Mandatory gender selection for train tickets abolished in France

Decision from France’s Highest Administrative Court: Mandatory gender selection for train tickets abolished.

The national railway company’s practice of forcing passengers to choose between “female” or “male” when purchasing train tickets has been abolished.

France’s Highest Administrative Court (Conseil d’État) has ruled that the country’s national railway company, SNCF, cannot compel passengers to select either “male” or “female” when buying train tickets. The 31 July ruling follows a decision earlier this year by the Court of Justice of the European Union in a case brought by the LGBT+ rights organisation Mousse Association.

According to ILGA-Europe’s website, the lawsuit challenged the long-standing practice of the national railway company of requiring customers to select a gender without offering a third or neutral option.

The court ruled that collecting such data is not necessary for fulfilling the transport contract or for legitimate commercial interests.

Marie-Helene Ludwig, ILGA-Europe’s Senior Strategic Litigation Officer, commented on the decision:

“It is a victory that the company has already complied with the ruling and ended the unnecessary data collection practice. We look forward to other companies and public institutions also following the CJEU decision and providing more inclusive services for non-binary and trans people who are forced to select incorrect gender markers in their daily lives.”

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