The purpose of this document is to reaffirm the decision-making autonomy and the physical and bodily integrity of trans and gender diverse children and adolescents, demonstrating their full compatibility with the international human rights framework and, therefore, the obligation of States to protect them and guarantee their access to rights. This paper develops the debate surrounding the importance of the safety of trans youth. It stresses the role that States play in ensuring trans youth’s access to bodily autonomy, gender-affirming healthcare and legal gender recognition.
On the one hand, we are facing a moment of intersection between the visibility of trans children and adolescents, both in the media and on social networks, cultivated by their parents, guardians, and professional support systems. On the other hand, attacks from conservative/traditional and radical/critical antigender groups are also prevalent. It is essential to note the significant financing and politicization of anti-gender campaigns targeting children and adolescents. This paper analyzes and characterizes how trans youth’s access to autonomy and mental and physical integrity are compromised. It also discusses how freedom of gender expression and access to legal recognition of gender identity and gender-affirming procedures have been endangered. This paper will cover research based on the framework and premise of depathologization and human rights.
