France took historic strides when it became the first country to remove transsexualism from the list of mental disorders, reports 365gay.com.

“It’s a symbolic victory,” Georges-Louis Tin told Time magazine. He is president of the Paris-based IDAHO group, which fights homophobia and transphobia. “Transsexuals are no longer mentally ill. They’re normal citizens. But we haven’t yet reached the point where they’re allowed to make their own decisions instead of depending on doctors and psychiatrists.”

While transsexuals are no longer considered mentally ill, the change will not have much impact on legal or medical rights.

The state will cover sex-change operations, but patients do not have much leverage when it comes to choosing a doctor.

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