Is there an organization or group in Albania that is "kidnapping children" to change their gender through hormones?
These have been some of the headlines and accusations that have circulated in the media in recent days. But let's dismantle the disinformation and inform with facts, according to the Albanian legal framework!
In Albania, there is no law, protocol, state or private program that allows gender reassignment through hormonal therapy or medical interventions.
Hormone therapy for gender reassignment is not regulated in the healthcare system. This means that it is not officially offered as a service, not even for adults, let alone children.
Citizens has addressed the lack of hormone therapy through articles as an emotional and financial challenge for many members of the LGBT community. The latter, due to the lack of medical protocol, have been forced to leave the country to undergo therapy without risking their mental and physical health.
This debate is not new. Issues of sexual orientation, gender identity, and non-discrimination have been addressed in Albanian law since 2010, with Law No. 10221 “On Protection from Discrimination”.
This law prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and requires institutions to protect equality.
So these concepts are not "scary innovations", but have been part of the law for more than 14 years.
Many people are concerned because, through the new "Gender Equality" bill, LGBT issues will be taught in schools.
But this is not an education law and does not change the curriculum. There is no article in the text that requires the introduction of LGBT topics in schools. The only obligation for public institutions is to use inclusive language and respect the principle of non-discrimination, a standard that already exists in the Law on Protection from Discrimination.
Any changes to school curricula are regulated solely by Law No. 69/2012 “On Pre-University Education”, which delegates this competence to the Ministry of Education and the Agency for Quality Assurance in Pre-University Education.
Therefore, even if one day there were a need to address the concepts of gender equality in curricula, this could not happen with a law that guides gender equality, but only with:
1. Special instructions of the Ministry of Education,
2. ASCAP-approved texts and modules,
Gender education, in the sense used in the draft law, is about preventing stereotypes and ensuring equal treatment between girls and boys, not about gender reassignment, not about hormonal treatments, and not about medical interventions.
These claims are part of a fabricated narrative that often appears whenever a law affecting human rights is discussed.
He completed his master's studies in the department of Journalism and Communication Sciences at the University of Tirana. She has been reporting for more than four years in Citizens.al on issues of culture, urban development, feminism, etc. She is also a contributor to other local and foreign online media, and has worked in the editing of various materials. She is the author of the podcast "Pezull" on Citizens.al and is engaged as a coordinator of projects related to the empowerment of young journalists and migration issues.
