The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice

by Shon Faye

Trans people in Britain today have become a culture war 'issue'. Despite making up less than one per cent of the country's population, they are the subjects of a toxic and increasingly polarized 'debate' which generates reliable controversy for newspapers and talk shows. This media frenzy conceals a simple fact: that we are having the wrong conversation, a conversation in which trans people themselves are reduced to a talking point and denied a meaningful voice.

In this powerful new book, Shon Faye reclaims the idea of the 'transgender issue' to uncover the reality of what it means to be trans in a transphobic society. In doing so, she provides a compelling, wide-ranging analysis of trans lives from youth to old age, exploring work, family, housing, healthcare, the prison system and trans participation in the LGBTQ+ and feminist communities, in contemporary Britain and beyond.

The Transgender Issue is a landmark work that signals the beginning of a new, healthier conversation about trans life. It is a manifesto for change, and a call for justice and solidarity between all marginalized people and minorities. Trans liberation, as Faye sees it, goes to the root of what our society is and what it could be; it offers the possibility of a more just, free and joyful world for all of us.

Genres: Nonfiction, Queer, LGBT, Politics, Feminism, Transgender, Gender

292 pages, Paperback

First published September 2, 2021

About the author

Shon Faye is author of the acclaimed bestseller The Transgender Issue. Her work has been published in, among others, the Guardian, Independent, British Vogue and VICE. She writes an advice column, Dear Shon, for Vogue.com. Born in Bristol, she now lives in London.

Reviews

[Morgan M. Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

"There can be no trans liberation under capitalism. This is a fact."

The past decade has witnessed the birth of a global anti-trans (or "anti-gender") movement, which has reached a boiling point in the United Kingdom with a bitter cultural war over the existence of trans people. Much of this so-called 'debate' focuses on the supposed threat trans women pose to public toilets, sports, and feminism. But, Shon Faye argues in her razor sharp new book The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice, this trumped up media frenzy is a moral panic that ignores the very real material oppression of trans people in every facet of contemporary life.

Faye takes aim not only at cynical media, anti-trans feminists, and government, but also at a liberal politics that seeks only to absorb trans people into the workings of a patriarchal capitalism that is the source of all of our problems. She puts forward a refreshing socialist feminist argument for trans liberation — a liberation that would ultimately benefit all, trans and cis alike. Tackling both the more respectable issues like the broken medical system alongside more challenging (and, in my opinion, equally pertinent) issues like the criminalization of sex work, Faye's liberatory politics are a necessary correction to the past decade which has seen the 'influencer-ification' of trans and LGBTQ+ politics.

This is a book that everyone will be reading when it hits shelves this September, whether they support or oppose trans people, and with good reason. It's well past time for the transgender issue to move forward, and Shon Faye lights the way.

[Alexis Hall]

Source of book: NetGalley (thank you!)
Relevant disclaimers: none

The liberation of trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society.

This is a vital book: a clear-eyed look at the realities of trans life in the UK, that deliberately eschews the ‘recognised’ media talking points of bathrooms and the Olympics in favour examining the real injustices faced by trans people on an almost daily basis. From media coverage to prisons to sex work to access to medical care, each chapter explores the way manufactured moral panic around the existence of trans people has been used to justify their systematic oppression.

There’s so much I found powerful and admirable here, but I think, to me, what was most valuable was the analytical approach (Faye points out that trans media skews heavily towards demanding confessional or autobiographical works from trans writers) and the razor-sharp deconstruction of the hows and whys the UK is—not to put too fine a point on it—just so fucking transphobic. I’ve been increasingly aware of a kind of … mental helplessness, looking around me what feels like the utterly unnecessary culture we are currently waging on trans people, wondering where on earth this is coming from.

Well. Now I know.

And it’s honestly horrifying, the way the social and political conflicts around the rights and bodily autonomy of trans people have been framed as natural and necessary. When they are, of course, utterly constructed: built on years of fear-mongering and manipulation by the media and the government, right down to the fact that whenever there’s any sort of discussion of “trans issues” these tend to involve a trans person and someone oppositional to trans people, as if there is a neutral middle ground between these two positions.

This is a meticulously researched and incisively written book that feels ground-breaking precisely because its shape, form and approach serves as an act of resistance against the prevailing narrative of how trans people should write, and what they should write about. Most significantly, it consistently rejects the idea of a single “trans experience” and speaks compassionately and coherently about the way issues of race, social class and economic privilege inform trans identity (Faye makes it very clear that she white, educated, and speaks with an RP accent—factors that made her own transition comparatively smooth).

For all, however, that this is a work of polemic (and I sincerely hope it does something to re-frame the debates my country is having, and has long been having, about trans rights) it is as much a manifesto of hope as it is a battlecry: it envisions a world where trans liberty broadens the scope of possibility for all.

A necessary, powerful and brilliant book.

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shon Faye has written an analysis of the current debate about transgender issues, particularly about the debate in Britain. Her solutions are broader though because she believes that there is a need for an economic and social liberation based on socialism. Faye is transgender herself and lays out the issues and problems of transgender life in Britain today.
“The demand for true trans liberation echoes and overlaps with the demands of workers, socialists, feminists, anti-racists and queer people. They are radical demands, in that they go to the root of what our society is and what it could be. For this reason, the existence of trans people is a course of constant anxiety for many who are either invested in the status quo or fearful about what would replace it.”
Faye covers class, housing insecurity, healthcare, sex work, prisons, the role and attitudes of the police, education and the current debates within feminism (terfs and all). A good deal of research has gone into this, but it was written during the first lockdown. The writing is clear and passionate, exposing significant levels of hostility to trans people, especially in the media. The focus is on liberation as much as rights. There is a fair amount of statistics and information but this doesn’t get in the way.
This isn’t a memoir, but Faye does draw on her own experience:
“Ever since I was a child, I have had to learn to keep on going in a world which signalled to me at every turn that I was mad, bad, sick, deluded, disgusting, a pervert, a danger, unlovable,”
She is also honest about some of her dilemmas, for instance when Trump banned transgender people from serving in the military she felt “supreme discomfort” arguing against the ban because of her opposition to US imperialism and military power.
Faye reminds feminists who have issues with transgender rights and liberation that the real problem is actually patriarchy, capitalism and shared experiences of male violence.
On the whole I found this convincing although my views matter little as a cisgender male, but I do wish we could all be kinder to each other and more tolerant of each other.
There is a good quote from Andrea Dworkin which is now forty years old:
“Hormone and chromosome research, attempts to develop new means of human reproduction (life created in, or considerably supported by, the scientist’s laboratory) work with transsexuals, and studies of formation of gender identity in children provide basic information which challenges the notion that there are two discrete biological sexes. That information threatens to transform the traditional biology of sex similarity. That is not to say there is one sex, but that there are many. The evidence which is germane here is simple. The words “male” and “female”, “man” and “woman” are used as yet there are no others.”
The reactions to the book have been fairly predictable, but it really is worth reading because it covers a good deal of ground: the sections on healthcare and mental health are particularly good. As Faye points out poverty and homelessness and the other issues of an inequitable society hold back all sections of society and the plea is unity against a common enemy. But the levels of injustice Faye points out are significant and the struggle continues.

[Amrou · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a total game changer. It’s rare to read something so groundbreaking and monumental.

It might be the most bullet proof and rigorously argued text I’ve ever read. Every sentence is a mic drop, honestly. In a current media climate waging a war of disinformation on transgender people, this book cuts through the hellish, bigoted noise with pure facts that place trans people at the centre of the conversation, showing plainly and clearly what it means to be trans in a transphobic society. From healthcare and housing to prisons and families, Shon leaves no stone uncovered in this widespread and phenomenal analysis.

But more than that, this book is a manifesto for radical change. It puts forth a vision of the world where we can ALL be liberated. It’s an exhilarating and thrilling read, and I had tears in my eyes at several points - it’s a version of the world I want to live in. It’s a world where can all be free to be who we are .

At a time when global politics is besieged by Far Right actors who are trying to divide us - and it’s working - this book is an urgent call for solidarity between all marginalised groups.

[Chris Baumgarten · Rating 1 out of 5]

Truth be told, I didn't finish it.

It's just too many self serving reinterpretations of reality, if not outright invention thereof, to handle.

It is one thing that people whose life is centered around wanting to be someone else suffer terribly in their predicament and to aknowlegde their pain.

It is quite another to pretend that society at large is responsible for that, and, what's more that society basically has nothing else to do but to think about these undeniably unfortunate souls or to even "exclude" them - or to pretend that they way people think about themselves is not influenced by projections, that psychology does not exist and that there is - at the bottom of it all - an esoteric substance that makes people something other than they are born.

None of the arguments I have encountered stands up to scrutiny. The lack of reliable evidence is hidden behind a veil of, well, sob stories.

Not that this is unique in self serving propaganda literature, but usually we are a lot more critical in dealing with the talking points of a tiny but organised minority within a tiny minority than is the case with trans ideology.

Overall, the author relies on the wider public being largely uneducated in natural sciences, sociology and psychology and so being unable to question whatever self serving stories they have to sell.

This is much akin to, say, Creationists, only that they don't generally encounter uncritical reviewers.

So, it is a book worth reading if you want to familiarize yourself with how propaganda works in a postmodern environment riddled with various forms of identity politcs - all destructive by themselves -, and if you don't want to rely on all the super-abundant propaganda material that's out there for free.

It may also be worth your time if you want to study narcisstic exposure.

If you want to learn anything about gender issues or transgender issues - well, don't read it.

[Sarah Schulman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A clear, intelligent, experience-based explanation of why the scapegoating of trans people must stop, while ethusiastically encouraging more trans people to join feminist, anti-racist movements for economic and social change.

