Paris Police Move To Oust Transvestites (Press, 12 September 1983)

In September 1983, the Paris vice squad initiated efforts to clear out approximately 500 Brazilian transvestite prostitutes from the Bois de Boulogne, a wooded area on the city's outskirts. Their growing presence had begun to attract not only local Parisians but also tourists, vendors, and thieves, leading to increasing complaints from residents. The area had historically been a site for prostitution, but the emergence of organised groups of transvestites over the past two years had significantly changed the landscape, even displacing traditional sex workers. Police Commissioner Raymond Dematteis, overseeing the clean-up operation, described the situation as chaotic, likening the wood to a “zoo” where onlookers came to observe the “strange man-woman creatures.” During fine Saturday evenings, the area drew as many as 5,000 visitors, encouraged by recent promotional efforts by Paris tourist agencies that included maps highlighting local attractions. Food vendors began to set up shop, further turning the Bois de Boulogne into a bustling scene for both enjoyment and criminal activity, such as pickpocketing and scams. To maintain order, unmarked police patrols began nightly operations starting at 11 p.m. The strategy involved making arrests until about 3 a.m., typically capturing around 50 transvestites each night. Officers often waded through dense underbrush during these operations, taking care to navigate the nylon lines the transvestites would string between trees as a means of securing their territory. Arrests led to the formal processing of offenders at two main police stations, where they would be fingerprinted, charged, and subsequently fined 600 francs (approximately $131). Many of the Brazilian transvestites resorted to sex work out of necessity, using the income to fund surgeries in a quest to transition into women. The cost of these procedures at specialised clinics in Morocco and Britain could reach as high as $11,000, reflecting the financial burden many faced in pursuit of their gender identity. The city's crackdown indicates a broader tension between the enforcement of law and the realities of individuals seeking to carve out a life within society's margins.

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