今日吃瓜

Last week the trans community in France lost a sister, with a 17-year-old trans girl taking her life only days after she was shamed by a school administrator for dressing as her true self and wearing a skirt.

Avril was a student at Lyc茅e F茅nelon in Lille, in the north of France. The school has admitted that they were aware of her transition, but in a video Avril is seen crying as the guidance counsellor reprimands her for wearing a skirt.

The December 2 video taken by Avril and shared on Snapchat shows the counsellor yelling at her saying, 鈥淚 understand that you want to be yourself, I understand that perfectly.鈥� At the end of the video there is a picture of Avril in a modest jean skirt with the caption 鈥淭his is what I was wearing.鈥�

鈥淓verything I鈥檓 doing now, it鈥檚 to better help you, that鈥檚 what you don鈥檛 understand!鈥� the counselor says in the video as Avril cries. 鈥淏ecause, once again, some people have different opinions than you do and aren鈥檛 your age. It鈥檚 that simple. They don鈥檛 have the same upbringing.”

鈥淏ut they鈥檙e the ones who need to be educated, not me,鈥� Avril responds.鈥淚 totally agree! I agree with you!鈥� the counselor interrupts, condescendingly. 鈥淭hen I don鈥檛 understand why you have a problem with me,鈥� the teen asks.

鈥淪hameful,鈥� wrote David Belliard, who works at the Paris Mayor鈥檚 Office. 鈥淵es, transphobia kills.鈥�

 Following the conversation, Avril was sent home. One of her fellow classmates told a local news outlet La Voix du Nord that she was told not to come back 鈥渦nless she was dressed like a boy.鈥� The student also said that this event sparked conversation about gender and transgender people, and as it turns out Avril had copious supporters to be her authentic self. 

Two days after the world sadly losing Avril, on December 17, the school district released a statement that misgendered her, and said that she wanted to 鈥渃hange sexual identity鈥� adding that she was 鈥渟upported in their process.鈥�

鈥淰al茅rie Cabuil, superintendent of Lille schools, learned with great sadness that a high school senior at Lyc茅e F茅nelon in Lille put an end to their life at their home in a youth shelter on Wednesday,鈥� the statement said, using the masculine article 鈥渦n鈥� in front of the word for 鈥渟tudent,鈥� misgendering Avril. The statement stressed that Avril was living in a youth shelter, not with her parents. 

鈥淭his dramatic event has upset the entire educational community,鈥� the statement continued. 鈥淕rief counselors have been sent to the school.鈥�

 In the wake of this statement, trans and gender diverse advocates accused the school administration on Twitter of 鈥減sychological violence鈥� for 鈥渉umiliating鈥� the teen, according to French LGTBQI website Komitid. 

France鈥檚 Minister Delegate for Gender Equality, Diversity, and Equal Opportunities 脡lisabeth Moreno also weighed in saying, 鈥淎 transgender teen girl died by taking her life Tuesday… The rate for transgender people for taking their life is seven times higher than the average. We absolutely need to fight against transphobia, everywhere.鈥�

But Jean-Yves Gu茅ant, president of the local parent-teacher association FCPE, accused transgender advocates of propagating 鈥渇ake news.鈥�

He confirmed to the press that she was sent home that day for wearing a skirt to school, but he also said that she had 鈥渙ther difficulties鈥� and also noted that she lived in a youth home, implying that she had been rejected by her family.

 Acknowledging that 鈥渁 discussion took place鈥� on December 2 about Avril wearing a skirt, he said 鈥渘o element of that day鈥� is linked to her death. 鈥淚t is very complicated to understand what happens in the head of a young person who makes this kind of decision,鈥� Gu茅ant said, according to French news source Le Figaro. 鈥淏ut it鈥檚 obvious that the school bears no responsibility for this.鈥� 

鈥淲e are alerting the Education Ministry tonight about the situation for trans children and teens: without special attention, discrimination and acts of violence leave permanent marks with serious consequences,鈥� said the transgender organisation Acceptess-T in a series of tweets. 

“We must at all cost prevent these situations with a real engagement from the government,鈥� the group continued. 鈥淲e have to give transgender children and teens the possibility of a future where they won鈥檛 have to constantly fight to survive.鈥�

鈥淭olerance is not enough, survival is not enough. We want to live with joy.鈥�

If you feel distressed reading the story, you can reach out to support services.

For 24 hour crisis support and suicide prevention call Lifeline on 13 11 14

For Australia-wide LGBTQI peer support call QLife on 1800 184 527 or .