Gender Is Not an Illness : How pathologizing Trans people violates international human rights law

S. Kara, M.C. Grinspan

Trans people have been pathologized by psycho-medical classifications and national laws for over four decades. This paper presents the argument that the pathologization of trans people infringes international human rights law, and leads to a range of human rights violations across civil and political, economic, social and cultural rights This argument is supported by international human rights jurisprudence and standards as interpreted by United Nations (UN) and regional human rights bodies and mechanisms.