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Protect Trans Rights, Yes, But Not in Defiance of Reality
Posted By jean.meslier On 2023-10-06 @ 12:00 In | No Comments
We recognize that trans, queer, non-binary and other gender identities have the right to perceive Reality as they wish, but cannot legitimately demand that society as a whole share their entire vision, particularly when that vision strays dangerously far from the facts described in point 1. There is no justification for automatically accusing anyone of any “phobia” in this case.
We consider, moreover, that such persons are perfectly justified in “living their identity” as they understand it, especially since the criteria which could be opposed to their particularities are also based solely on subjectivity. This includes their external appearance as well as their way of expressing themselves, as well as their conformity (or not) to the expectations of those around them (except when these apply to everyone indiscriminately, regardless of biological sex or gender).
We unreservedly condemn any form of discrimination, pressure, intimidation or violence directed towards them. Here too, no exception seems acceptable to us whatever the circumstances.
From the preceding principles, there follow a large number of consequences for the rules which should be applied relating to an almost infinite multitude of issues: legal age of consent and the role of parents, toilet arrangements, changing rooms, prisons, school curricula at different ages, standards regarding the attitudes to be adopted by educational staff with respect to children, content of official civil status documents, and so on. These issues are too numerous for us to take firm positions now on all of them, especially since they often involve very complex questions and in some cases expert opinions must first be sought.
But we demand that the government commit to opening public debate widely on all these questions. The eventual report of the committee of experts set up by the government will have to be the subject of a parliamentary commission or another similar mechanism, open to all, before being applied. The recent experience of multi-party committees of deputies could also serve as a model.
Finally, one point is clear for us: none of the decisions taken previously on any these issues should be treated as acquired knowledge to be excluded from future debate. Furthermore, the association Atheist Freethinkers rejects vigorously and categorically any attempt to associate the above statements with any “anti-trans” or far-right ideology.
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