A Crous building (illustration) -

GILE Michel / SIPA

  • The CROUS now allows transgender students to change their first name on administrative documents, such as scholarship letters or rents.

  • This measure was put in place by the working group on LGBT discrimination, created after the suicide of a transgender student last September.

  • For Solidaires Etudiants, it is a “victory”.

    But the Montpellier union nevertheless hopes that this possibility will be offered in all the Crous de France.

On September 23, a transgender student ended her life in Montpellier (Hérault).

His suicide had aroused great emotion in the university community.

Unions, associations and students had denounced, in particular, the flaws in the services of the CROUS in the support of this precarious student in transition.

The academy of Montpellier and the Crous had assured, for their part, that she had benefited from "reinforced support from social services, such as staff ensuring the management of the residence" where she lived.

Only litigation letters are not affected

A working group to fight against LGBT discrimination was created after the tragedy.

This week, it enabled a first breakthrough: now, the CROUS offers students the possibility of changing their usual first name on student administration documents (notifications of grants or rent receipts, for example), on request, without any proof or parental authorization being requested.

Only a student card is required.

Only letters of litigation are not concerned, "where only the civil status is authentic", notes the CROUS.

A student in transition from Paul-Valéry University, interviewed by

20 Minutes

, welcomes this advance with joy.

"I can not say that I have been waiting for it for a long time, because it is my first year at university," he testifies.

So, I didn't have this problem of seeing my deadname [the first name used before its transition] everywhere, since I was using my usual first name in high school.

But, since I entered higher education, I have obviously taken care of all the administrative papers on my own, so when I have to go see the Crous, I always have this lump in my stomach, because I know that I will be deadname.

"Or also, continues this student, when" I pay my rent in the student residence ", where there is" always an email to confirm the payment with "First name of the tenant", and my deadname.

And that is really painful for me.

"

"There is still a long way to go"

"The process of changing your first name in town hall can be complicated, and is not always accepted," explains a student from Montpellier, member of the Solidaires Etudiants union, who confides in having changed her first name "in a similar context".

However, having all the documents for your home in your first name can be painful.

And dangerous, since it can "outer" trans people to their neighbors, and therefore expose them to violence.

"

It was the unions, within the CROUS working group, which enabled the change of the first name to be implemented.

"Thanks to this progress", welcomes the Scum, the Montpellier university combat union, transgender people "will no longer be mégénrée during communications with this administration.

This first step does not make us forget that there is still a long way to go, at CROUS, as in other administrations, in order to improve their relationship with students.

"This victory is not enough," resumes the Solidaires Étudiants union in Montpellier.

We demand that this procedure be implemented in all CROUS.

“Because if a handful of Crous have implemented this system, this is far from being the case everywhere.

In addition, the change of first name is also possible at the University of Montpellier, and the University of Paul-Valéry, said the two establishments at

20 minutes.

In 2019, the government asked higher education institutions to facilitate the consideration of changes in the identity of students.

To make an appointment with the Crous de Montpellier to change the first name used on administrative documents: referenteegalite@crous-montpellier.fr.

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  • Languedoc-Roussillon

  • University

  • Identity

  • Student

  • Crous

  • Transgender

  • Montpellier

  • Society