Code of Conduct
All members must adhere to the SIGIS code of conduct.
This code of conduct is based on the principle that gender incongruence is not a form of illness or mental issue, but a normal result of psycho-sexual development. Harassment or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated.If the Association members or those who collaborate with the Association violate this code of conduct, the Association can undertake any action the Board deems necessary, including, but not limited to, warning the author of the offense, suspension or expulsion from the Association; notifying professional orders and expulsion from every event without any reimbursement.
Good practices and recommendations
Language policy
In agreement with the recommendations of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH), we encourage professionals to:
- always respect the gender identity of a person through language based on how the person defines and describes themselves, including also non-binary gender identities and expressions
- respect the gender identity and role of the person regardless of their medical gender affirmation choices (hormonal and/or surgical)
- when referring to gender, use the expressions gender assigned at birth or legal gender instead of biological sex/gender
- the path that some transgender people wish to follow or have followed is today called gender affirming care. To be respectful towards people who opt for this path, it is recommended to never use the expressions “sex reassignment” or “sex change”
- adopt a language that does not stigmatize and/or pathologize gender identity, gender roles or a person’s body
- gender incongruence is one of many aspects that can describe a person: it is therefore recommended to use expressions such as “person with gender incongruence”, “transgender person”, “trans person”, “a person with an intersex conditions” and not the following expressions “a trans”, “an intersex”
- the expressions “gender identity disorder” and “sexual development disorder” are today considered pathologizing
- it is recommended that people be defined based on the gender assigned at birth (meaning “person assigned male at birth”, AMAB; “person assigned female at birth”, AFAB). Expressions such as male-to-female, female-to-male, trans woman, or trans man erroneously assume that a transgender person identifies with the opposite gender to the one assigned at birth and is not inclusive of non-binary identities
- not undertake scientific studies that describe or support clinical interventions not in line with human rights, such as the so-called reparative therapies aimed at imposing gender conformity on gender variances
- to not misgender people by using a language that does not recognize the person’s gender. For example, referring to a person who identifies as female using a male name or male pronouns.