27 trans persons in France/French Belgium/French Africa who changed things by example and/or achievement.

See also US, Canada, UK, Germany, Italy, Australia/NZ, Americans in Europe, Europeans in the Americas, Africa.

A special mention of Joseph Doucé (1945 – 1990), though not trans himself, murdered by agents of the State after agitating for trans rights. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA.

France is notable for a series of female-born persons before the Second World War who dressed and behaved like what we would call trans men, even having what operations were then available, but not taking a male name.

1. Amantine Dupin (1804 – 1876) novelist as George Sand, well-known transvestite. EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
2. Rosa Bonheur (1822 – 1899) famous painter. FR.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
3. Camille Barbin (1838 – 1868) A school teacher as Adélaîde Herculine Barbin in Charente-Maritime. Compelled by the authorities to become a man, committed suicide. GVWW EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
4. Jane Dieulafoy (1851 – 1916) Paris. Photographer, archeologist, writer. GVWW EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
5. Mathilde de Belboeuf (1862 – 1944) Paris. Aristocrat. GVWW    FR.WIKIPEDIA.
   
    
6. Clementine Delait (1865 – 1939) Lorraine. Café owner, bearded lady. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
7. Madeleine Pelletier (1874 – 1939) Psychiatrist, Socialist, feminist. Died in incarceration. GVWW   EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
   
8. Si Mahmoud Essadi (1877 – 1904) From Geneva, originally called Isabelle Eberhart, converted to Islam in Algeria, became a Sufi, writer, died in a flash flood in a wadi. EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
   
9. Lili Elvenes (Elbe) (1882 – 1931) Danish artist who spent most of her adulthood in Paris. She went to Dresden for experimental surgeries which she did not survive.  GVWW    EN.WIKIPEDIA.
   
   
   
10. Georges Masasco (1890 - ?) From Brussels. Lion tamer, stigmatic. GVWW.
    
    
11. Violette Morris (1893 – 1944) All-round athlete, rejected from French Olympic team for being too masculine, especially after her mastectomy. Assassinated by the Resistance. GVWW  EN.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
12. Claude Cahun (1894 – 1954) Paris, Jersey. Photographer, writer. EN.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
    
13. Pierre Molinier (1900 – 1976) Bordeaux. painter, photographer, fetishist. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
14. Michel-Marie Poulain (1906 – 1991) Paris, Alpes-Maritimes. performer, painter, stained glass artist. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
15. Marie André Schwidenhammer (1909 – 1981) Paris. Nurse, activist, founder of AMAHO. GVWW.
    
16. Frede Baule (1916 - ?) lover of Marlene Dietrich, Paris club owner. GVWW .
    
    
17. Ovida Delect (1927 - ) Normandy. Part of Communist Résistance, sent to German concentration camp, poet. GVWW.
    
18. Jacqueline Dufresnoy (1931 – 2006) star at Le Carrousel as Coccinelle, film actor, 3 husbands, trans activist. GVWW    FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
19. Marie-Pierre Pruvot (1935 - ) From Algiers, star at Le Carrousel as Bambi, school teacher, novelist. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
20. Amanda Lear (1939 - ) performer, singer, muse of Salvador Dali, painter, Chevalière. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA. 
    
    
    
    
21. Maud Marin (1945 - ) Paris. Postal inspector, lawyer. First French trans person to change ID papers after Coccinelle's divorce. GVWW. FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
22. Marie-France Garcia (1946 - ) From Oran, lives in Paris. singer, actress, activist. GVWW EN.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
23. Hélène Hazera (1952 - ) Paris. Activist, actor, broadcaster. GVWW FR.WIKIPEDIA. 
    
    
    
    
24. Camille Barré (1959 - ) Paris. Communist candidate married to Argentinian Monica Leon. GVWW Deleted from FR.WIKIPEDIA.
    
    
25. Tom Reucher (196? - ) Paris. Psychologist, activist, coined Syndrome de Benjamin. GVWW. 
    
    
    
    
26. Ludwig Trovato (196? - ) Reims. film maker, accused of rape. GVWW. 
    
    
    
    
27. Olivier Theyskens (1977 - ) Belgian fashion designer. GVWW EN.WIKIPEDIA.