[Sunny Lu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of well researched points & well delineated arguments and information

[Hereticalreader · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Transgender Issue is a treatise on why people should stop worrying and love what Shon Faye is selling. But the author pushes too hard - a worthy cause should be clear without repeatedly being instructed to show "solidarity". Subjects include: why prisons should ultimately be abolished, why there should be fewer laws prohibiting pimping/sex trafficking by decriminalising all aspects of prostitution, and why transgender charities like Mermaids should try to distance themselves from their work with training police because it's bad for optics if the movement comes across as "carceral". (I don't know what the author proposes we should do with the criminality of someone like Jeffrey Epstein, nor what Faye would say about the fact that people who felt strongly about transgender rights claims reported a 74 year old woman to the police for her tweets.)
The book has a number of flaws, including in the coherence of the author's central arguments, a lack of granular understanding of the problems the movement poses for others (it is cheap and lazy to dismiss people's considered objections as mere "moral panic") and little introspection on the movement itself - this review will outline just a handful of them.
First, the claim that transgender identities challenge capitalism is shallow and makes no sense. By the author's own admission (and sharing of the outlay on private medicine), all aspects of "gender transition" (clothing, hormones, surgeries, wigs, packers, binders, makeup, electrolysis, gamete storage, IVF, etc, etc) are expensive. The logic of undergoing a financially costly process to enhance how a person looks (and their social status) reads as turning bodies into products that can be customised for a fee. The whole project seems entirely in line with capitalism, not a challenge to it. Gender transition extracts money, time and energies from a group of people that the author notes has numerous mental health, economic and social problems (and according to some testimonies, although not really presented in the book, people find the source of their body dissatisfaction changes over time after some interventions and so they pursue further steps). Critics can easily ask whether this isn't just a new way for the medical system (especially in places like the USA) to obtain capital from a group of people who seem quite desperate (do any private doctors worry about how many of their patients fund their procedures from donations given by family and friends, or selling pictures of their bodies to men?).
Second, when it comes to the rhetoric of activists in the UK and the tendency of some overwhelmingly white & middle class media commentators on transgender rights in this safe country pointing towards the violence against people usually from migrant backgrounds in the sex industry abroad (in arguably an appropriative manner), Faye writes: "There is a valuable discussion to be had about properly paying tribute to these murdered people without co-opting their experiences or obscuring the role of sex-work violence and anti-migrant racism in their deaths"(p.142). But the book doesn't proceed to offer any further discussion. Why is this not addressed beyond a line in parentheses, given that Faye comes from a relatively comfortable activist background and so might usefully contribute to such a process of self-reflection?
Third, in the chapter looking at the transgender rights movement's relationship to lesbian and gay (and bisexual) activism, there is no mention that UK's Beaumont Society ("the largest and longest established transgender support group at the forefront of the transgender, transvestite, transsexual and cross-dressing community since 1966!") initially excluded anyone who was homosexual (see for example Christine Burns's book Trans Britain). There is little to no introspection on any problematic aspects of the history of transgender rights own attitudes towards homosexuality, nor the fact that the Gender Recognition Act 2004 was originally put in place essentially to avoid a couple (both biological males) ending up in a same-sex marriage.
Fourth, and most frustratingly, The Transgender Issue fails to grapple with the reasons why women are protesting against transgender activist demands. This is especially true regarding the numerous harms to women and girls that logically follow from the supposed "human right" to deny some people's biological sex. For the best example of this, on incarcerating female prisoners with male rapists (if those men claim to identify as women) Faye writes: "If a person who committed acts of sexual violence against women or children while being perceived by their victims as a man subsequently transitions, there will be a great many people who refuse to accept that trans person is now a woman. It is easy to understand why. Similarly, one can see why many victims of rape and families of murdered people wish the perpetrator could be executed - and many of us would not condemn the strength or sincerity of such feelings. Nevertheless, as a society we understand that we should not have a death penalty because it would violate human dignity. Similarly, we cannot have a society in which a general principle of respect for trans people's autonomy to determine their own gender socially, legally and medically is only given in return for good behaviour. There is no easy way out."(p.183)
It is emotionally manipulative to suggest that women who do not want to call a man that raped them "she", or wish to have female-only spaces without the presence of any biological males, would be in any way comparable to calls for capital punishment. It is almost callous suggest that people using words that clearly describe the reality/sex they actually see (rather than what they are being compelled to say), or the existence of female specific language, or women's single-sex services, somehow undermines human rights. There is an easier way out. Only the author might not like it very much, as it would involve sex-based safeguarding boundaries, rather than complying with the desires of manipulative males including violent sex offenders. The way out would involve listening to, having empathy with, and centering the needs of women, and using the biological definition of female - in policy, medicine and law.
Finally, Faye says that males who identify as women should also be "considered 'female'" because of their "social, legal, political and sometimes medical reassignment or experiences"(p.214). This makes no sense - males cannot be female in the same way a raccoon is not a whale. The book gives no clarity in what "counts" as the differences between females versus males (or nonbinary) in Faye's conception of these terms, meaning everything would appear to come down to whatever people say they are.
If a movement needs to persuade others to simply nod along and never challenge what people in that movement claim, regardless of anyone else's beliefs, needs or conscience, that is a recipe for social coercion, not liberation.
A few years back, Faye suggested on Twitter that teenagers should "be sluttier than you are while you can" and "suck dick, get tits early" and told a woman "im a woman because i say i am sorry you've lost - even law says so - enjoy ur erasure." Faye's arguments in The Transgender Issue are obviously presented with a more mature tone, proper spelling and much longer character count. Whether the author's attitudes towards the subjects covered have changed substantially from those tweets is an open question.

[Tori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am trans, I have a degree in gender studies, and I’m active on social media. This means that, like it or not, I am highly familiar with ‘the transgender issue’ - that is, I am intimately aware of the way that the issues which affect trans people in the real world are abstracted, rendered absurd, and otherwise transformed into fodder for headlines in right-wing or reactionary newspapers. To write a book called 'The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice' in 2021 is an ambitious thing to do and requires an absolute clarity of argument and purpose that few could deliver. Fortunately Shon Faye is one of those few.

What 'The Transgender Issue' is not is an overview of the many confected debates staged in the popular press, rebutting each transphobic argument painfully and at length. It is also not a manifesto for diversity & inclusion, a personal account of transphobic harassment, or an apologia for corporate and NGO-led trans activism. It is instead a wide-ranging, careful analysis of the real effect of transphobia in Britain (and to a lesser extent, the wider world) today, informed equally by longstanding feminist traditions and a genuinely socialist viewpoint which holds that the only acceptable goal is the liberation of trans people and that this must be achieved through the resistance to and abolition of capitalism. Faye discusses in her conclusion the fact that many of the feminists she references in her argument are from the much-maligned ‘second wave’ of feminist theory, now out of fashion due to its leading lights’ regressive opinions on issues like sex work and pornography, but her justification - that this reveals the extent to which trans inclusion is intertwined with feminism, not mutually exclusive with it - is sound, and her attention in the early part of the book to those issues for which second wave feminism is often criticised means that the book is far from unquestioning in its invocation of these feminist forebears. (For what it’s worth, I think these characterisations of second-wave feminism in general are often unfair; anti-sex and antiporn feminism did reach a zenith in that period but actual feminist consensus was far from settled on the issues in spite of the profile of thinkers like Dworkin and Mackinnon.) Faye also traces the organised anti-trans strand of feminism to this period, but is careful to remind us likewise that the prominence of transphobic feminists belies the actual support for trans people that has always been part of feminism. There is, likewise, some analysis of the current trend for anti-trans feminism among the British commentariat but this is ultimately in service of exposing the ways in which transphobia forms an important part of the operation of capitalist heteropatriarchy, keeping Faye’s main argument - that the liberation of trans people will benefit all people - clearly in view at all times.

If I sound like I knew everything in this book already and am praising it mainly for agreeing with me, let me clarify: this is a thoroughly-researched, meticulous and even-handed exploration of, on the one hand, the ‘transgender issue’ as it exists in the media (pronouns, changing rooms, male pregnancy) and the real issues that transgender people face (employment discrimination, physical violence, access to reproductive health, as well as overrepresentation amongst other groups who are amongst the worst-off in society). Like Faye, I am a white trans woman of a comfortable class background and who was able to access a high level of education, and like her I am therefore insulated from many of the worst effects of transphobia in our society. Where 'The Transgender Issue' really excels for me, then, is in its refusal to construct a monolithic trans experience based on the lives of the most comfortable in our community, and its commitment to prioritising the voices of those who those trans people who are multiply marginalised. Chapters on trans children, on trans sex workers, and on the interactions between trans people and the carceral state represent major interventions in the ongoing cultural dialogue around trans rights and in the way we discuss those issues in particular; there is much to learn from them and from those who are quoted and cited there. These chapters make 'The Transgender Issue' an important read, then, not just for those cis people who seek to learn more about the real state of trans people today - although it is an invaluable resource for those who only learn about trans people through the mainstream media - but for all, including those within the trans community. It is not always a comfortable read but it is a necessary one, and a book that should rightly be praised.

[Mary Lennox · Rating 2 out of 5]

I agree with Faye on many aspects. I’m also anti-capitalist, with socialist views, I believe that we should defund (and ultimately end) the police and reform the prison system. I truly, wholeheartedly believe, that feminism would be better if we were able to debate the issues of sex and gender in a more civilized, nuanced and less hostile manner.

However, where Faye and I disagree, comes down to the interchangeable usage of sex and gender as terms for what humans “are”. Never in this book, Faye explains to us what it actually means to be trans, what exactly makes a trans woman a woman - in the same way as a cis woman is a woman. She doesn’t have to explain, of course, but the omission speaks volume: there is not good way to explain it. The belief that gender identity is something innate that a person just “knows” is simply that, a belief, that I don’t necessarily share.

I do acknowledge that trans people exist, and that they need and deserve good health care, job opportunities and to live their lives in peace. I don’t agree that the fight for trans liberation is the same as the gay and lesbian liberation. I don’t think that being a trans women attracted to women is the same as being a lesbian. I agree that trans women need to feel safe in bathrooms, but I also believe that women and girls do - and that self-id provides a lot of problems for that safety.

This review is mostly about what Faye doesn’t write about, I understand the problem with that. However, the muddling of gender and sex as the same concept becomes a gap in the whole of the book, that in many ways does say true things - as I said, about prisons and policing, but also violence, the patriarchy and homophobia. But I simply don’t agree that trans people defy the binary, if anything, doesn’t the existence of trans people prove that stereotypical gender expressions are what define someone’s identity? In a world without gender stereotypes, would anyone be trans?

