Being trans is not an illness, yet some medical guidelines and professionals still consider it to be a mental disorder. “Gender identity disorder” (GID) or equivalent diagnoses contribute to the stigmatisation and social exclusion of trans people, without contributing to their physical or mental well-being. TGEU’s goal is that trans identities are no longer considered mental health conditions.

“Gender identity disorder” (GID) or an equivalent diagnostic process is mandatory in all European countries to access gender reassignment treatment and legal gender recognition.

TGEU demands an end to these stigmatising classifications. To facilitate public coverage of trans-specific healthcare, TGEU proposes the inclusion of a non-pathologising category in the ICD 11.

A group of international transgender health experts, under the lead of GATE, has been developing different alternative models to facilitate access to healthcare coverage without stigmatising diagnoses. We are particularly concerned about a proposal for a diagnosis targeting gender-variant children and support the Critique and Alternative Proposal to the “Gender Incongruence of Childhood” Category in ICD-11, developed by the GATE Civil Society Expert Working Group.

TGEU supports the aims of the global campaign Stop Trans Pathologization – STP to remove the “gender dysphoria”/“gender-identity disorders” categories.

The World Professionals Association of Transgender Health – WPATH calls for the depsychopathologisation of gender variance and urges “governmental and medical professional organizations to review their policies and practices to eliminate stigma toward gender-variant people”.

TGEU raises awareness about and supports trans-rights activists to depathologise trans identities at the national level.