The STRASS is not satisfied by the statements of the Minister for Health concerning trans’ people
The STRASS is not satisfied by the statements of the Minister for Health concerning trans’ people
Neither the psychiatric nor the disorder identity!
Trans’ people are not sick !
On the occasion of the World Day against homophobia, which this year focused on the fight against transphobia, the STRASS would join forces to this fight that affects a large proportion of sex workers.
On the eve of this day we heard from a report by AFP the decision of the Health Ministry to no longer classify “transsexuality as a psychiatric condition.” However, the spokesperson for the minister continues to talk of “disorders of gender identity.”
We note first that the French state persists to use a vocabulary pathologizing trans people, although for years, the trans’ community prefers to talk about transidentity rather than transsexuality, and therefore does not consider this gender identity as a disorder.
But what we fear, especially from reading the headlines, is that this declaration is only an announcement, and that the decree in question does not change much, if not all bad. That this decree will only change the name of the pathologisation imposed to the trans’, that it means a step backwards instead of progress: that the french state continues to exercise supervision on pathologizing of trans people, and making them at the same time more difficult to access treatments. Treatments which are sometimes necessary only because of transphobia from the french state itself, still alive and active, and makes life impossible. For example, the state requires the sterilization of trans people as a condition for obtaining a change of their administrative identity.
We are concerned therefore that it is once more a measure to divest the French state from its responsibilities while strengthening control over the discriminatory categories of persons who “disturb”.
We demand:
- The end of the pathologizing that the State illegaly imposes, trans people do not need the so-called expert opinion about who they are. There is no need to classify trans people’ as “sick” to take care of their treatments: the state finance by such treatment due to pregnancy, but does not consider it as a disease .
- Free and unconditional care, not classified as mentally ill, whether in the form of a “psychiatric condition” or as “disorder of gender identity.” And without even be classified under any other pathologisation’s name. In short: trans’ people are sick of nothing. Their suffering is entirely the product of transphobia from the French State and society around them.
- We therefore demand that the state pays repair for the damage done by its transphobia in our lives for the last decades.
The real questions we ask:
When equal civil rights for trans?
When the abolition of the first digit of the national insurance number, which stigmatizes and excludes us de facto from the labor market?
When the change of administrative status on request?
When the family and parental rights equal?
When the voting rights for trans people-independently of the gender mentioned on their ID?
When a genuine policy of public education against transphobia and homophobia from the state ?
When the end of violations by the French State of the European Charter of Human Rights, particularly regarding trans people ?
(read: http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/090105_fr.asp)
All these critical issues are political rather than medical, and they call for policy responses and not medical. Replies which to this day the french state refuses to give. Worse, it refuses even to understand the questions…
The STRASS joins all these pressing issues, and requires the french State to respond in emergency, instead of seeking a demagogic announcement on the occasion of International Day against Homophobia.