[E · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every few years a book will come along, look you dead in the eye and firmly say “I will benefit the world.”

This is one of those books. My only wish is that it had been written twenty, thirty years ago, but nevertheless here we are, and I plan to pass it into the hands of everyone I can.

Sharp, to the point and underlined with hope, The Transgender Issue showcases Shon’s talent for stepping outside of herself in order to present varied lived experiences. Throughout the book she presents the ways in which the reformation and abolition of a number of sectors of contemporary society - capitalism, anti trans feminism and the incarceration system, amongst others - will not only benefit the lives of the trans community but the wider communities of other marginalised people.

Thank you so much to Dave & Penguin for the proof! 💓

[Varshini · Rating 5 out of 5]

vital vital read! such a direct and lucid book that cuts through the distracting transphobic noise around 'trans issues' (as faye argues so well, are issues that have direct and indirect consequences for everyone) and instead makes a case for liberation. every chapter builds smoothly on ideas introduced earlier in the text and overall it's such a well-researched and tightly written book. particularly appreciated the chapters on sex work, state violence, feminism and the construction of lgbt as an umbrella term. also loved the interrogation of fairly recently developed ideas and language surrounding sex, sexuality and gender. it feels so good to read a book which dares to demand we radically imagine a better world!

[Ruthie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many of the reviews of this book are lengthy. I'm not going to buck that trend.

My first experience of transwomen was around 15 years ago when a pair (sometimes a couple) joined a voluntary organisation I'm part of. It seemed to me that they were welcomed, listened to, valued; one took up a position of responsibility within the organisation. I learned about the daily life of trans people: abuse shouted in the street, a car being keyed, loss of employment.

Nevertheless, a tumultuous period followed for the organisation. I tried to inform myself but there was little to read back then. I talked to a friend who had written a Masters on the subject of trans-people. One of her comments was "remember, hormone treatment can mess up emotions in a similar way to the raging-hormones of teenagers going through puberty." A year later, a further transwoman was involved in the organisation. Her view was that the pair were struggling to transition. I learned that I shouldn't expect all transpeople to be the same, just as I don't expect all - I don't know - people from Cornwall to be the same.

This book is beautifully written in clear, passionate prose. The intelligence of the writer shines through on every page. Put her in pretty much any room in the country and Shon Faye would be streets ahead, intellectually.

The book helped me understand new things. Trans people are more likely to be homeless because the family kicks them out. For many trans children, the primary stage of education is more accepting but problems escalate at secondary. Faye is clear at the outset that the book is not some titillating first person account. However, I would have appreciated more case-studies at times. For example, I'm concerned that children self-identify in a different gender from an early age and found the first-person accounts from the parents of a trans child very helpful to understand how this can happen.

I was amazed that most trans people become infertile after a couple of months of hormone therapy. Is that permanent? It makes me even more surprised that there is a need for this article: "Effective Communication About Pregnancy, Birth, Lactation, Breastfeeding and Newborn Care: The Importance of Sexed Language" published in Frontiers in Global Women's Health, 7 Feb 2022.

But.
You knew there was a but coming, didn't you?

As a cis-woman, my starting point is my experience growing up as a woman. Faye rightly says we can't sweep all female experiences up as the same: that's a deeply stereotypical thing to do. But the vast majority of women experience the excitement and anxiety of first periods, the fear of not knowing when it will happen, whether it will hurt. Over the next years, the fear of blood appearing on clothing, of what to do with tampons and sanitary towels in school toilets without facilities, of lessons missed because you are curled up in pain in the school sick room. Trans women will have experiences going through puberty, but they won't have this experience.

And as the woman's shape changes, the anxieties, the verbal and physical abuse from men. Then the workplace prejudices, the gender paygap. Transwomen likewise have anxieties about body shape, will get verbal and physical abuse, will have prejudiced employers. But it's not quite true to say they are the same experience.

I can understand Faye centring the trans-experience. That's what the book's about, for God's sake. But I would have liked some acknowledgement somewhere that there are unintended consequences for women.

Here's the thing.

20% of women experience physical or sexual abuse from men. That's one in five. Walk down the street, count five women: on average one of them will be a survivor. Count another five, and another. Start getting a sense of the size of this issue. Academic research suggests over 80% of women have experienced abuse from men. Next time you are on a zoom call with 5 women, remember: on average, four of them will have a story of abuse to tell you.

That means there is a HUGE number of men out there treating women abominably. They are treating transwomen just as badly. Faye doesn't give statistics but from reading this book I wouldn't be surprised if close to 100% of trans people have experienced physical, sexual and emotional abuse - nearly all of it from men. And we need to address that.

But as Faye makes clear, transpeople make up less than 1% of the population. And here's the problem, as I see it. We need to make sure that 1% is safe; but the unintended consequences of some of the actions taken to make life safer for transpeople make life less safe for huge numbers of cis-women.

Take shelters for homeless women: nearly all of the women, including trans-women, will be there because of abuse at the hands of men. To insist that cis-women share a space with an intact transwoman, or a transwoman that the cis-women perceives as male, seems to be marginalising the trauma that the cis-women have experienced. I don't know what the solution is. I'm sure it's not to put transwomen into shelters for men: that would put them at intolerable risk from men. But I wanted Faye to a) acknowledge the difficulty of the situation, including from the perspective of cis-women and b) given how much she knows about this, make some practical suggestions that could make all women's lives better.

Take prisons. 3 years ago I was in a discussion about Gender Recognition and self-ID. One of the group has a trans-child. Another was a man who works in the prison service. I had assumed that stories of male prisoners identifying as female in order to move to female prisons was a myth whipped up by tabloids. I was surprised to find that, no, this does actually happen. Or at least, some male prisoners start the process until they realise what is involved with our current medicalised approach (which Faye wants to dismantle). My understanding is that male prisoners have not yet moved into women's prisons, but a move towards self-ID could allow this. I am saying women prisoners would be at risk from predatory men (and prison is the place where you are more likely to find the sorts of men who are violent towards women). I am not saying they are at risk from transwomen.

Of course, there are transmen and transwomen in prisons. I don't know where they would be safest. The current system doesn't work. But I was SO frustrated that Faye didn't give any solutions beyond abolish the prison system. That's not going to help the small number of trans prisoners in the immediate future. They deserve better.

And the vexed issue of toilet spaces and changing rooms. I can see why Faye didn't explore this. Cis-people get hung up on it, like it's the big issue, when trans-people are dealing with everything laid out so clearly in the book. But it does need discussing, because we all use public toilets at some point and all deserve to be safe.

Women use public toilets in a particular way. A recent example: I went to a theatre show which for various reasons had been distressing. Afterwards I went into what I thought were the female toilets. A woman started to talk about the show as we washed our hands. She'd loved it, I'd hated it. We had a discussion that ended in a hug. That's the sort of interaction women sometimes have in public toilets. Then a man walked in. He was confused and embarrassed. We were confused and embarrassed. Lot's of British apologies. Looking at the signage on the door more closely, it simply had a toilet. Further along the corridor (where the guy hadn't gone) was a sign with a toilet and urinal. I can be pretty sure my interaction with the woman wouldn't have happened if a man had been there, washing his hands.

Ok, so it's not a big deal to give up supportive interactions in single-sex toilets. But remember that 20%? The one-in-five who have experienced violence? How do we feel if men are present when performing the intimate task of toileting, or changing a tampon, or mopping up the blood from a sudden outflow, or changing an incontinence pad because our undercarriage was wrecked after childbirth etc. I will say it again, for the avoidance of doubt, I am not saying there is a threat from transwomen. I'm saying the loss of protected intimate spaces at best make women very uncomfortable and at worst put us at threat from predatory men.

Again, I don't know the solution. I tend to sigh and anticipate a future with cubicles, each with their own sink, hand-dryer, bin for sanitary products (and if there's a silver-lining, it will be that men with incontinence pads will have somewhere to put them). I mourn the loss of a space where I can have an interaction with a random woman in the aftermath of a difficult theatre show. But hey, I'm prepared to give that one up if it makes all of us, cis and trans, safer. But I really would have liked Faye to engage with this issue.

I haven't mentioned transmen. I'm bothered by the increase in the numbers of teens wanting to transition from female to male. Perhaps current rates simply reflect the level of desire to transition that was always there, but until recently was not catered for. I.e. there were a lot of unhappy trans-men around because they continued to present as female because of social pressures. I'm hoping more trans-men will have happier lives because they transition.

But I also wonder if more young women are coming forward because life can be pretty shit with the constant pressure to behave and appear in a particular way (social media, pornification of sex lives etc) and that the warm, welcome open-minded response from the trans-community provides a haven. This is very different from suggesting the trans-community is somehow luring or grooming young women. I don't think it's transphobic to ask for reasons to transition to be carefully explored over multiple meetings with experts including clinicians, particularly if treatment leads to infertility, as Faye described.

But the main reason for not mentioning trans-men is that we live in a deeply sexist and gendered society, and cis-men have little to fear.

That's it. Thank you for reading this far. Feel free to comment if you think I've got this all wrong.

[Ben Cook · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fascinating but poor.

Ultimately this is a book which deteriorated into very obvious and banal tropes centred around identity politics.

Statements like: ‘infighting and division are in the interest of our right wing oppressors.’ Or ‘LGBTQ+ must have at its core class consciousness and anti racism and to reaffirm its opposition to capitalism and patriarchy.’

It is immensely myopic and predictable. It’s a shame that from that one statement it is obvious what the author’s views are on every issue they try to tackle in the book.

It was not a shock that they are abolitionist towards prisons, want to legalise drug use and sex work and that they think society is fundamentally patriarchal and oppressive. These are not the author’s own views, they are parroted.

Language of oppression was everywhere, and the author is clearly attempting to align the trans community with other oppressed groups in order to justify language which essentially breaks down into Marxist power struggles.

Certainly our society competes for prime victimhood, as being a victim ironically generates power in our current cultural narrative, and so it wasn’t surprising that this book sought to do that.

Most worryingly was the language centred around power dynamics. Characterising our whole society as divided between a minority of power holders and then a large underbelly of an abused underclass is just simply poor thinking and patently untrue.

