Public Policies Advances on Transgender People in Portugal

When rights are guaranteed through public policy, the probability of becoming de facto rights rather than just de jure rights is greatly increased. On the one hand, the conditions and mechanisms for its implementation are created or, at least, foreseen, and the conditions for effective access by all people to the rights in question are reviewed. This is the case of Portugal in promoting the rights of trans people, following a consolidated public policy on equality and gender (since 2007). The countries in Europe (European Union) have adopted different perspectives and paths ahead regarding the definition and implementation of comprehensive public policies for trans people. Previous studies about Portuguese case reveal that health, work, but also rights in the family and sexuality, are fragile domains, which place trans people in a situation of great vulnerability. Adopting a participatory methodology, the chapter presents the diversity in political and ideological positions and debates the obstacles in the process of public policy formulation to promote the integral well-being of trans people. The evaluation of the Portuguese case is useful for other political and social contexts, while it reveals the cornerstones of public policies advances on transgender persons, namely stereotypes and gender biases.