of QueerBw, the advocacy group for “queer members” of the German Armed Forces, since 2016. The organization was founded in 2002 as the Working Group of Homosexual Members of the German Armed Forces (AHsAB), with the original purpose of combating discrimination based on sexual orientation and strengthening the rights of homosexual soldiers. In 2020, it was renamed QueerBw “to encompass all queer identities“ and represents approximately 400 members.
Biefang has also advocated against single-sex policies in other countries. On April 1, 2023, he criticized Arkansas’ Senate Bill 270 (SB270), which would have criminalized trans-identified men for using public women’s restrooms when girls were present. The bill did not pass; instead, Senate Bill 294 (SB294) was enacted on March 21, 2023, which applies only to schools and prohibits so-called “transgender individuals“ from using restrooms of the opposite sex in public schools.
In December 2022, a female user on X demanded that Biefang not to use “women’s toilets, women’s showers, communal changing rooms, women’s hospitals, or women’s prisons.” Biefang responded via his now-deleted X account: “Didn’t want to go to prison anyway. Will still use the women’s shower. Maybe we’ll meet there sometime.”
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