For example the author cites JK Rowlings influence on social media as evidence of the oppression of the trans community. Whilst this is true, it paints a picture that celebrity culture is decidedly anti trans. This is patently not true. The three main actors of Harry Potter all came out criticising Rowling and supporting the trans community. The one sided, immature rendering of our society as ‘us and them’ is just false.

This book therefore is fundamentally divisive. If you are not fully on board with the authors views you are transphobic. The language of oppressed and oppressor doesn’t allow for any other dynamic. This is deeply problematic as it means there is little hope for healthy dialogue between people who disagree.

Finally, the portrayal of peoples actions being more a product of the state than their own responsibility is deeply problematic. Hence prison is unfair because the crimes people commit are only due to their circumstance. This leads to effectively no justice being possible for wrongdoing- the murder only did it because he was poor.
Ironically the author does not extend that lack of accountability to the people they label as oppressors.

Helpful insight into how trans activists think, but the book is fundamentally built on very dangerous intellectual foundations.

[Dannii Elle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Trans people in Britain today have become a culture war 'issue'. Despite making up less than 1% of the country's population, they are the subjects of a toxic and increasingly polarised 'debate', which generates reliable controversy for newspapers and talk shows. This media frenzy conceals a simple fact: that we are having the wrong conversation, a conversation in which trans people themselves are reduced to a talking point and denied a meaningful voice."

I begun this review with the author's own words as they can better describe the genesis, the focus, and the aim for this book. All three factors were given adequate page count and I found this an illuminating and insightful read.

I am not a trans individual and so have not even had to consider many of the issues the trans community face daily and that feature inside this non-fiction read. This book proved an educational one but it was heart-breaking for me to consider the prejudice and inequality faced by so many inside the community. It really made me aware of my privilege and, quite honestly, I was initially horrified that I had ever forgotten the platform those like myself are raised upon and that so many others are crushed under, in the first place!

Books like this one need not even exist in the first place, if we lived in a utopian ideal. But they do as the suffering it details exists in abundance for its genesis. Hopefully it is not a naïve dream to imagine that its publication, and the publication of other books like it, can close the gap between the close-minded few who eradicate equality and a society free from judgement and bigotry. Hopefully, the human race will one day get over its fear of the different and outdated beliefs many still seem to cling to as the status quo. Hopefully.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Shon Faye, and the publisher, Penguin, for this opportunity.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was, as the author said, not written for trans (binary or non) people, although they’re more than welcome to read it, or for bigoted transphobes either; but rather for the average cis (mostly white) British person. As the title suggests, this is an argument for justice, NOT just equality, because:

“The liberation of trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society. I say ‘liberation’ because I believe that the humbler goals of ‘trans rights’ or ‘trans equality’ are insufficient. Trans people should not aspire to be equals in a world that remains both capitalist and patriarchal and which exploits and degrades those who live in it. Rather, we ought to seek justice – for ourselves and others alike.”

This book then takes a deeply intersectional approach to the ‘transgender issue’, meaning one that is necessarily anti-capitalist, anti-imperialist, anti-colonialist, anti-racist, abolitionist, feminist, and anti-ableist. This was done very well and therefore, the book points out to its target audience how crucial it is to take into account, when advocating for trans liberation, all intersecting systems of oppression that shape one’s experience of being trans. Given its humble size (less than 300 pages), the reader will be surprised by how much research,most notably on queer history, is packed into this book – which puts things in their socio-politico-historical context and helps the reader understand why things are the way they are in contemporary Britain. This is a brilliant example to be followed by other activists in the future.

Chapter 1: Trans Life Now

Rejecting the mainstream liberal approach to trans issues which focuses on the notion of freedom with a non-intersectional approach, Shon Faye in contrast focuses foremost on the material condition of trans people in the UK, including pressing issues such as the condition of trans children, school bullying, family rejection, homelessness among trans youth, domestic and sexual violence, discriminations in health care service,...

Liberation of trans people cannot be achieved by asking for ‘tolerance’ or ‘acceptance’ from cis people but by addressing and fixing the dire material condition that threatens, silences, hurts and kills trans people everyday. Intersectionality will also be non-negotiable since “It cannot be emphasized enough that the political demands of trans people align with those of disabled people, migrants, people with mental illnesses, LGB people and ethnic minorities (and, needless to say, trans people can be found within all of these groups)”

Chapter 2: Right and Wrong Bodies

This chapter focuses on trans health care, which – unlike what cis people, with their obsession with trans bodies, usually wrongly assume – is much more than just transitioning but also includes routine health matters, mental health issues, sexual health access, fertility and even palliative care.

Faye goes through the history of the trans health care system (focusing on the UK), which did not emerge from any desire to empower trans people and is rather more about “tying up the loose ends of binary gender in a society where some people’s lives seemed to threaten such a notion”. The author proceeds to explain why the UK’s trans health care system is so far behind that in the US, Canada and other European countries. (Here, I highly recommend Abigail Thorn’s video on the NHS for even more information). Exploring all the flaws of this system, the author concludes that “Trans healthcare must be revolutionized urgently” and suggests changes to be done: replacing centralized model of the NHS with a more flexible one, a change in the culture of trans health care, replacing the psychiatric model of assessing and diagnosis with multiple options of elective therapy and counseling for those who want it, trans health care services outside of transitioning,...

Chapter 3: Class Struggle

“To be trans is an experience bound up with economic struggle. There cannot be one without the other.” Just like the majority of the population, most trans people are working-class (but usually working lower income jobs than cis counterparts); yet, the trans liberation struggle is represented as bourgeois and anti-working class.

In this chapter, Faye talks about trans people’s class struggle and how the intersection of these 2 systems of oppression (further complicated by racism, misogyny, ableism,...) create enormous challenges to trans people, especially those of the working class. Those who fight for trans liberation must reject the mainstream white-collar trans social liberalism which, though “presented as emancipatory, creates boundaries of acceptability: trans people and their political demands are acceptable only insofar as accepting them allows better participation in the capitalist system.” And as the author emphasized in the conclusion: “There can be no trans liberation under capitalism. This is a fact.”

Chapter 4: Sex Sells

“Globally, trans sex workers make up 62 per cent of all trans murder victims, where the victim’s profession is known. In Europe, this rises to 88 per cent.” The “transgender issue” therefore is closely linked to sex workers’ issues. To liberate trans people, one cannot ignore sex workers, among whom trans people are overrepresented compared to cis people regardless of gender.

The author adopts a pro-sex-worker position, as opposed to anti-prostitution feminists in the UK: the argument for pro-sex-worker trans politics “isn’t intended as a moral absolution of the client or unethical industry practices; it isn’t concerned with morality at all. Rather, it recognizes that trans sex workers exist in a society in which money is necessary for survival, and that sex work is one of a limited number of options available to the marginalized in this society – and so, regardless of any condemnation or criminalization of clients, trans sex workers will still need to sell sex. Accepting this reality turns the focus from ‘ending demand’ for sexual services, to harm-reduction for the worker.”

Faye advocates for full decriminalization of sex work (akin to New Zealand’s model but with its limits addressed and resolved), and NOT legalization (like in Germany or the countries that adopted the Nordic model). The author goes into details in explaining what each of these big scary terms mean and why decriminalization is the way to go instead of legalization. [Check out Abigail Thorn’s video on Sex Work to learn more]

Chapter 5: The State

This chapter is mostly about the police and the prison system.

Faye talks about the history of the antagonism between the queer community and the police in the UK. The police is historically and currently still an institution that is inherently oppressive to gender-variant people. Many things have changed for the better since then, the police are no longer raiding bars, looking for queer people to arrest and are much more tolerant of queer people now compared to the past. However, the police is to be questioned, since it’s still currently harming the trans community, especially those of non-white background or are migrants. “Ultimately, the new-found relationship between the police and trans people in the twenty-first century is based on supplication, not solidarity.”

“Even if some aspects of day-to-day interaction between individual trans people and individual officers in local communities can be improved by greater awareness of trans issues within the police, full reconciliation between trans liberation and policing is impossible, because the police still function as the arm of a larger machine of criminal justice that cannot now and will never easily accommodate many trans people.”

But nowhere is the fact above more obvious than in the prison system. Trans women are placed in men’s prisons and trans men in women’s prisons. Trans women are especially more likely to be sexually abused and victims of crimes both outside and inside the prison system. Yet the narrative of trans women being predators to cis women in prisons is running amok.

Attempts to accommodate trans prisoners failed on many fronts: not all trans (wo)men want to move to (wo)men’s prisons (usually because it means they will be separated from their family, sometimes their prisoner friends), not taking into account non-binary people, the ‘trans wings’ which proved to be ineffective and harmful in some cases,…

“To truly make all prisoners safer and reduce harm we must move beyond narratives which see transphobia as a bug in the system to be resolved and start to understand that the system itself is broken.”

Faye explains why the movement for trans liberation must be anti-prison. The arguments Faye makes are similar to that made by Angela Davis in “Are Prisons Obsolete?” namely, if we are to fight for a post-patriarchal, post-capitalist, post-white-supremacy society, the prison system must be abolished since it functions as a highly effective tool to maintain and reinforce capitalism, patriarchy and white supremacy. Faye explores how in the prison system, these 3 systems of oppression work together to create a living hell for trans prisoners.

The author also lays out the 5 stages our society could move through to diminish the function and power of prisons in our society, taken from “Instead of Prisons: A Handbook for Abolitionists”. She encourages feminist and LGBTQIA+ organizations to incorporate this outline into their politics.
Another form of the prison system is the detention camps or centers which are basically prisons if you’re a migrant. These detention centers are brutal for trans migrants. Trans communities and our allies here and everywhere should fight for our siblings who face state violence and systemic transphobia in all its forms.

Chapter 6: Kissing Cousins: The T in LGBT

The author tells the history of the queer community, showing us that historically, even in the mid-to-late 20th century, the frontiers between the letters aren’t clear at all or even almost non-existent.

However in recent years, “Even if a tiny proportion of LGB people are willing to team up with right-wing homophobes to oppose trans civil rights, it only takes a handful of committed LGB people wilfully perpetuating these negative narratives for them to become normalized. Such narratives are then taken up by political conservatives and far-right voices, whose ultimate goal is the dismantling of all LGBTQ+ rights because of their profound disgust for us all.”

