In several European countries and even in the United States, health authorities (in Finland, Sweden, the United Kingdom and these days in Norway) or policies (in at least seven states in the United States) call for caution or even prohibit early hormonal prescriptions (in particular those of puberty blockers between 8 and 12 years old) and rapid (within a few consultations) minors who request a change of sex.
They recommend in the first instance a global care, a psychotherapeutic follow-up over time. The most spectacular decision was taken in London with the imminent closure of the service dedicated to transidentity (GIDS) of the famous Tavistock Clinic. This closure was decided following the independent report by Dr. Hilary Cass pointing to serious dysfunctions in the care of minors and overall results that were more negative than positive.
It was at a time when the tide was turning, particularly in Europe, that a group of transaffirmative psychiatrists and transactivist associations (the best known of which are Serge Hefez and Jean Chambry for psychiatrists, members of OUTrans, Espace Santé Trans , Grandir Trans for militant associations) published in Club Médiapart on March 2, 2023 a Tribune which takes no account of these changes, which is surprising to say the least on the part of doctors who should keep themselves informed of the latest expert reports relating to the medicalization of minors. But doctor love (Molière’s play) does without advice and evidence, it is based on feelings and on the sense of progress. Especially “Do not offend these Gentlemen”! (Sganarelle in Love-doctor : ND)
The authors who have the audacity to qualify the members of the Little Mermaid Observatory as “anti-trans activists” (quoting us but without naming us) defend, as one might expect, an unequivocal point of view, radically transaffirmative (based on the feeling and the active accompaniment towards the transition) denying any social influence to the increase in the number of requests, using the victimization of this minority, affirming the benefits (not scientifically proven) of their mode of intake in charge, conflating homosexuality and transidentity.
Judicialization
But there is also a discovery provided on a plate by the law of January 31, 2022 prohibiting conversion therapies. It is now a question of bringing their fight to justice by accusing anyone, but above all any professional, who does not adhere 100% to the idea of comforting a young person in his feelings of practicing “conversion therapy”. It did not take long for the deputies and senators who voted for this law to measure the consequences. Did they plan them? Unfortunately, there is reason to fear that this is the case.
Originally, this law was intended to prohibit and penalize (2 years’ imprisonment and a fine of €30,000) a set of coercive methods aimed at modifying and repressing the sexual orientation of homosexual people in order to to “convert” them to heterosexuality. This psychological or even physical torture (electroshocks, exorcism, etc.) has been practiced by health professionals and by religious or sects in particular. These methods certainly existed but it cannot be said that on French soil they were still practiced and could not have been suppressed by existing laws. However, the legislator has associated the repression of sexual orientation with that of gender identity. With, however, a hard-fought caveat in the direction of the miners, which says:
“The offense (…) is not constituted when the repeated remarks only invite caution and reflection, particularly in view of their young age, the person who wonders about his gender identity and who is considering a career medical treatment tending to sex reassignment.”
The practice of taking advantage of a consensual text to pass on another that is less so is a recommendation drawn up quite cynically by the Thomson Reuters Foundation and the American law firm Denton. Their 65-page text is aimed at activists to advance transgender rights in Europe, with a focus on minors.
By way of example, here is the (non-exhaustive) list of their “advice”:
1. Target young politicians
2. Demedicalize the campaign
3. Use case studies of real people
4. Anonymize stories
5. Get ahead of the government agenda and the media story
6. Use human rights as a campaign argument
7. Link your campaign to more popular reform
8. Avoid excessive media coverage and exposure
9. Carpe Diem
10. Work Together
11. Beware of compromises
And it works ! Not only has gender identity been associated, as we have seen, with sexual orientation, but it is a government body, the DILCRAH (Interministerial Delegation for the Fight against Racism, Anti-Semitism and Anti-LGBT Hate) , who was the first to try to enforce this law at the expense of the Little Mermaid Observatory. Under pressure from transactivist associations, the DILCRAH has split an article 40 (Any constituted authority, any public officer or civil servant who, in the exercise of his functions, acquires knowledge of a crime or offense is required to give notice without delay to the public prosecutor: NLDR) against the Observatory suspecting him of promoting conversion therapy. Classified without continuation! The signatories of the mediapart blog forum explicitly announce their wish to make use of this law against therapists who do not go in the same direction as them.
“Transaffirmative” support mode
However, more and more people who return to their native sex a few years later complain bitterly of the so-called “transaffirmative” mode of care described above. More and more parents denounce the rapid care of their minor children and sometimes suffering from previous psychiatric pathologies and are looking for therapists offering comprehensive care. Rapid enrollment without assessment of psychopathology or trauma, particularly in the context of so-called “informed consent” problematic in conditions of mental suffering are increasingly denounced and complaints are beginning to be filed (Order of Doctors or justice) .
The purpose of psychotherapeutic treatment, combined if necessary with family therapy, is to enable these young people to give meaning to and understand the nature of their discomfort, to get better mentally, and thus to make free choices, whatever they be, free from all pressure. It is recommended by all the countries which renounce prescribing hormones to minors and in France by the Academy of Medicine. Will there be a complaint against this Academy for promoting conversion therapy?
The notion of “request” has been perverted in favor of a request for authorization to have access to medical treatments and is part of a frantic quest for instantaneous responses symptomatic of our hypersubjectivist consumer society and observed in other very popular with adolescents: massive digital consumption and various addictions, etc. In all these cases, the immediate emotional register and the reward circuits are solicited without any limit being set by adults.
Under the guise of “doing good”, by associating gender identity with sexual orientation, the legislator has not only validated the confusion between two different registers but has also weakened adults, professionals and parents who believe that setting limits adolescents is their responsibility, not an oppression.
Signatory associations:
Little Mermaid Observatory
Trans Being Collective
SOS education
AMQG, Association for a measured approach to gender issues, Switzerland
Ypomoni collective, for an ethical approach to gender issues
Women’s eyes
Gender Rebels
WDI France, Women’s Declaration International
Agora Lesbian Feminists
CQFD Lesbian Feminists
Women’s International Law League
REPPEA, Network of professionals for the protection of children and adolescents
femalelist
*The Little Mermaid Observatory is a multidisciplinary collective of professional practitioners and researchers who intends to “warn childhood professionals about the impact of social networks and activism”, particularly on the issue of gender dysphoria.