What It Really Feels Like to Be a Trans Student in the French Education System

The classroom for transgender students in France can be a learning place and equally a place of invisibility, constant negotiation and deep discomfort. Even though the French education system is praised for its academic rigor and secularism it is currently struggling to create an environment that offers support to sexytrans. This results in trans students constantly experiencing silence, and the painful feeling of not being recognized.

Lack of consistent policies and awareness also contributes to this issue. There are currently some schools and universities that now adopt inclusive practices like recognizing pronouns and names and providing the option for gender neutral restrooms. However there are still many trans students that have to advocate for themselves in systems that not recognize their identities.

Things are usually more difficult for secondary school students as they are mostly bigendered by classmates and teachers with no intervention from the authorities of their schools. Another issue at hand is that administrative documents and roll calls use their legal names instead of their affirmed names which forces the trans student to endure the pain that comes with remembering their pre-transition identity. These moments might seem small but they are deeply traumatic for the students.

Another factor that contributes to the sense of isolation that trans students experience is the absence of LGBTQ+ inclusive education. The French curricula does not always cover topics that relate to trans history or gender diversity and this only leaves many trans students to navigate their identities without affirmation or institutional support. This further affect the sense of self of the students and how their classmates understand them.

There is usually more freedom in higher education especially in cities like Lyon and Paris that are progressive. Many universities now have inclusive name change policies and LGBTQ+ resource centers. However the experience is still dramatic at this stage depending on the faculty and institution attitudes. Trans students that pursue degrees in law, healthcare and education are usually exposed to transphobia environments.

Regardless of these challenges trans students in France don’t stay silent as there are many that now organized student unions, online platforms and LGBTQ+ collectives that constantly demand increased visibility and better policies. They also create peer support groups, launch awareness campaigns and push for a systemic change. In general what it really feels like to be a trans student in the French education system is a mix of exhaustion and courage.