France Removes Transsexual People From The Stigma Of Being Disordered

France is taking the lead on this sensitive issue. It is time the Transgender community stops waffling on this issue. Gender Identity Disorder, as such, needs to be removed from the DSM in the upcoming revision. As for insurance coverage, this is a moot point anyway. A person's employer pays the premiums and decides what will be covered. Health insurance companies do what they are told to do by the policyholder - the employer. Obviously, France has recognized this and offers Gender Confirmation Surgery to eligible candidates. France Destigmatizes Transsexualism March 31st, 2010 at 9:30 am by Erin Rook France became the first country in the world to remove transsexualism from its list of mental disorders last month, according to the Sydney Star Observer, following last year’s announcement of that intention by France’s Minister of Health, which paralleled the launch of a campaign petitioning the World Health Organization to do the same. This development comes as the American Psychiatric Association (APA) considers revisions to the fifth edition of its Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The manual currently refers to transgender identity as “gender identity disorder,” a designation many transgender organizations reject as stigmatizing, according to the APA. On the other hand, some transgender advocates in the United States have expressed concern that stripping transgender identity of its status as a disorder to could prevent health insurance companies from covering gender-related healthcare, such as hormone treatment and gender reassigment surgery. This does not seem to be the case in France, where such procedures are covered by the state. However, while gender-related healthcare seems more accessible, the country has strict standards for changes in gender identification. Transgenders must complete surgery to the point of being sterile in order to be recognized as their post-transition gender. ORIGINAL ARTICLE

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