A vital analysis of the transgender "debates" plaguing the UK. Clear, engaging and expertly written, Faye's is the most important book I have read in many years. With acknowledgment that issues certain members of society have with transgender people echo (and can often overlap) issues of class, race and education, this is a book that is much more than a gender studies lecture. I wish every school in the country was given copies to distribute to pupils.

In The Transgender Issue*, Shon Faye makes the case for trans liberation by deconstructing the arguments that deny trans and non-binary bodily autonomy. I am belatedly adding my voice to the people saying it's a must-read.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NG, the publisher and Shon Faye for their kindness in allowing me the privilege to do so*.

I don’t read much non-fiction, so when I do I want to pick up a book that will teach me something, and give me tools that I can use in the real world, whether it be in my conversations or in my own daily practice, when I put it down. This book delivered on all fronts.

I’ve followed Shon Faye online for years and I was very excited to receive a copy and read this book. I was not left disappointed. It is well researched, articulately written, thought provoking, emotional and all around a wonder to read. The compassion with which Faye approaches the writing of this book and the inclusionary nature of it cannot be faulted. I have recommended this to all my friends as a ‘must read’ for anyone who wants to be able to have a proper understanding and conversation on what tabloids and the press push as the ‘trans debate’. (FYI: I am very much of the mind that human rights are not something to be debated).

A necessary read and brilliant book.

I am kicking myself to waiting so long to get to this book. It was phenomenal.

Each chapter tackles an area of change that Shon Faye wants to see for the betterment, not just of trans people, but for society as a whole.

What I loved most about this book was how Shon just gets it. She expresses nuance in every argument she makes; it is never trans people good, cis people bad which is an oversimplification that would immediately put cisgender people on the defence. Instead she hits us with fact, after fact, after fact dispelling myths and straight up lies about transgender people and what impact giving them more rights would have on society.

I've always thought our obsession with genitalia when it comes to transgender people, particularly trans women, was really weird; Shon's book was a wonderful, and much-needed, indictment of that line of thinking. I also liked that she refused to write a trans trauma memoir which seems to be the only platform on which trans people's writing can gain mainstream attention. Instead she has written a powerful, intelligent and measured polemic. I loved this, I can't recommend it enough not just to people with an interest in understanding more about the transgender experience but literally everyone because we could all stand to learn something from this fantastic work.

Thank you Shon and thank you Netgalley for the opportunity to read this and share my thoughts. I hope my small contribution will encourage more people to pick up this fantastic book.

God this is phenomenal!!! Astoundingly written and researched and should be required reading for anyone who has little knowledge, or wishes to know more, about trans issues in the UK. Even as a trans person there is so much here that I didn't know about. I also hope this book manages to deradicalise some anti-trans people as it offers great counter-points to many of their arguments

Firstly, this book is from a trans persons perspective.

Secondly it is incredibly informative without being an information overload.

Thirdly please read it

I'm hoping to educate myself more on this topic and thank you for a book which I feel has been able to inform me and help me further develop my understanding.

🌿BOOK REVIEW🌿

The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye

This has to be one of the best, well researched non-fiction books I have ever read. Shon Faye examines the obsessive ‘debate’ about trans people in the UK, and considers the roots and impact of this transphobia.

You know when a book mentions something that you had never thought about and you just sit there like wow… I had never thought about that. Yeah, that was this book. This book discusses all the intersections of being transgender in all aspects of life and this was such a good structure to follow as each section had a specific focus.

If you are looking for a book that helps you understand the hardships faced by trans people I implore you to pick up this book and consider how you can change your actions to tackle transphobia and make trans people feel more welcomed into spaces.

Amazing!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

⚠️CW// transphobia, misogyny, homophobia, sexual assault, hate crime

A very powerful and needed book, at a time when the media and certain people are pushing hateful anti-trans narratives.
Important for all allies to read.

Informative, well-argued and clear. This book is an excellent introduction to understanding the lives of trans people and the issues they come up against in the contemporary moment. Faye’s vision for the future is compelling, hopeful and brave.