“Together, an LGBTQ+ coalition with class consciousness and anti-racism at its core must recover its radicalism and reaffirm its opposition to capitalism and patriarchy. Infighting and division are in the interests of our right-wing oppressors. [...] Misogyny, homophobia and transphobia share much of the same DNA. To the patriarchy, we all do gender wrong”

Chapter 7: The Ugly Sister: Trans people in Feminism

So, this is what you came here for. The question everybody is dying to ask: Why are some strains of current British feminism so uniquely transphobic? The answer is, as to many questions, multi-faceted: the unique traditionalism of the British press which has made effort to normalize anti-trans feminism in Britain, but also because, as Sophie Lewis observed, “middle- and upper-class white feminists have not received the pummelling from black and indigenous feminists that their American counterparts have, and thus their perspectives retain a credibility and a level of influence in Britain”

Faye debunks the transphobic argument from “gender critical feminists” on a clear straightforward definition of a man and a woman based on biological sex. She concludes that the “gender critical” idea is an oversimplification.

“Whichever way you look at it, the debate among cisgender feminists about whether or not trans women are to be included in both the definition of woman and the feminist movement still primarily envisions feminism as a project owned by cis women. In this vision, trans people are positioned either negatively, as impostors, or positively, as welcome guests.”

“The existence of trans women complicates cis feminism, and such complexity can only be erased by seeing the struggle as primarily about cis women fighting oppression by cis men. The reality, I would argue, is this: not only do trans people need feminism, but feminism also needs trans people.”

“Transfeminism is a term used to describe a collection of perspectives on feminism that centre the experiences of trans people. This perspective recognizes trans people as a group who, like cis women, suffer greatly at the hands of patriarchy, which punishes us for transgressing the roles laid out for us from birth. It is not a rival movement to other forms of feminism, nor is it a subdivision. It is a specific approach to feminist thought and organizing that begins with trans experience, rather than seeking to slot trans people into a cis feminist theory that is often articulated without us in mind.”

Shon Faye discusses how TERFism (my term, not hers) viewed trans women, trans men and non-binary people. She pointed out many second-wave radical feminists who have, since their time, supported trans (binary or non) people, especially trans women and who recognize the mutable aspect of sex and gender.

Faye did not even a single time cite Judith Butler or other theorists with radical ideas about gender but mostly second-wave radical feminists. One because she wants to show the reader that most second-wave radical feminists, despite having some major transphobic figures among them (yup Germaine Greer), aren’t transphobic bigots like J. K. Rowling.

Two, because : “Trans people do not all have radical ideas about gender: most will have ideas that are no more and no less binary, reductive, stereotypical and antifeminist than the cis people around them. The demand that trans people all have radical analyses of gender can itself be a form of transphobia, because we do not hold cis people to this standard. [...] Theory is important: it shapes our society, whether or not we engage with it intellectually, which is why I’ve discussed it extensively here. But theory should only ever play second fiddle to the practical work of movement-building, resource-allocation, care and solidarity. Political coalitions rarely achieve full mutual understanding of every facet of one another’s reality. Rather, they are practical collaborations based on shared goals.” Cis women don’t need to understand gender theory to stand tall with their trans siblings; rather, they only need to recognize that they share the same goals and enemies as trans people and work together to build a better society.

Chapter 8: Conclusion: A Transformed Future

This chapter is a call for actions from the author’s comrades in the UK but also her hope for the trans liberation struggle:

“My hope wrote this book, and, while I have used the language and conceptual tools of structural politics and collective action, the thing that will liberate trans people is our shared hope for a better world. Hope is part of the human condition and trans people’s hope is our proof that we are fully human.

We are not an ‘issue’ to be debated and derided. We are symbols of hope for many non-trans people, too, who see in our lives the possibility of living more fully and freely. That is why some people hate us: they are frightened by the gleaming opulence of our freedom. Our existence enriches this world.”

An absolute must-read. This book is much much more than this summary, of course.

[Kara Babcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book I have been waiting for. I don’t just mean in the sense that I pre-ordered it (though I did); I mean that I am very much interested in books about trans liberation as opposed to personal memoirs. I know Shon Faye’s The Transgender Issue is far from the first book on this subject. However, it is current and cogent. In her prologue, Faye makes the case clearly:

The demand for true trans liberation echoes and overlaps with the demands of workers, socialists, feminists, anti-racists and queer people. They are radical demands, in that they go to the root of what our society is and what it could be. For this reason, the existence of trans people is a source of constant anxiety for many who are either invested in the status quo or fearful about what would replace it.

(Emphasis original.)

Faye goes on, in the introduction, to explain why The Transgender Issue is not a memoir:

While the trans memoir has been important in destigmatizing and demystifying trans people’s understanding of themselves, confession and candour ought not to be the only basis for trans people’s right to public and political speech.… You don’t have to know the intimate details of my private life to support me.

Such a good point. I do enjoy a good memoir and will certainly seek out more memoirs by trans people, especially trans people who experience marginalizations I don’t share. At the end of the day, however, if all you’re doing is reading personal stories in an attempt to build empathy, you are stopping short of the true goal—liberation. I want books that build political cases for reorganizing our society.

This is the thesis of The Transgender Issue, and Faye challenges both trans and cis people to understand: liberating trans people involves reimagining society itself. Addressing transphobia and other systemic barriers means addressing racism and white supremacy, poverty, ableism, and ageism. It means building a society that is more compassionate, more dignified, more willing to listen to those on the margins. Faye points out that trans people like ourselves, who are white and well-educated, can fall prey to a liberal view of trans inclusivity—one that focuses on acceptance on an individualized basis, the proper use of one’s name and pronouns, etc. This individualized approach to reducing transphobia is inherently limited.

Faye focuses on three main areas: autonomy as it applies to trans healthcare, issues of class and race that exacerbate the struggles of trans people, and the relationship between trans people and other queer and feminist movements. In each chapter, Faye integrates both historical and contemporary sources, taking on issues such as the transphobic nature of UK journalism and media and the history of trans inclusion/exclusion within queer and feminist spaces.

With regards to trans healthcare, my heart goes out to trans people in the UK. I got so angry reading about how difficult it is to access hormone therapy through public healthcare—the waiting lists are years in length and replete in traumatizing red tape. For trans kids, acquiring puberty blockers is even more fraught. Thankfully, one part of this book is already out of date—the Court of Appeal reversed a judgment that resulted in the NHS no longer allowing those under 18 to give informed consent to puberty blockers. On a wider note, Faye asserts correctly that trans healthcare is far more than access to hormones and surgeries. There are reproductive right considerations (both because, in many countries, trans people have historically been forcibly sterilized, and hormone therapy in general tends to result in infertility). There are mental healthcare considerations. Trans healthcare must be holistic, yet the interminable gatekeeping, the casting of doubt and shame, the refusal in some cases even to acknowledge our existence—it all adds up to a severely harmful and damaging system.

Intersections of class and race, as I have already outlined, mean that trans people who experience additional marginalizations often find themselves without proper access to supportive social services. Faye touches on issues with the carceral system, with victim support services, and with housing services. Often trans people must choose between being themselves or accessing a service they need or otherwise live in constant fear of violence and discrimination. It’s not good times.

Finally, Faye turns to a broader consideration of trans people as a political category and how that intersects with queer politics and feminist politics. Rather than retread and refute the various arguments that transphobic and trans-exclusionary people make, Faye asks us to get down to the basics of the goals of feminism and queer liberation. In particular, I was very grateful that Faye acknowledges how white supremacy and colonialism are involved:

Female socialization may well describe a collection of experiences that some types of women share in common — but at a global level it is clear that the cultural expectation of what it is to be a woman, and how these expectations are imposed, vary significantly. The same expectations are applied to different women in different ways under a capitalist class system in which some women are racialized as inferior and exploited more readily for their labour. In reality, the ongoing predominance of white, middle-class and cisgender women in feminism means that any global definition of womanhood is often simply an extrapolation of these women’s particular racial and class experience, as if it were universal.

This echoes what I learned from Ruby Hamad’s White Tears/Brown Scars about how white women prop up white supremacy (and, by extension, patriarchy). Faye goes on to point out that enforcing a gender binary is just another way that colonialism can exert control over people. First, it’s so important that this is being mentioned in a book by a white author—we need more trans people of colour writing, of course, and those of us who are white need to acknowledge how white supremacy underlies our own oppression even while we simultaneously benefit from it. Second, this is why your feminism must be trans-inclusive or it is bullshit. If feminism is a project to liberate all women, then it cannot use a definition of womanhood created by primarily white, middle-class and upper-class women.

The Transgender Issue is very UK-focused (intentionally so). The specific stats and situations might not be the same outside the UK, but the overall ideas Faye discusses are sadly familiar to me. The struggle for trans liberation might look different in different parts of the world, but the theme is the same: we need to go beyond the basics of gender 101, using the correct pronouns, etc. and actively challenge the gender binary and the assumptions we all make about gender on a daily basis.

I would love for any cis person who needs more details on these issues to read this book. It can be a lot at points (at least it was for me) in terms of emotions. But it is so, so vital that cis people take the time to educate themselves on the systemic barriers trans people experience every day. I pray for the day that my transness is both unremarkable and also not an afterthought, the day when I can call customer service and not get called “sir” five seconds into the call, the day when we are all free to be who we are without assumptions or judgment. But until that happens, at least I can read thoughtful and essential books like The Transgender Issue, and I hope you do to. Understand that supporting trans people is more than shouting “trans women are women” (though I do appreciate that). It’s about confronting the very real discrimination that exists throughout our society, and using any power you have to tear it down in the name of a better future.

Originally posted on Kara.Reviews, where you can easily browse all my reviews and subscribe to my newsletter.

[Meghan Betts · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really expecting (and wanting) to love this book and be writing a 5-star review right now. However, although there is no doubt that Shon has dedicated a lot of time and effort in writing a well-researched and extensive account of "The Transgender Issue", for me the writing style was a huge letdown that meant much of the important and vital information was lost. Compared with other books I've read on similar themes, it felt very academic, full of jargon and with questionable flow.

