2 June 2014 — Cape Town Declaration on Gender Incongruence of Childhood (GIC), South Africa
The Cape Town Declaration on Gender Incongruence of Childhood (GIC) was publicly released in June 2014, requesting the removal of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Classification of Diseases (ICD) diagnoses that pathologise gender diversity in children and youth. The Declaration addresses WHO ICD-11 proposals for a pathologising diagnosis for gender diversity in childhood, and calls upon WHO to discard the current Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood diagnosis and refrain from replacing it with any new pathologising diagnosis, including the proposed Gender Incongruence of Childhood (GIC) diagnosis.
The Declaration was issued by a working group of 40 delegates from 11 countries who met on 2 June 2014 at the 2nd Trans Health, Research and Advocacy Conference in Cape Town, and was submitted to the World Professional Association for Trans Health (WPATH). The Declaration was also included in the submission to the United Nations (UN) 3rd cycle Universal Periodic Review.
Full declaration
The Declaration, below, was been signed by a group of transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex-focused health practitioners, advocates, activists, researchers, family members, parents, and members of the trans community. The group is drawn from 11 countries, the majority of which are in sub-Saharan Africa.
CAPE TOWN DECLARATION:
Gender Incongruence in Childhood
We are a group of 40 transgender, gender non-conforming and intersex-focused health practitioners, advocates, activists, researchers, family members, parents, and members of the trans* community. Collectively we represent over 11 different countries and cultures, with a large majority of our members based in countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
On June 2, 2014, we met as a working group at Gender DynamiX, TIA and SHE’s 2nd Trans* Health, Research and Advocacy Conference in Cape Town to discuss the WHO proposals for a GIC diagnosis directed at pre-pubescent children. At this event there were a number of sessions held concerning the impact of this diagnosis: 4 1 ½ hour direct sessions were held, alongside a number of affiliate talks, which lead up to our 3-hour working group dedicated to the WHO’s proposition. Overall, at this conference more than the equivalent of a full working day was dedicated to this matter.
We feel that this pre-pubescent diagnosis is the most pressing issue facing the trans community at the moment. At our working group members registered extreme concern and outrage that the WHO would be in support of this pathologising and discriminatory approach to gender diversity among children and youth. Even across the vast array of our different cultures and different countries, and as representatives of different concerned groups, there was substantial agreement that the WHO’s proposal should be outrightly rejected.
As such, and with the support of an overwhelming majority of our working group delegates, we set the following statements before you. We have also included our voting tallies below, to indicate the number of delegates in favour vs. those against.
1. Children are ever changing developing individuals, who explore themselves, their personalities and their potential as they grow. This includes their sense of, and expression of, their gender. (30 in favour/0 against)
2. Gender diversity is not a pathology. We therefore feel that no pre-pubertal children should be given a diagnosis based on their gender identity or expression. (32 in favour/0 against)
3.The proposed GIC diagnosis makes no clinically utilizable sense for children. (34 in favour/1 against)
4. Affirmative counseling, information and support should be made available by way of non-pathologising alternatives. This should be made accessible both for a child, parents and other significant persons in the child’s life. (32 in favour/0 against)
5. An adolescent or adult diagnosis should not require a previously documented history of a gender-based diagnosis. (33 in favour/1 against)
Having examined the ICD reform process and the proposals for ICD-11, we formally request that the WHO discard the current Gender Identity Disorder of Childhood diagnosis and refrain from replacing it with any new pathologising diagnosis, including GIC.
Signed,
- Nthabiseng Mokoena, Transgender and Intersex Africa (TIA), South Africa
- Lesego Ramphele, South Africa
- Dr. Simon Pickstone-Taylor, South Africa
- Ricky Nathanson, Zimbabwe
- Dr. Arnaud de Villiers, South Africa
- Dr. Diana Dickinson, Botswana
- Skipper Mogapi, Rainbow Identity Association (RIA), Botswana
- Busisiwe Deyi, Gender DynamiX (GDX) South Africa
- Xolile Mabuza, Swaziland (RIP)
- Nompumelelo Ncongwane, South Africa
- Carol Musikanth, South Africa
- Therona Moodley, South Africa
- Mishka Moodley, South Africa
- Beverley Toker, Groote Schuur Hospital (GSH) Gender Clinic, South Africa
- Ronald Addinall, UCT & Triangle Project, South Africa
- Tom Klopper, South Africa
- Sibusiso Kheswa, Gender DynamiX (GDX) South Africa
- Lex Kirsten, South Africa
- Celia Engelbrecht, South Africa
- Gabriel de Larch, South Africa
- Celeste Roberson, South Africa
- Liesl Theron, Gender DynamiX (GDX) South Africa
- Etienne Thomas, South Africa
- Lieketso Kokome, Lesotho
- Gayle Bowey, South Africa
- Chris/tine McLachlan, South Africa
- Vuyokazi Gonyela, South Africa
- Kaylyn Nel, South Africa
- Tina Sandra West, South Africa (RIP)
- Anonymous, Kenya
- Tshepo Kgositau, Botswana
- Athena Petersen, South Africa
