On December 6, 1997, 60 trans people and a few allies gathered in Paris, to demand the enactment of a law that would protect them from further harm and discrimination from the State. This first edition of the Existrans, France's still-running yearly demonstration for trans rights, left the Association du Syndrome de Benjamin's volunteers with mixed-feelings: pride of being out in the open as trans people; anger and deception at the lack of support their mobilization received. While the first edition of the Existrans was part of a larger campaign in support for a trans protective law, it quickly became something else: an annual performance to sensibilize the larger society to trans and intersex struggles. Through a methodology based on Oral History interviews and archival research, this communication focuses on the theatrical strategies developed by trans activists to platform their revendications in France. It centers the analysis on the Existrans/ExisTransInter, the largest visibility-oriented event for trans rights in France. As visibility-oriented activism is raising more and more scepticism among trans activists, this communication raises key issues concerning the future of the ExisTransInter.