The main exceptions for me were the discussions around the ineffective prison system and the discourse within feminism and the LGBTQ+ community, which in general felt more engaging.

For such an important topic, i would prefer to see a more accessible analysis that allows people of all different backgrounds to read and understand.
Nonetheless, given the many 5-star reviews, i recognise that perhaps i was just not in the right head space for this book at this time, and perhaps returning to it again in a few years time will give a different perspective. Either way, I'm looking forward to discussing it at my next book club!

[Mansoor · Rating 1 out of 5]

با این‌که در لیبرال دموکراسی‌های غربی فرد و احساسات و تجربیات و هویت شخصی این‌قدر برجسته شده‌اند، تناقض سرسام‌آور آن است که حضور پلیس اخلاقی و ارشادگران در صحنه‌ی فرهنگی و اجتماعی مدام گسترده‌تر می‌شود

نویسنده مدعی است زنانی که به ورود ترنس‌ها در فضاهای زنانه معترضند، در واقع دارند آب به آسیاب مردسالاری و زن‌ستیزی می‌ریزند. آیا او لحظه‌ای پیش خودش فکر کرده که اگر زن‌ستیزی و مردسالاری مصداقی داشته باشد، همان اشغال فضاهای امن زنانه توسط ترنس‌ها (مردها)ست؟

سیاست هویت‌زده، در اصل، نماینده‌ی دیگری است از سیاست رمانتیک که قرن‌ بیستمی‌ها با گوشت و پوست خود لمسش کرده بودند. منتها سیاست هویت‌زده‌ی امروز، برخلاف ایدئولوژی‌های قرن بیستمی، به دنبال توجیه آموزه‌های خود و متقاعد کردن دیگران به پذیرش آنها نیست. در عوض می‌گوید هرکس هویت خودخوانده‌ی من را نپذیرد، مرا آزار داده و حقوق و چه بسا انسانیت مرا پایمال کرده. بحث و گفتگو هم صرفا آسیب‌رسان است. سیاست هویت‌زده معتقد است سپهر عمومی عرصه‌ی پرخطری است که باید به شدت کنترل و محدود شود و این کار فقط از عهده‌ی اکتیویست‌های ارشادگر برمی‌آید. این یعنی سیاست رمانتیک در رادیکال‌ترین و خطرناک‌ترین شکلش

[l · Rating 1 out of 5]

intellectually dishonest, can't read this.

faye criticizes someone for conflating trans children with trans adults, but then does a similar slippage - stating critics of mermaids refer to it as a 'child sex change charity', then stating that prior to puberty, it only helps children socially transition. well, children post-puberty are still children. also mermaid promotes children going on puberty blockers, which according to the keira bell judgement, are a clear pathway to taking cross-sex hormones.

found a few other similar examples of this and i didn't get far into it.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the passage I always meant to highlight in my review:

"The liberation of trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society. I say 'liberation' because I believe the humbler goals of 'trans rights' or 'trans equality' are insufficient. Trans people should not aspire to be equals in a world that remains both capitalist and patriarchal and which exploits and degrades those who live in it. Rather, we ought to seek justice - for ourselves and others alike . . . Full autonomy over our bodies, free and universal healthcare, affordable housing for all, power in the hands of those who work rather than those privileged few who extract profit from our vastly inequitable system, sexual freedom (including freedom from sexual violence) and the end to the mass incarceration of human beings are all crucial ingredients in the construction of a society in which trans people are no longer abused, mistreated, or subjected to violence. Such systemic changes would also particularly benefit everyone else forced to the margins of society, both in the UK and across the world."

And these are the passages that I want to highlight three days after a person walked into a queer bar in Colorado Springs and murdered five people, including two trans people:

"Moral panics rely on the inherent paradox: that the rights of a small minority of the population wielding little institutional power are in fact a risk to the majority. This is achieved by inciting in the population a mixture of moral disgust and anxiety about contagion. The problem group may be small now, but they will grow. They will grow by encouraging confused young people to join. For sexual minorities, this narrative of recruitment lends itself to the language of seduction and abuse, which helps direct the moral disgust society feels at paedophilia on to an innocent group. It is a shameful but highly effective propaganda tool."

"The simple moral case for resisting transphobia as a form of cruelty should be enough for anyone who has been similarly victimized by society (as cisgender lesbians, gay men and bisexual people have all been in one way or another) to stand with us in solidarity. Yet it should also be a matter of self-interest. The world in which trans people's rights are restricted relies on narratives of dehumanization and myths of sexual predation. Restricting trans people's rights relies on policing other people's gendered appearance in toilets and changing rooms by arbitrating on who looks males or female enough, and by punishing deviation from rigid norms with intimidation and violence . . . These traumatic experiences affect all 'queers' whether cis or trans. Advocating for them in any form for any letter will inevitably normalize their use against everyone judged queer. Politically, it is a gift to fascists at a time of growing far-right sentiment in Europe and North America alike."

I'd argue that it is even more the prerogative of cis people to avoid being gifts to fascists by pushing back on transphobia in all its forms, whether it's the rhetoric that trans people are pedophiles and groomers or those insinuous, soft ball "just asking questions" NYT think pieces; it's all dehumanization, and a society dehumanizes a group of people on its way to one horrible end only.

[Brittany (whatbritreads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was absolutely brilliant and if you’re looking for your next piece of non-fiction that tackles the real issues that are affecting the lives of trans people every day, this is an amazing eye opener.

From the get go, this was brilliantly written, well researched and beautifully put together. I love a nonfiction book that also has a little bit of the author's heart into it, you can feel how passionate they are about what they’re writing just seeping through the pages. You can also get glimpses into their personality and their humour while reading snippets, this did that perfectly. Faye is brilliant at what she does and this book really worked for me, I’m glad it was recommended to me.

This book will go into issues you didn’t even realise were issues. It highlighted so many things to me and brought forward so many conversations to the forefront of my mind. I thought I was pretty clued up about trans issues but it turns out my ignorance was pretty obvious the deeper I got into it. It had topics and cross sections between the topics and it delved into how other aspects of a person's identity can also interact with all of these factors. It felt like an extremely thorough and fair examination of the current state of affairs when it comes to the lives of trans people.

It was really good. Sometimes I did get a little bit lost in a whirlwind of tangents the narrative sometimes took but for the most part followed closely. There were also some issues I had with the pacing at times and it did get a little difficult to push forward but I still really enjoyed it. An important and very relevant read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vital reading for cis allies looking to better understand and equip ourselves with the history and knowledge to work towards trans liberation in the UK. As well as a profound statement on the importance of LGBQ+ solidarity with trans people's rights across healthcare, labour movements, feminism, prison abolition, sex workers rights and education. Readable, informative and most importantly hopeful.

[Amelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have increasingly mixed feelings about this book. Shon Faye, I believe, wrote this in nothing but good faith and a desire to structure a well-thought out argument regarding trans rights. There were many things that I agreed with--the fact that trans people deserve housing, access to food and transportation, job security, access to jobs with higher wages, health care and mental health care. These are things everybody deserves, and no human being should be without these. Trans people also deserve a like-minded community. But...

And oh, is it a big but.

But, there are multiple spots where Faye's argument doesn't stand on its own two feet. I appreciate nonetheless Faye's willingness to discuss these topics, and overall, I think it's a fascinating read. The reason this book ultimately gets 2 stars from me, an "It's okay" rating, is simply because the basis of Faye's argument, the final chapter, does not follow logically. We'll get to the final chapter later. And in all transparency, the below quotes were the ones that made me go, "Huh??" So. That being said, let's dive in.

Faye states near the beginning that, "Such debates [gender neutral pronouns, dysphoric children, toilets, women's sports] are time-consuming, exhausting distractions from what we should really be focusing on: the material ways in which we are oppressed." I don't disagree with Faye. Topics such as pronouns and whether gender=sex do prevent the larger, more important conversation of ensuring housing security and job security, to name a few. However, radical feminists would argue exactly the same thing, right down to the final sentiment: topics such as pronouns, what-about-the-children, and sports expend energy into distracting us from how we are oppressed--our sex. We instead must discuss what is a woman and are met frequently with purposefully obtuse responses. If we cannot define what a woman is, we cannot discuss the material--biologically physical--ways in which we're oppressed.

Later, Faye pulls an extremely smart move and uses a Dworkin quote about how we only use male/female and man/woman because we don't have words for what exists out there in our bodies and society. However, we have the word trans woman, for example, to denote a male person who has transitioned (or is in the process of transitioning) to be perceived as a woman. So, in arguing that trans women are women, and trans women are female, Faye's use of Dworkin's quote no longer holds up. We are now just using the same terminology instead of creating terminology to better identify the ways gender and sex intersect.

Faye also makes an incredible point regarding medical transphobia--or at the very least, misguidance. To paraphrase, cis society forced trans people into a specific box both medically and socially. This resulted in mockery towards trans people when they tried to fit into this box. Perhaps, Faye argues, if they had not been forced into these boxes in the first place, the resulting mockery would not have happened. Faye also argues that trans people challenge the gender/sex binary and shakes it to its core. But trans people--not all, but a large portion--rely upon passing through means of surgery and beauty rituals. Facial feminization surgery. Breast implants. Phalloplasty. Make-up. Hair dye. Wigs. Hyperfeminine clothes. This is not Faye arguing here, but the community at large when I say that the trans women community says that these hyperfeminine signals are required in order to secure their place in womanhood, which is completely opposed to the radical feminist argument that none of these things are necessary for a woman to be a woman. In fact, these surgeries and rituals only serve to financially and physically impede us. Therefore, trans women in performing these rituals are not expanding the boxes. In fact, they seem quite content to fit into the very mold from which women are trying to break free.

Later, Faye states, "In South Africa, ... trans men have -- like butch lesbians -- been subjected to so-called 'corrective' rape: a use of rape as punishment for gender deviance intended to force them 'back' into being (heterosexual) women." Here, then, it sounds like Faye is stating that rape is used as a punishment largely towards female people. That trans men, butch lesbians, and even cis women all have something in common that is used as punishment as means of correction.

