VICTORY AS FRANCE REMOVES TRANSGENDERISM AS A MENTAL DISORDER

By Lesego Tlwale (BTM Intern)

AFRICA ABROAD – 27 May 2009: In a historic decision France has become the first country in the world to remove transgenderism from a list of mental disorders.

This after the 2009 International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO) 2009’s campaign against transphobia also backed by international appeals to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and states of the world to acknowledge rights of trans people.

Enthralled activists say this “victory” is a first step towards an unreserved recognition of trans people’s rights.

“Until now trans people were regarded as disordered, it was natural to decide for them but now with this new decision, public authorities recognise that trans people are citizens just like anybody else, they have rights and it wont be possible to do without them anymore”,  Louis Georges Tin, President of the IDAHO Committee said.

Tin revealed that the IDAHO committee has for several months been communicating with the French government about the issue of removing transgender people from a list of mentally disordered people.

According to Liesl Theron Director of Gender DynamiX, the only African based organisation for trangender people, it will be a long and ongoing challenge to lobby other countries to follow France’s example.

However Tin divulged that the IDAHO committee already has a strategy. “We would like to push this initiative in other countries and in the WHO as well.”

The IDAHO Committee launched in 2005. “We are urging all human rights and LGBTI organizations to take action around this initiative [IDAHO] and to contact us through our website so that we may cooperate and grow together, especially in Africa”, Tin said.