The Transgender Woman Who Is Re-Marrying Her Husband 18 Years After Their Divorce
A transgender woman in China married her husband after almost two decades legally apart.
Jin Xing, a TV host and dancer, is the first publicly recognized transgender woman in China. The 56-year old underwent gender reassignment surgery in Beijing in April 1995.
She met German Heinz Gerd Oidtmann on a flight from Paris to Shanghai in 2004 where they both fell in love. She warned him that being with her would be “a huge challenge for any man.” She was also honest that she had also already adopted two sons and a daughter.
Though she expected him to back out, Oidtmann was determined to be with the love of his life. They tied the knot in 2005 and he moved to China to live with Jin and her three children.
The couple divorced only a year later, not because they fell out of love, but due to unavoidable legal issues. Because of Odtmann’s foreigner status, it was difficult to get the family’s hukou, or household registration, thus impacting the enrolment of Jin’s children. The couple decided it was best to divorce but still live together regardless. They promised each other that they would remarry once the household registration of their kids was resolved.
They finally married in secret in 2018 in a private ceremony in Italy.
Fast forward to April 11, 2024, the birthday of her husband, Jin announced their formal wedding registration on Weibo. She was overjoyed that they were finally able to “reunite” in the eyes of the public.
Forced to divorce in 2006 for the children, we remarried after 18 years, witnessing our journey of love and responsibility. Today is also Heinz’s birthday, so it’s double the joy! I also wish that those who are destined to be together will finally reunite. You need to experience everything life gives you!
— Jin Xing
She even posted the message at 13:14 (1:14 PM) which sounds like “forever and ever” in Chinese. Netizens congratulated the happy couple, saying that “True love is never late” and “Jin has lived her life for herself. The perfect love, the gender she wanted, and a career she is passionate about—she’s got it all.”