This is interesting considering Faye argues, "[Whiteness and unexamined colonialism of mainstream UK feminism] reinforce the central belief of most anti-trans feminism: that women are a global 'sex class' of everyone who shares female biology (including trans men and non-binary people born with vaginas and uteri), who are all raised as girls in a similar way (usually termed 'female socialization') and then have a particular experience in common that no cis man and no trans woman could ever access, having been born into the other, dominant, 'sex class'." So, it sounds like men of color--regardless of whiteness and colonialism, which is a vaguely racist claim that posits people of color didn't know what sex was nor how they culturally profited or suffered from it--know who to correctively rape, just as how white men knew who to correctively rape in predominantly white countries. It's almost like there is a global sex class, but Faye clearly does not wish to admit this.

This is also ignoring the fact that Faye clearly doesn't understand what socialization is. 50% of all cultures has the possibility of bearing children, and the way that their role in their culture/society/country depends upon their biology. Whether or not they do bear children is an entirely other thing--I am simply stating here that women (ie female people), or however they are referred to in other cultures, uphold certain roles. This may be in the form of gatherer, warrior, ruler, helper, or whatever the culture may ask of women in that society. But they would not ask this of men, because they have a different role.

And still regarding trans men, Faye assures us that trans women do not speak over trans men: "To use trans women's commodification and objectification in the media ... to suggest that trans women speak over, control or 'dominate' trans men is misogyny." Certainly, the commodification and objectification is stereotyping and terrible, but...where are the trans men agreeing with you? Right about now, a quotation would be helpful.

Additionally, Faye offers us this fantastic quote: "Dismantling patriarchy requires a full analysis of all the ways it manifests itself." Yes! Agreed! However...how are you analyzing the way you fit within the patriarchy? How do you justify the ways in which the trans community has used postmodernism to essentially decry definitions that we use in order to discuss our oppression and liberation? How do you reckon with the fact that you are pushing for surgeries that further force women into hyperfeminine boxes? And, for surgeries that are actually subtly racist (how many women have gotten a rhinoplasty to look more Middle Eastern?)? And, how do you reckon with the fact that feminists fight against sex-based oppression and you say that sex and gender are the same, so that male-bodied people are actually the same as women? Or how by saying that (trans) men also can get pregnant, you are inviting cis men into the conversation and allowing them a platform to denounce female health care, abortion, and reproductive justice?

But of course, we must center trans women in all things, all the time: "Understanding that patriarchy polices and punishes trans women with the same weapons it forged to punish women generally is crucial to understanding why feminism needs trans women's perspective to succeed."

WHAT?? So our experiences of and activism against these weapons forged to punish women must rely upon trans women's help? Are you kidding me? This is insulting. We know what we're dealing with better than you. Plastic surgeons CHOOSE to target women, selling them ugliness to force them to buy beauty. Trans women CHOOSE to get these surgeries. Women HATE getting cat called. Trans women find this AFFIRMING. Women going shopping for clothes that are lower-quality, have less fabric, and more expensive is just a day-to-day necessity. For trans women, this is EUPHORIC. You claim to know our struggles but you love them. You think that they're fucking fun.

And now, Faye says, "...it is safe to say that trans women as a group are either subject to misogyny in one form or another, or are at perpetual risk of being so." Compare this, again, to where Faye states, "...[UK feminism] reinforce[s] the central belief of most anti-trans feminism: that women are a global 'sex class' of everyone who shares female biology ..., who are all raised as girls in a similar way ... and thus have a particular experience in common." So trans women as a group--everyone who shares male biology but chooses to identify as a woman--all have something in common. But female people don't, and to suggest that they do is somehow eurocentric, colonial, and racist. Right.

And, it takes Faye until the final fifty pages of the book to define terms such as "woman" and "female". These definitions take up more than a page. These are terms that should have been defined in the introduction or first chapter for ease of understanding, for the sake of argument. Obviously, our definitions are different, and I as someone who knows about this topic knows the difference, but to someone less well-versed, this assumes a lack of sociological education, knowledge in this topic, and preys upon it. Faye also spends less than a paragraph defining "man" or "male". So once again, this is about taking up women's spaces and redefining our words rather than redefining sex and gender as a whole.

Faye also wonders, "The debate over someone like Beth Elliott or me being offered a platform at specific events may well speak to profound feminist anxieties: 'What is a woman?', 'How and why are women oppressed?', 'What is the purpose of feminism?'" These aren't anxieties. We can answer these questions easily. They're anxieties to YOU because you don't actually understand what radical feminists are fighting for.

In trying to pull at our heartstrings, "...for some cisgender women (and men), feminism was a justification for smears, abuse and cruelty, purely because I had been born with XY chromosomes." But honestly, tell this to every woman also on the internet who've been told to choke on girldick because they dare question this ideology. Also, it's typically been people with XY chromosomes preventing women from getting their rights...but of course, you're not like other XYs. How many rape and death threats has JK Rowling gotten for just writing an essay? Where are the rape and death threats to the actual politicians who are making these bills? To Graham Lineham? To the MEN who are doing the raping and murdering of trans people? Because yeah, JK Rowling is a feminist, but everyone else who is doing actual real, physical harm aren't.

In continuing to try to argue against biological essentialism (which, radical feminists do too, by the way): "I believe most people, including feminists, would intuitively decide to momentarily leave a child, if absolutely necessary, in the care of a stranger they perceive as a woman rather than a stranger they perceive as a man. I would argue that this gut feeling--'the woman is a safer bet'--arises from a deep-seated cultural idea that women are more likely to be kind, nurturing and capable with children and less likely than men to be risky, harmful, or predatory. Yet is is a judgement that, on the spur of the moment, would be made solely based on observable physical traits, and would incorporate some pretty regressive gender stereotypes about women being 'natural' caregivers purely because of their physical appearance."

90% of homicides worldwide are committed by males. 99% of perpetrators of rape are male. 96% of DV perpetrators are male. So excuse us for not trusting someone we don't know or don't think is a woman. It's not that we think women are just oh-so-caring, it's that we have a significantly less chance of murdering, abusing, or raping someone. This isn't a cis-women's problem. It's a MALE VIOLENCE ISSUE. You want women to trust men? Make men be better.

Continuing Faye's train of thought, "Feminism, though, ought always to interrogate biological essentialism ... The idea that anyone born with a penis is inherently more aggressive or violent because they have a penis is an anti-feminist idea: it actually suggests that male violence is linked to biological 'essence' and is therefore inevitable, immutable, perhaps not even truly men's fault."

Again, this is interesting considering Faye doesn't seem to believe in socialization: "[Whiteness and unexamined colonialism of mainstream UK feminism] reinforce the central belief of most anti-trans feminism: that women are a global 'sex class' of everyone who shares female biology (including trans men and non-binary people born with vaginas and uteri), who are all raised as girls in a similar way (usually termed 'female socialization') and then have a particular experience in common that no cis man and no trans woman could ever access, having been born into the other, dominant, 'sex class'."

So which is it? Faye says socialization doesn't exist, but it makes Faye upset that male-bodied people are perceived as violent on account of their male bodies. Yet male people are the most violent. It seems like Faye is trying to say "not all men". Faye also says that women aren't inherently nurturing. Which, women have been saying this forever. But we also don't commit 90+% of all violent crimes. So it seems that radical feminists are just relying upon pattern observations and that there is real socialization happening, because of socialization weren't real, women would be equal-opportunist-violent-crime-committers. But we aren't. So maybe, women are socialized to be less violent and angry and men are socialized to go ballistic the moment they hear the word "no".

There were so many good points: that biology does not determine what someone will be like. That trans people deserve access to income and housing and food and community. That there is a root to so many of these problems--the bathroom debate, sports, shelter access--but Faye doesn't actually seem concerned about all this, in the end. Faye instead seems more preoccupied with putting women in their place and telling us to shut up and sit down and let trans women do the talking because they know so much more about oppression after living as male and reaping the benefits (that they're oh so sad about :( ) for decades of their lives. Just...come on.

Has Faye ever actually talked to a real feminist? Not the kind that buys tote bags with cute sayings on it? Has Faye looked at the trans women on Twitter? Or tried to argue against their desire to shove girldick down women's--not people's, but women's--throats? Has Faye looked at the violence trans people want to perpetrate against women? Because it's not eurocentric. It's not just "terf island" that's perpetrating this. It's South American women. It's African women. It's Asian women. It seems that for the most part, it's white trans women who cannot comprehend that you cannot identify outside of FGM or menstruating huts or corrective rape.

This book had a lot of potential, but it's mostly just hugely insulting.

[Anya Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not usually interested in non-fiction, but this is one of the best books I've ever read.

Seriously.

Shon Faye tackles the very real and serious issues that trans people have faced historically and still face today, and brilliantly explains how liberation for trans people would improve the lives of everyone in our society.

Faye's writing is engaging, well explained and clearly heavily researched. It's what I would class as pretty much perfect.

This book made me thing more about the struggles transgender people face and about how I, myself, as a cis woman, can be a better ally to trans people.

I highly recommend this to everyone, definitely one of my top reads of 2022.

[Raül De Tena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Creo sinceramente que la tarea de reseñar un libro como “Trans” de Shon Faye hay que abordarla con una honestidad brutal que empiece por dejar al descubierto el hecho de que no existe la objetividad en la mirada de ningún lector (y mucho menos en la de ningún periodista). Un manuscrito tan político y radical como este no puede (ni debe) ser leído con ánimo neutral y, por lo tanto, lo mejor que puede hacer quien pretenda reseñarlo es arrancar dejando bien claro cuál es su propio termómetro ideológico para evitar así cualquier tipo de malentendido o lectura errónea.

En mi caso, he de decir que mi punto de partida ante este tipo de ensayos siempre es el mismo: leerlo sin prejuicios. Ni para bien ni para mal. Esto quiere decir que, por ejemplo, siendo yo un hombre gay cis blanco, he leído con prejuicios (para bien) el “No Estamos Tan Bien” de Rubén Serrano, pero he acabado por disentir por completo al parecerme un discurso demasiado abonado al victimismo y poco interesado en el planteamiento de soluciones concretas y realistas. También he intentado leer a Ana Iris Simón sin prejuicios (para mal) pero he acabado literalmente enfadado por cómo la autora alimenta una visión retrógrada que defiende el patriarcado (y otras cosas peores). E incluso he leído sin prejuicios (de ningún tipo) el “Lenguaje Incluso y Exclusión de Clase” de Brigitte Vasallo y he acabado completamente rendido ante la idea de que toda revolución (ya sea por la inclusividad o por cualquier otra lucha) debe ser, antes que nada, una revolución contra el capitalismo.

