Thousands of protestors gathered in 50 cities throughout France this Sunday, rallying against the ‘offensive’ on transgender rights. The protests were sparked by a report from French Senators highlighting a concerning rise in child gender transitions and a proposed bill aiming to ban medical transitioning for minors.

Activists, left-wing politicians, transgender-rights groups and youth mobilized across France to denounce what is perceived as an attack on transgender rights and to advocate for access to medical transitioning in healthcare. A significant protest unfolded in Paris, where more than 2500 protesters gathered to oppose the report by French Senators and a book on transgender ideology which has been perceived to be hateful and defamatory. Initially announced last Tuesday, the protests received backing from over 800 groups and individuals including left-wing party La France Insoumise and the Socialist Party.

At the core of the protests lies a comprehensive report compiled and published by center-right Les Républicains Senators in March. Spanning over 340 pages, the extensive report was concluded after numerous hearings involving medical professionals, psychologists, social and educational associations and other experts. La Transidentification des Mineurs, or ‘The Trans-Identification of Minors’, the report delves into the scientific and medical discourse surrounding gender identity and sex change in children. Senators point to a notable uptake in the number of French children identifying as transgender over the past decade, referencing a testimony from Professor David Cohen, head of the child psychiatry department at Pitié-Salpêtrière who disclosed receiving approximately 40 new consultation requests annually, with 16 percent of patients being under the age of 12.

As a direct outcome of the report’s findings, the senators have announced that a bill has been drafted which is set to undergo examination in the Upper Senate on May 28. The proposed legislation aims to ban medical interventions such as puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sexual reassignment surgery for minors undergoing treatment for gender dysphoria—defined as the distress arising from the mismatch between a person’s perceived gender and their assigned gender at birth. Non-compliance with the draft bill could carry penalties of up to two years imprisonment and a fine of €30,000. (approximately $32,305)

Another contentious issue at the heart of the protests was the publication and promotion of the controversial book Transmania: enquête sur les dérives de l’idéologie transgenre (‘Transmania: Investigation into the excesses of transgender ideology’) which critically explores transgender ideology and identity. The book has been widely denounced as containing hateful material and efforts were made to remove posters featuring the book following a request of Paris City Hall to the advertiser.