# I Questioned Transgender Ideology. Now I’m Facing Prison in France. Canonical: https://brew.new/browse/templates/email/pt1_k97tef49rrw7zwj8f7ngnkvhds8fevy5 Brand: substack.com Category: newsletter ![Preview of I Questioned Transgender Ideology. Now I’m Facing Prison in France.](https://cdn.brew.new/email-preview-6e31535f9585ef1e-tracking_r57zm3eawz8zqy91ghqgt2nqvn8ff4s6-1790886116047.png) ## Email content Forwarded this email? Subscribe for more The Big ReadThursday, 10.01.2026View in App Upgrade to Listen Get the whole story. Join now.I Questioned Transgender Ideology. Now I’m Facing Prison in France. I went on television to debate what makes a woman a woman. Four years later, I have a criminal conviction and face new charges that could put me in prison. Protestors pose during the ExisTransInter march for the improvement of living conditions and transition paths for transgender and intersex people took place in Paris on May 13, 2023. (Victoria Valdivia/Hans Lucas via AFP) By Dora MoutotPREVIEW Few debates today are as fraught as whether gender identity should override biological sex in law and public life. It turns on questions of women’s safety and fairness, and, increasingly, on free speech: what people are permitted to say, and what they can be compelled to say. Nowhere is that collision sharper than in parts of Europe, where speech deemed hateful or offensive can lead to criminal prosecution. Dora Moutot, a French feminist writer and activist, was convicted earlier this year of “public insult” over remarks made during a 2022 televised debate with France’s first transgender mayor. She is appealing, and now faces new criminal charges that could carry up to a year in prison. Below is her account of how a TV appearance became a criminal case, and what it reveals about the price of speaking freely in France today. —The Editors In 2022, I went on a French television show to debate what makes a woman a woman. For expressing my opinion, I have been convicted as a criminal. GettyImages-1214854167.jpg Marie Cau, the first transgender woman elected as mayor in France, poses on May 24, 2020. (François Lo Presti/AFP via Getty Images) The show was Quelle Époque!, a popular talk show, and across from me sat Marie Cau, France’s first transgender mayor. I argued that self-identification laws were potentially dangerous to women. I cited cases of men identifying as trans women who were transferred to women’s prisons, and later committed acts of sexual violence against female inmates. “I’m not saying that all trans people do this—far from it,” I said, “but, as women, we have no choice but to be wary of people with penises.” When the moderator then asked whether I considered Cau to be a woman, I said that Cau “is a man, a transfeminine man.” This article is part of Today in America. Sign up to get everything we publish on U.S. politics, policy, and the ideas worth fighting for. I never could have predicted what would happen next. Two months after my appearance, three French LGBT nonprofits, all of which receive public funding, filed a criminal complaint against me arguing these statements constituted a “transphobic insult” and could potentially drive many young transgender people to suicide. In France, this isn’t a civil lawsuit in the American sense, where a private citizen sues another for money and a judge decides who owes what. “Public insult” is a criminal offense, with a maximum punishment of one year in prison and a fine of up to €45,000 for insults committed against a person because of their sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. And under French law, private parties have the right to initiate criminal prosecutions themselves... Continue reading 'I Questioned Transgender Ideology. Now I’m Facing Prison in France.' Or Become a paid subscriber today to enjoy unlimited access to The Free Press Unlock the world of The Free Press and stay ahead of the curve with our premium news articles. Annual $8.33/month Billed as $100 yearly Save $20! Monthly $10/month Billed monthly SUBSCRIBE NOW ALREADY HAVE AN ACCOUNT? SIGN IN COMMENT LIKE SHARE DOWNLOAD AS A PDF Become a paid subscriber To support our journalism, and unlock all of our investigative stories and provocative commentary about the world as it actually is, subscribe below. UPGRADE TODAY Download on the App Store © 2026 The Free Press 548 Market Street PMB 72296, San Francisco, CA 94104 Unsubscribe [Open and remix this design](https://brew.new/browse/templates/email/pt1_k97tef49rrw7zwj8f7ngnkvhds8fevy5) [Browse email designs](https://brew.new/browse/templates)