Réseau ESI
Réseau éducation, sexe et identité, abbreviated RÉSI, is a network from the Canadian province of Quebec. According to its own description, it consists of citizens, parents, and healthcare and education professionals concerned about the place of what they call the theory of gender identity in Quebec schools and healthcare. The network was launched in early 2024.
What you can find
The French-language site describes its mission, principles, and positions on education. Parents can find advice and links, as well as the opportunity to speak with parents from the network. The site also features testimonies from Quebec and elsewhere, stories from detransitioners, book recommendations, and a blog with analyses.
Why it is on this list
RÉSI is a French-language, gender-critical voice from Canada and writes about the Cass Review, among other topics. Its tone is activist and its positions are controversial; it is not a source of neutral information. Background information is available on gender care in Canada and in the article on gender-affirming care in Quebec. More context is available under international developments.
Launch and people
The site reports that the network was launched on February 11, 2024. Athena Davis and Caroline Morgan are listed as contacts; Davis serves as coordinator and gave interviews to Qub Radio. RÉSI says it supports non-medical approaches for young people experiencing gender distress. The site states that the network has friend status with Genspect. In its own review of its first year, RÉSI also names SEGM as a partner. The site does not state how the network is funded or how many members it has.
Activities in the first year
On February 22, 2025, RÉSI published an assessment of its first year. The network submitted a brief to the Comité de sages sur l'identité de genre, the advisory committee on gender identity established by the Quebec government in December 2023. It sent an analysis of the treatment of minors to the Ordre des psychologues du Québec and asked the Ordre des pharmaciens du Québec to launch an investigation. RÉSI wrote to Education Minister Bernard Drainville about the Culture et citoyenneté québécoise school subject, and received a response from the ministry. Together with parent organizations from other countries, RÉSI took part in letter-writing campaigns addressed to the World Health Organization. In 2024, the blog published articles about the WPATH Files, the Cass Review, and an episode of the Radio-Canada program Enquête.
How to weigh this source
RÉSI is a young campaign group that addresses professional bodies and ministers in a single Canadian province. The site is valuable for readers of French who want to understand how the debate is unfolding in Quebec, an area about which little is published in Dutch. Its analyses draw on the same international sources as related groups, such as the WPATH Files. The network selects information that supports its position. For official policy in Quebec, the documents published by the government and the professional bodies themselves are the appropriate sources.