Centre d'aide, de recherche et d'information sur la transsexualité et l'identité de genre

CARITIG — the Centre d'aide, de recherche et d'information sur la transsexualité et l'identité de genre — was a French association loi de 1901 founded in Paris in 1995 by Armand Hotimsky, Germaine Nijsten and Phaedra Kelly. It became inactive after 2007. Over roughly a decade of activity, its stated missions were to help and support transgender people in the generic sense of the term, chiefly through a listening helpline, by providing information, and by assisting them with research and administrative procedures. The association deliberately gathered a broad spectrum of gender identities and defended that inclusive position, in opposition to other organizations of the period. Beyond individual support, CARITIG campaigned to advance the rights of transgender and intersex people. Through Vincent Guillot it acted as the French relay of the Organisation internationale des intersexués (OII) before the founding of OII France in 2005, which later became the CIA. It was sponsored by a committee of specialists from several countries, including the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. The association was also a publisher and event organizer. It issued the review Les Chemins de Trans from 1995 to 2000, circulated a monthly letter, La Lettre de CARITIG, from 1997 to 2002 under Armand Hotimsky's management, and replaced it with the fuller bulletin TransGenre Actu from April 2002 to March 2005. On 23 November 2003 it organized a conference with the École de Psychanalyse Lacanienne and the publisher EPEL, bringing together more than 100 psychoanalysts for the release of Pat Califia's book Le mouvement transgenre, in the author's presence. On 27 March 2006 it organized, for the benefit of ILGA, a pre-conference on transgender rights that for the first time gathered specialists and activists from around the world as well as representatives of the WHO. On 19 March 2007 it challenged the twelve candidates in the French presidential election with a questionnaire of eleven questions, and posted a dossier of their answers on its website. CARITIG's official site was archived in 2008, preserving activity reports, statements, statutes, photographs, archives of TransGenre Actu (1997–2005) and covers and tables of contents of Les Chemins de trans (1995–2000). The organization is documented in academic and activist literature, including a 2002 sociology master's thesis by Mélanie Golin on its politics of recognition, a 2001 Vacarme portrait of Camille Cabral, Joëlle Grégorie and Armand Hotimsky, and later work on the Existrans as a platform of French trans struggles. It is now inactive.

CARITIG (Centre d'aide, de recherche et d'information sur la transsexualité et de l'identité de genre) was an association loi de 1901 created in Paris in 1995 by Armand Hotimsky, Germaine Nijsten and Phaedra Kelly. It was sponsored by a committee of specialists from several countries — the United States, France, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Italy. Its missions were to help and support transgender people in the generic sense, through a listening helpline, by providing information, and by assisting them with research and administrative procedures. The association brought together a broad spectrum of gender identities and defended that inclusive stance, in opposition to other organizations. It also advocated for the rights of transgender and intersex people. Through Vincent Guillot it served as the French relay of the Organisation internationale des intersexués (OII) before the creation of OII France in 2005, which later became the CIA. Publishing was central to its activity. It edited the review Les Chemins de Trans from 1995 to 2000. In parallel it distributed to members a monthly letter, La Lettre de CARITIG, from 1997 to 2002, managed by Armand Hotimsky. That was replaced by a fuller bulletin, TransGenre Actu, published from April 2002 to March 2005. The association organized notable public events. On 23 November 2003 it held a conference with the École de Psychanalyse Lacanienne and the publisher EPEL, gathering more than 100 psychoanalysts for the release of Pat Califia's book Le mouvement transgenre, with the author present. On 27 March 2006, for the benefit of ILGA, it organized a pre-conference on transgender rights that brought together for the first time specialists and activists from around the world as well as representatives of the WHO. On 19 March 2007 it addressed a questionnaire of eleven questions to the twelve candidates in the French presidential election, and made a dossier of their answers available on its website. CARITIG became inactive after 2007. Its official website was archived in 2008, preserving activity reports, statements, statutes, photographs, archives of TransGenre Actu (1997–2005) and covers and tables of contents of Les Chemins de trans (1995–2000). The organization is referenced in Frank Martin's 2002 article in FTM International, in Mélanie Golin's 2002 sociology master's thesis La politique de reconnaissance du CARITIG, in a 2001 Vacarme group portrait of Camille Cabral, Joëlle Grégorie and Armand Hotimsky, and in Karl Ponthieux Stern's 2024 piece on the Existrans as a platform of French trans struggles.

• 2008

  Official website archived, preserving activity reports, statements, statutes and publication archives.

• 2007

  19 March: sends an eleven-question questionnaire to the twelve French presidential candidates.

• 2007

  CARITIG becomes inactive after this year.

• 2006

  27 March: organizes an ILGA pre-conference on transgender rights, first gathering of worldwide specialists, activists and WHO representatives.

• 2005

  OII France founded, succeeding CARITIG's relay role for the Organisation internationale des intersexués.

• 2003

  23 November: conference with the École de Psychanalyse Lacanienne and EPEL for Pat Califia's Le mouvement transgenre, with over 100 psychoanalysts.

• 2002

  La Lettre de CARITIG replaced by the fuller bulletin TransGenre Actu (April 2002–March 2005).

• 1997

  Begins distributing the monthly La Lettre de CARITIG (until 2002).

• 1995

  CARITIG founded in Paris by Armand Hotimsky, Germaine Nijsten and Phaedra Kelly.

• 1995

  Begins publishing the review Les Chemins de Trans (until 2000).

An inclusive, broad-spectrum French trans and intersex support and advocacy association, active 1995 to after 2007.

• Les Chemins de Trans

• La Lettre de CARITIG

• TransGenre Actu

• 2007 presidential election questionnaire
• ILGA transgender rights pre-conference

1. 1Wikidata: Centre d'aide, de recherche et d'information sur la transsexualité et l'identité de genrewikidata.org
2. 2Wikipédia (fr): CARITIGfr.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official site (archived 2008)caritig.org