Mis cartas ya están sobre la mesa. Y, de hecho, he de reconocer que, si “Trans” de Shon Faye vibra en sintonía con alguna de estas cartas es, sin lugar a dudas, con la de Vasallo. Ambas parten de la que, a mi entender, es la única forma de enfocar este tipo de luchas: la intención final nunca debe ser la normalización y tolerancia por parte del sistema (capitalista), sino desactivar y desmembrar este sistema que se ha demostrado profundamente fallido y construir un nuevo sistema que sea mucho más justo para todos. Tal y como reza el subtítulo de este libro: “Un alegato por un mundo más justo y más libre“. Si tú también vibras con esta propuesta, sigue leyendo.

“Trans” se acaba de publicar en España y ya se ha visto marcado a fuego por los inevitables ataques tránsfobos en las redes sociales de la editorial Blackie Books. Tampoco es nada sorprendente: este ensayo ha levantado las mismas ampollas en la sociedad británica donde se ha publicado originalmente. Y el motivo es tan solo que Shon Faye comete el imperdonable pecado de ser una mujer trans hablando de algo tan rupturista como mandar de baretas al sistema heteropatriarcal capitalista y construir un mundo mejor para todos. Ta y como ella misma afirma en la apertura del manuscrito: “La liberación de las personas trans mejoraría las vidas de todo el mundo en nuestra sociedad. Digo «liberación» porque creo que los objetivos de los «derechos trans» y la «igualdad trans», más humildes, son insuficientes. Las personas trans no deberíamos aspirar a ser iguales en un mundo que siga siendo capitalista y patriarcal, y que explote y humille a aquellas personas que vivan en él. En lugar de eso, deberíamos aspirar a la justicia tanta para nosotras como para las demás“.

Desde el principio, Shon Faye advierte que su escritura va a huir precisamente de lo que los medios y el mundo en general espera de este tipo de ensayos: el sensacionalismo de explicar su propia historia de transición con pelos y señales. Su intención es diferente, y pasa inicialmente por ofrecer una visión panorámica realista de lo que significa ser trans en la actualidad. Cada uno de los capítulos del libro se centra en un aspecto concreto de la vida trans, ya sea la convivencia con el cuerpo propio (“Cuerpos correctos y cuerpos equivocados“), la existencia dentro de un sistema de clases capitalista que aboca a las personas trans a la pobreza (“Lucha de clases“), la dificultad en el mercado laboral en general y en el comercio del sexo en concreto (“El comercio del sexo“), la tensión con los organismos estatales y el sistema penitenciario (“El Estado“), la fricción con el resto de la comunidad LGTBIQ+ (“Primos queridos: la T de LGTB“) y, finalmente, la cuestión TERF (“La hermana fea: las personas trans y el feminismo“).

Ahora bien, lo realmente interesante en “Trans” es que Faye no se autolimita al victimismo de representar la vida de las personas trans bajo la luz del fatalismo, sino que más bien pone sobre la mesa un buen puñado de posibles soluciones concretas para todos y cada uno de los problemas que señala. Y todas sus soluciones pueden resumirse en una visión integradora y transversal que insta a pensar que la cuestión trans no es algo único, sino que puede y debe integrarse y hermanarse con muchas otras cuestiones con las que comparte preocupaciones y aspiraciones.

Shon Faye recuerda que, desde el discurso retrógrado, obligar a una minoría a que tenga que probarse a sí misma constantemente es una forma de castrarla. Por poner un ejemplo que reduzca lo dicho a su mínima expresión (pero su máxima potencia): si una persona trans tiene que demostrar continuamente que tiene derecho a existir, no tendrá nunca tiempo para embarcarse en otras luchas mayores. Ahí está la insidiosa razón de ser de la transfobia (y de cualquier otro odio a cualquier otra minoría). Y aquí está la propuesta de Faye: dejar de autojustificarnos y pasar a mayores. Todas unidas.

Tener que justificar tu propia existencia como personas trans te aísla como caso minoritario y te desconecta de otras comunidades que también están aisladas en sus propias luchas. Algunas de esas comunidades incluso acaban siendo deliberadamente excluyentes en sus luchas. Pero lo que hace Shon Faye en “Trans” es precisamente demostrar que todas las luchas trans, las mencionadas en cada capítulo, son parte de otras batallas como las que se luchan contra el racismo, el machismo, la homofobia o la eterna lucha de clases. La táctica de los que odian es clara y sencilla: divide y vencerás. Todas las luchas por separado pierden fuerzas contra el Goliath conservador del status quo. Todas las luchas juntas son el único David con posibilidades de éxito. Y eso es precisamente lo que subraya la autora al demostrar que la lucha trans forma parte de una compleja red de luchas y que, por lo tanto, la solidaridad debería ser algo que se practicara de forma bidireccional: las personas trans no pueden ni deben alienarse de otras luchas y, a la vez, otras luchas no pueden ni deben excluir a las personas trans. Porque todos estamos metidos en la misma mierda.

Pero, ojo, que el pesimismo y la visión derrotista no son admisibles en este ensayo. Porque, en última instancia, ahí está la belleza en un libro como “Trans“: en que es una propuesta radical y rupturista, pero infinitamente empática y, sobre todo, de una belleza sin igual en su fuerte apuesta por la esperanza. A este respecto, ¿para qué voy a cerrar yo esta reseña con mis propias palabras cuando no existe mejor cierre que el broche de oro de las propias palabras de Shon Faye? “Lo que liberará a las personas trans será nuestra esperanza común en un mundo mejor. La esperanza forma parte de la condición humana, y la esperanza de las personas trans es la prueba de que somos completamente humanas. No somos una «cuestión» que haya que debatir y ridiculizar. Somos también símbolos de esperanza para muchas personas que no son trans y que ven en nuestras vidas la posibilidad de vivir más íntegra y libremente. Por eso hay personas que nos odian tienen miedo de la riqueza resplandeciente de nuestra libertad. Nuestra existencia enriquece este mundo“. Amén, hermana.

[Eolann · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I moved to England from Ireland (with a few other places in between) there were some obvious things that struck me about the country right away; better healthcare system, a worse sense of humour, equally wet weather, and the general disruptions from covid and lockdowns that started a little after I arrived.

Aside from these big obvious features, the longer you live in a new country the more you often become slowly attuned to those discrete or idiosyncratic features of the place, which often can be completely unremarkable or naturalised to life long residences, but can strike new comers as being specific to the fabric of the place. For me, one of the things that gradually struck the longer I stayed was how much english media, across TV, newspapers, magazines and twitter, was seemingly obsessed with trans people. The fixation on the topic stretched across political affiliations, from highbrow to tabloid, and recurred endlessly over weeks and months, repeating the same few flash points and arguments. Sometimes it feels like the only two topics that have stretched continously over the period has been covid and alarm around trans people; even the royal family get breaks every once and a while.

The sheer uninterrupted flood of articles and commentary means that there must be a responsive audience eager to click and buy, even though they are strikingly uniform and repetitive; regardless of the platform, the same tone of hostily and paranoia against trans people is almost invariably used. Coming from Ireland, its quite unusual to go to another country and see a media system which seems in any way more conformist and imitative, but in this area the UK manages it. Really in general I wouldn't think of Irish institutions as vessels of radical subversion; which is why the apocalyptic manner in which UK media covered a proposed revision to the legal process for changing gender (which would have mirrored the law as it currently operates in Ireland), as a post modern assault on women's rights and freedoms, seemed so detached from reality in a way that was endemic of uk coverage on trans people.

In this context, it was enormously refreshing to read "The Trangender Issue". While the books arguments have a broader applicability,it is especally interesting to read a UK perspective discussing why the country's public discourse is so frankly deranged around trans people, and refreshing to hear this from a trans person after the gallery of cis people that have have pushing and dominated the discussion until now.

Across a few thematic chapters, Shon Faye manages to disengage from the rote talking points that are repeated ad nauseum in english media and refocus on what she sees as the key issues affecting trans people today; examines and articulates the source of the immense hostility against trans people in general, and how this manifests in England in particular, with collaboration between social conservatives and certain feminists; and situates a call for trans rights within a larger argument for socialism and anti-imperialism.

The last argument was for me the most interesting and original to read. Calls for trans rights are often made in a spirit of sympathy or charity; Faye very forcefully sets out to show that trans people's particular experiences of forces such as poverty, state violence and patriarchy means they are key and central actors in efforts against these forces, rather than being charity cases or passive benifcaries: "There can be no trans liberation under capitalism". Even when discussing the driving role that some English feminists play in formenting hostity against trans people Faye is very clear that it is not the goal for trans people to be passively integrated or allowed into feminism: "the case for inclusivity can often rest on whether it is kind to welcome trans women, rather than any serious consideration of why their inclusion might be politically nessecary for liberation from patriarchy... the reality, I would argue, is this: not only do trans people need feminism, but feminism also needs trans people".

Overall I found this book to remind me a a lot of "Revolting Prosititutes", which similary tried to reframe the terms of discussion around sex work, while incorporating a wider argument for leftist political radicalism. I was more engaged by "Revolting Prosititutes", perhaps because I was more ignorant on the subject matter and so was given much more food for thought, but certainly "The Transgender Issue" has also informed or reframed a lot of my thinking, which has to be one of the key success a non-fiction manifesto can accomplish.

[౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and brilliant.

This book is incredibly important. Essential reading especially in such a crucial time where trans rights are being revoked and trans people are being oppressed.

A must read.

[chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

i cannot praise this book enough — lucid, far-reaching and thorough, faye cuts through the noise surrounding her book’s subject matter to present both the reality of our present moment, and a vision for the future. basically, read it !

[SprachlichesSein · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️