Our history

The Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health is the first global transgender healthcare organization headed by trans-identified health care professionals, broadly identified as researchers, clinicians, providers-in-training, activists and other service-oriented experts. We recognize that trans individuals are represented in the full spectrum of transgender health care professions and expertise, as we have been since the field’s inception and seek to represent these professionals and their community within the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, associated regional organizations (e.g., ANZPATH, CPATH, EPATH, USPATH), and the larger sphere of transgender health care.

TPATH is an outgrowth of several conversations held by trans professionals and activists at the 2016 WPATH conference in Amsterdam. For many, this conference was the first WPATH event that they had attended, while others have been fundamentally involved in the association for years or even decades. It was clear to many of us, however, that trans people will not be accurately portrayed in presentations, publications, and other WPATH communications and events until more of us are represented in the organization’s leadership.  While we recognize that WPATH has made strides to address these problems, it is similarly clear that an engaged and organized group of trans-identified health care professionals is needed to consolidate and build on these gains. We bring the full weight of our expertise, including the skills and experiences gained through our lived experiences as trans individuals, to this task.