Every March 31st, transgender communities celebrate their existence wherever they can. In dozens of countries, being a visible transgender person means living under constant threat of abuse, or even incarceration. Trans women, like gay individuals, face the death penalty in nearly a dozen countries. China is now cracking down on any non-conforming gender representation on television, and conversion therapy centers are proliferating. In Russia, after the ban on any form of gender transition, the LGBT+ movement is labeled “terrorist”, leading to widespread police repression. In the United States, supporters of Donald Trump are actively campaigning against LGBT+ minorities, with nearly 479 bills aimed at removing their rights.
In the same vein, more than twenty conservative states have banned gender transitions for minors and criminalized their caregivers, despite vigorous opposition from medical and psychological associations. In France, a group of Republican senators are proposing to ban all transitions for minors, following the example of conservative America. If this proposal were adopted, France would become the harshest European country on this issue. This measure is supported not by rigorous scientific analysis or a representative consultation of minors who have undergone transition in France in the past twenty years, but by the interventions of a minority of anti-trans activists.
The threat of banning medical and surgical transitions for minors is intensifying today, as the report from Senator Jacqueline Eustache-Brinio (LR) calls into question the right to transition before the age of 25 and values the opinions of conservative organizations not involved in supporting those concerned. This attack is closely linked to the current reactionary political climate. For several years, various groups and associations have been attacking the rights of transgender individuals: calls to ban the use of gender-specific bathrooms, to engage in competitive sports, calls for the cessation of reimbursement for treatments, and calls for the repeal of the 2017 law allowing for a change in civil status (without sterilization).
Transgender lived experiences are systematically denied, with a current focus on transgender minors, now the subject of constant debate with the complicity of some media outlets. It is also remembered that in 2023 the French Council of State had to reject the requests of two child welfare associations seeking the annulation of the Blanquer circular [on gender questioning in schools]. This reflects a troubling trend of increasing hostility and discrimination towards transgender individuals, particularly young individuals, in various countries around the world.
