The unique FREE PATHH conference in 2016 offered a free alternative to the very expensive WPATH in Amsterdam. It was one of the first open events on trans-related health care and human rights. What was discussed that day is still relevant now – eight years later!

The Free Event on Practicing Actual Transgender Health & Human Rights (FREE PATHH) was well attended by trans activists, from the Netherlands and abroad. The entire program was therefore offered bilingually. There was also a lot of interest in FREE PATHH from (trans and cis) professionals.

FREE PATHH has set a lot in motion. Especially outside the Netherlands. For years to come, there was a ‘shadow event’ from the trans community at other WPATH and EPATH symposia. FREE PATHH also indirectly led to more space for the vision and input of trans professionals at WPATH and EPATH. Both organisations are now much more inclusive for trans people – although there is still space for improvement.

Also thanks to FREE PATHH, trans professionals realised that it is good if they unite too. That became TPATH, the Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health (TPATH)! TPATH is committed to trans people who work in transgender health care, both within and outside formal professional associations. Thanks to TPATH, there are more trans professionals in influential positions within WPATH and EPATH.

Visit our website for videos of the lectures and reports of the workshops.

Quotes participants

“Knowing that your stress comes not from you being transgender but from society being transphobic, can immediately help you improve your mental health.”

“We need to make our spaces super inclusive. If our trans spaces only support white, middle class trans people, the ones that are hurt the most will not be protected.”

“Hormone therapy is not that complex, your GP could do it if they had a bit of basic training and a referral address for complex cases. Why isn’t this happening? Transgender care is normal health care!”

“Gender clinics will not change until they start hiring trans people and putting trans people in leadership positions.”

“Imagine if we defined being transgender by the joy of expressing who we are, not the pain of being forced to be something else.”

“We need to educate young doctors, young psychologists, young social workers. They are the ones who make a better tomorrow.”

“When it comes to making their own choices, transgender people need information, information, information.”

“We need to put the burden of trans mental health problems back on society. We know the poeple who do the discriminating, are creating these problems. This is not our fault. This is not our bullsthit!”

“Transition without a gender clinic is possible. You can choose you own path. But the information about how to do that needs to be much more available.”