http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/articl...5090_3224.html
The article is in French, but there should be other articles coming soon in English.
http://www.lemonde.fr/societe/articl...5090_3224.html
The article is in French, but there should be other articles coming soon in English.
It's Frances with an E, like Frances Farmer. Francis is a man's name.
That's a step in the right direction! Thanks for sharing this Frances!
From the land of Catherine Millot, Professor of Psychoanalysis at the University of Paris, and other Lacanian barbarians, it is very surprising. I had been hearing about this coming, but I never thought it would come to pass.
From what I have heard, the condition will still be medicalized with treatments covered by the universal medical system. The hardest thing in France (in many other countries) was obtaining letters of approval for hormones and SRS without being first subjected to a long psychoanalisys program that would only relent after evident failure of changing the patient's mind.
Insurance coverage is one thing (and a big issue with americains), but in other countries, they will make you sit in front of a therapist for years at an astronomical cost until someone blinks. It cost me $15,000 to get letters for hormones and SRS, so I ended up saving $5,000!
In France, the mental health care establishment simply did not believe in the value of "changing the body to fit the mind" treatments for trans people. Removing the care of trans people from their hands is an incredible achievement.
It's Frances with an E, like Frances Farmer. Francis is a man's name.
A rough translation from Babel Fish:
The transsexualism n' is regarded more as a mental disease in France, first country in the world to leave it the list of the psychiatric affections by a decree, published in the Official journal. This decree of the ministry for health removes " early disorders of l' identity of genre" d' an article of the code of the Social security relating to the " psychiatric affections of long durée". Roselyne Bachelot, Minister for health, had announced on May 16, 2009, the day before the world day of the fight against l' homophobie and the transphobie, that the transsexualism would not be regarded any more as a psychiatric affection in France. " France is the first country in the world not to more regard the transsexualism as pathology mentale" , s' is congratulated Joel Bedos, person in charge French at the Committee Idaho (International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia).
You want to wear a WHAT??
Here is an article in English
France: Transsexualism will no longer be classified as a mental illness in France
Transsexualism will no longer be classified in France as a mental illness, a government decision hailed Saturday as "historic" by the associations concerned, on the eve of the International Day Against Homophobia and transphobia.
The Minister of Health, Roselyne Bachelot, has appealed "in recent days" to the High Authority of Health in order to make a decree that transsexualism be removed from the category of psychiatric disorders, a spokesman for the department stated.
Until now, transsexuals benefited from a fee waiver for their medical care by being classified under ALD23 (affection de longue durée 23 – long term condition 23) for “recurring or persistent disorders”.
For the Department of Health, it is a "strong signal sent to the whole community", since transsexuals felt that being included under the ALD23 was stigmatizing.
This classification, arising from that of the World Health Organization (WHO), was also linked to the fact that transsexualism appeared on the list of pathologies identified in the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) to which the medical profession refers, as was the case for homosexuality a few years ago.
In a forum published in Le Monde (newspaper) dated Sunday-Monday, numerous personalities including first secretary of the Socialist Party Martine Aubry, the communist Marie-George Buffet, Green (party member) Daniel Cohn-Bendit and even Nobel Prize winners such as Françoise Barré-Sinoussi (medicine) and Elfriede Jelinek (literature), asked the WHO “to no longer consider transsexuals as being affected by a mental disorder".
It is because the WHO decided on the 17th of May 1990 to remove homosexuality from the list of mental illnesses, that this date has been retained for the International Day Against Homophobia and transphobia, celebrated Sunday, starting Saturday in many places.
It is therefore symbolic that France chose this time and date to be "the first country in the world" to "remove transgender identity from the list of mental diseases", commented the IDAHO Committee. This "historic decision" is also "an explosion of hope for all trans persons around the world", according to Joël Bedos, secretary-general of the IDAHO Committee.
The HES (Association for Homosexuality and Socialism) also “hailed” this announcement which is in response to “demands that the LGBT community have been making for a long time in France.” For HES, it is time, at present, to go beyond the symbolic and take concrete actions to fight against the violence and discrimination facing trans persons.
Because beyond "this measure for declassification, there is still much to be done before transsexuals (...) are recognized as full-fledged citizens", insisted the coordinator of the group Inter-LGBT.
It's Frances with an E, like Frances Farmer. Francis is a man's name.
The times are changing. A little at a time but changing none-the-less.
Put a little lipstick on you'll feel better
That's nice.
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