Call me ignorant or naïve, but since when did France have a law forcing transgender people to undergo sterilisation?
Thankfully, our Gallic neighbours have seen sense as the country has just passed a new legislation allowing people to legally change their gender without undergoing the involuntary sterilisation process.
Yesterday, rights activists from the likes of the ILGA-Europe network of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups welcomed the change after a two-year campaign.
Spokeswoman Sophie Aujean told the Thomson Reuters Foundation: 'These are years of sparring that finally come to fruition.
'There is no other population in the world that is asked to be sterilised apart from transgender.'
The move comes after several European countries such as Denmark, Malta and Ireland have rid requirements that required transgender citizens to undergo medical procedures in order to legally have their changed gender recognised.
However, unlike in the aforementioned countries where a transgender person needs only to inform the authorities of their new gender, those in France will still have to go to court to legally change their gender.
Delphine Ravisé-Giard, a spokeswoman for the National Transgender Association told The Telegraph: 'France has sometimes done revolutions, but this is not a revolutionary law.'
Change is good but not over.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
