Peer support and discussion groups

The association OUTrans offers peer support by email (autosupport@outrans.org) to answer questions and provide information on transitions, contacts, and more. In-person or video appointments can also be requested.

The association Espace Santé Trans offers mediation by email (mediationsante@espacesantetrans.fr) to answer health-related questions for trans people.

The association Acceptess-T works through peer support. It welcomes people without an appointment at its premises every Monday from 11:00 to 18:00 and by appointment Tuesday through Thursday, 11:00–18:00, at 88 rue Philippe de Girard (Paris 18e, phone: 01 42 29 23 67). Acceptess-T offers support for:

• legal name and sex marker change for adults (pole.juridique@acceptess-t.com)
• experiences of violence and discrimination (pole.juridique@acceptess-t.com)
• HIV, hepatitis B and C, syphilis testing, and referral to PrEP, with drop-in services Monday–Thursday, 11:00–18:00 (pole.prevention@acceptess-t.com)
• access to social rights, residency rights, and employment: drop-in services Monday 11:00–18:00
• urgent material support (emergency housing, food aid): drop-in Monday 11:00–18:00 and by appointment (fast@acceptess-t.com).

Trans and/or questioning persons
The “Trans and/or questioning persons discussion group,” organized by OUTrans, is a time for listening, exchange, information, and conviviality held every third Saturday of the month in a feminist LGBTQI+ venue in the Marais, Paris. It is open to trans people or people questioning their gender who have questions about transition, coming out, rights, relationships with others (friends, parents, loved ones), or who simply want to meet and talk with other trans people. This group is held in non-mixed format strictly for trans and/or questioning people, so parents and loved ones cannot stay during this group. It is nevertheless possible to arrive a little earlier to talk with the facilitators, and to leave before the start of the drop-in session, or to arrive at the end of the session.

Trans people and closed ones
The “Trans people and closed ones discussion group,” organized by OUTrans, is a moment of exchange between trans people or gender-questioning people and their parents, siblings, partners, friends, or other close people. For loved ones, it may be about seeking information to better understand, or simply exchanging with other parents, partners, and allies. For trans or questioning people, this group allows dialogue with people from their circle about topics related to their trans identity, or listening to and exchanging with other trans people and allies. It is held once a month in the Marais, Paris; dates are listed on OUTrans’s website.

Children/adolescents and parents/caregivers
The “Children/adolescents and parents/caregivers discussion group,” organized by OUTrans, is a space for exchanges for young trans or questioning people aged 6-18 and their adult closed ones. Young people can meet other children/adolescents who are trans, non-binary, or questioning, and exchange about their gender, family relationships, friends, school, and more. Parents can seek information to better understand gender diversity and have exchanges with other parents while their child connects with peers. The session begins together, then parents and children meet separately in two groups: one for young people and one for parents. Dates for upcoming discussion groups in Paris are available on the OUTrans website.

Trajectoires Trans group
“Trajectoires Trans,” organized by the association Espace Santé Trans, is a discussion group of about ten people led by two trans facilitators. It meets weekly for eight weeks, with the same group throughout the sessions. It is intended for people who are questioning their gender, have begun a transition, or will begin one, and who seek a space for exchange with peers. The group aims to help participants meet other trans or non-binary people, build community connections, reflect, and find support. Topics may include relationships with self and others (body, sexuality, family or romantic relationships, work, studies, medical questions). Sessions are held online or in a feminist and LGBTQI+ venue in the Marais, Paris.

Child gender diversity group (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
This group offers a space for expression and self-exploration through play with other children (ages 6–11). There is a time for exchange and a play segment based on “pretend play,” where children imagine and build a story together and then play it out. At the end, there is a fun snack time for children and a separate discussion group for parents. Both groups are co-led by clinical psychologists and psychomotor therapists. Participation requires confidentiality, respect for others’ speech, and non-judgment. This group was the subject of a scientific study published in the journal Neuropsychiatrie de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence.

Adolescent trans group (Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital)
This group provides space for exchanges between adolescent trans and/or questioning people. After this time, a group for parents is held, where they share questions and experiences, offering mutual support and listening. These groups are co-facilitated by psychologists and psychiatrists and involve confidentiality, respect for speech, and non-judgment.