A really interesting read! A subject that I am not familiar with and haven't read much about so it was fascinating to read about so much history surrounding the transgender community

A heartbreaking expose of what trans people have to face to become who they really are. A lot of people would do well to read this.

i've seen this book everywhere so i was very glad to be lucky enough to get a free copy through netgalley. i know trans rights have become a lot more discussed recently and i still have so much to learn so i really enjoyed the way this book was divided, the absolute care and passion felt by shon faye through it, and how much more work is needed for the trans community to stop having to fight for acceptance and be able to live

Faye brilliantly reclaims and then dismantles the "transgender issue" and contextualises trans liberation within the broader context of oppression including, but not limited to, misogyny, racism, xenophobia, ableism, homophobia, biphobia, classism, prejudice against those in poverty, prejudice against sex workers, hostility to refugees and (im)migrants. She lays bare the fact that all of these oppressive structures are not only inextricably linked with capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy but they are also intimately bound up with each other.

She writes clearly and forcefully, reframing the apparent surge of transphobia in some branches of feminism as a trend with a long history that lives on in the increasingly polarised "debate" in the UK, though it has largely lost credibility in Western discourse elsewhere. She points out the links between prominent G*nder Cr*tical voices and organisations and arch conservatives, even leading to open alliances between avowed feminists and anti-trans campaigners and those determined to destroy reproductive rights and push racist and anti-LGBTQ agendas.

It's a remarkable achievement that produces an exceptionally readable and thorough account, unpicking it's complexities and roundly debunking the myths.

I loved this book! It was so interesting to hear in detail the issues that face Transgender people on a daily basis and I have learnt so much from this book. I think Shon Faye’s writing is brilliant, super accessible and this book is concise in its writing, making this book a great resource for people to educate themselves on these issues. This book covers a wide range of issues and like I mentioned earlier, I have learnt a lot. I will definitely be picking this book up again and recommending to many people in my life.

It was refreshing to read a longer form work on sex and gender by a transgender writer.

Given how wide the 'issue' of sex and gender is, I was glad this text had precise sections devoted to separate topics. It would have been all too easy to allow a 270-page text to ramble in an angry tone, but I felt it was, largely, edited and shaped well. The introduction did drag for me though, and some of the detail within it belonged in the chapters devoted to the specific issues at hand.

It was well-researched and I'm glad the author largely left her personal experiences at the door and allowed us to see research and statistics in action. Some of the personal details made me less sympathetic towards the author (e.g. her having spent thousands of pounds on hair removal). Personal, individual stories are what gender critical theorists seem to rely on, so having the bigger picture for trans issues felt more useful to the debate overall. The author did also acknowledge, however, that the number of trans people in the UK is small (and that there are two different figures used to count, those who have formally changed their sex, and those who wish to but for various reasons have been unable to). I think this aspect of the trans 'issue' is often forgotten in discussions in the media. The number of trans people in the UK is a tiny proportion of the population. Headlines, such as those mentioned by Shon, make out trans people to be a large section of the population who wish to dominate others and policies. Perhaps they just want to get on with their lives!

A number of the studies could have been backed by further evidence and support - e.g. 'only 5% of women regret their abortions'.

The last section was my least favourite. I felt it relied too heavily on criticising individual journalists for their work and views (Janice Turner is mentioned several times) rather than taking more general views expressed by societal bodies and groups.

Shon writes better when talking about specific issues affecting certain parts of the transgender population (e.g. sex workers), and less so when taking on individuals for their opposing views.

What a truly informative, well written and well researched book.
This book truly moves the narrative about Trans people and the toilets they use onto the really important issues of protection trans peoples rights., providing services to keep them safe from abuse and offering services which insure dignity in old age and throught their lives.

I came to this book supportive of the trans community but not altogether familiar with the extent of the iissues faced by this disenfranchised group and I am so glad I read this book.

It is written in such an accessible way that I immediately was able to focus in on the key issues which were described and elaborated on with loads of supporting evidence, but in a really easy to understand way.
I learned such a lot through reading this book and now feel better informed and more confident to express my support of trans rights and to challenge transphobia.

I've followed Shon on Twitter for a long time and this book did not disappoint. So vital and important for contemporary readers.

This was a really well-written and cleverly assembled book. I learnt a lot from it. I especially liked the caution with which the book was situated in terms of historical context (recognising that terminology changes over time, some words/phrases lose or gain usefulness or offensiveness, etc).

Thank you to Penguin for the ARC. This is 100% one of the best books of its kind and topic available right now. Even as a member of the community, I found it eye-opening and very educational. I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone I can.