A DDL on gender dysphoria that does not talk about individuals Not protections and health, but propaganda and social control
When the Meloni government announced the bill on gender dysphoria, many feared it would be yet another tool to use trans people as political pawns. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened. The text, presented as a measure to protect minors, is actually based on a pathologizing and stigmatizing idea of gender identity. It proposes the introduction of a new diagnostic category for minors with gender dysphoria, passing off as protection what is in fact more of an attempt at control, forced medicalization, and deterrence. Reading the words of some government members, it becomes clear that there is no real intention to protect the younger generations. On the contrary, the move seems designed to block any gender affirmation process, reinforcing sexual binarism and delegitimizing trans identity.
The Gender Dysphoria Bill is an ideological battleground
"The enforcement of such strict control over young trans people is an unconstitutional practice and a waste of resources. The WHO has already depathologized gender incongruence for years, and in 2024 there were around 20 minors across Italy who accessed triptorelin, less than a single high school class in a provincial town. Adding further steps to access medical treatments unnecessarily burdens hospital logistics and public healthcare costs. A government that adds bureaucracy while reducing doctors and nurses," comments Asia Cione, vice-president of Associazione Libellula, a trans association advocating for trans people in Rome.
What’s missing? A lot
There is no mention whatsoever of the rights of those involved, informed consent, input from sector experts, or above all the real-life experiences of those who, from an early age, live with a gender identity different from that assigned at birth. Once again, it is a text that talks about trans people without talking to them. The aim is clear: to win over the most conservative voters, distract public opinion from far more pressing issues, and turn gender identity into an ideological battleground. Yet again, the bodies and identities of LGBTQIA+ people become a political tool.
"These measures, imposed and presented by the government as factors of protection and care, actually conceal an intention of repression and control over the lives and bodies of the youngest trans* people, who will be hindered in accessing gender-affirming medical therapies - which should literally be considered life-saving - with dramatic consequences in terms of mental health and forcing them, in adulthood, to undergo more invasive medical-surgical interventions. In recent years, we have seen significant improvements in the well-being and general living conditions of young trans* people followed by our service after starting gender-affirming medical therapy. Today, however, this climate of siege is generating feelings of fear, disorientation, and suffering among them and their families, complicating a life stage that is already extremely delicate and complex, and that should instead receive maximum welcome and support," comments Serena Scribano, social worker at Associazione Libellula.
Gender affirmation pathways in Italy today
Meanwhile, families supporting children in gender affirmation pathways are left alone, often opposed. Psychologists who work in respect of self-determination are discredited. And anyone calling for a fairer law, based on listening and science, is accused of wanting to "confuse" children. It is a toxic narrative that ignores years of studies and international guidelines, starting with those of the WHO and the APA (American Psychological Association), which call for depathologizing transition and supporting minors in the most respectful way possible. But this does not seem to interest those writing laws on gender identity without ever listening to those who are directly affected.
"The registry for prescribing gender-affirming drugs risks becoming a database of trans* minors. What we have been witnessing for years is simply the result of a terrible crusade that the Italian government is waging against trans* identities. As an adult trans* man, I feel compelled to stand with young transgender people, who have the right to free, immediate, and safe access to gender affirmation pathways, without any form of registration or obstruction. What we are seeing is nothing less than the institutionalization of State transphobia through legislation," says Elia Bonci, writer, activist, and editor. In a country where accessing transition pathways is already complicated, slow, and often humiliating, this bill risks making things worse. There is no investment in psychological support, no mention of training for school and healthcare staff, and no concrete tools for those facing such a delicate journey.
An obstacle to trans lives
"Yet another act aimed at hindering the pathways and lives of trans people, a law that not only shows a clear intent to make access procedures even more complex but also carries an element of intimidation by violating people’s privacy. Granting AIFA and the Ministry the power to compile and view clinical records of psychological and psychiatric pathways violates one of the fundamental principles of the oaths and ethical codes of all medical-healthcare-assistance professions: the confidentiality between professional and patient," comments Lucia Barbera, nurse and activist at Associazione Libellula. The result is a law that, under a veneer of false protection, reinforces discrimination. A text that ignores scientific evidence, marginalizes families, and blames trans people, especially the youngest. And above all, it has nothing to do with protecting health and everything to do with social control. Those who fight for rights know that this is not an ideological battle. It is a battle for life, for dignity, for the possibility of growing up without fear. We can no longer afford to write laws on other people’s bodies, against people and never with them.