Absolutely outstanding. I have recommended it to everyone I know (and repeatedly on Twitter). Shon sets the facts that are already easily available in an extremely helpful context and makes it possible for a reader, whatever their level of knowledge or interest, to understand the concerns of trans people and their allies in the UK today.

A powerful and insightful read.

I read The Transgender Issue slowly but carefully because there was just so much to take in. I made so many notes and had to pause so often to reflect on things that I had never even thought of, or something I believed but couldn't previously articulate. It makes it hard to sum it up because I just want to point to the passages I've highlighted and made notes on, but all I can say is that it's an incredibly important book that so many people could do with reading, no matter who they are or what preconceptions they might have about this book.

Faye's central thesis is that the liberation of trans people would benefit everyone in society in that true liberation would change the oppressive, patriarchal, capitalist status quo. The more I read the more convinced I was, and her succinct addressing of popular transphobic claims and distracting talking points that come up again and again to derail productive conversations provided me with a clear way to think through a lot of the noise I see and hear online very frequently. I found many explainations about what we mean by trans healthcare, what actually happens when young people make a choice to transitions, and how rights for class and race and sexuality and gender are tangled up together so useful. Personally, It also helped me clarify my own suspicions about how many who shout a lot about the dangers transgender people pose to other people's freedoms are those who benefit from the oppressive system already in place.

Faye argues her points clearly and always backed up with theory and research, with reference to pop culture and news stories to help the reader understand some of the drier or more difficult to understand points and as well as some some personal anecdotes that highlight key issues while never making it seem like a memoir or specific to only one person. I think this book would be an incredible resource for anyone who is uneasy with the strange, high profile demonising of trans people but who doesn't understand exactly what's going on, or would be galvanizing for those who already want to fight for justice.

This book is needed! This book went through numerous different experiences that trans people face today- from the work place, to health care, to relationships. It’s a battlefield that trans people have to face and this shows their experiences and things to be aware of in our own society.

This is such an interesting and important perspective and book - I feel honoured to have read it and will be purchasing a hard copy both to support the author, and to share with my friends.
Trans voices are so often excluded from the discussion of trans people, and I believe this should be required reading.
Thank you Shon Faye for such an excellent overview, argument and discussion.

***ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.co.uk in return for an honest review ***

I can't recommend this book more highly. If you would like to learn more about the day to day issues impacting trans people rather than the issues that cis people think trans people may face, then this is absolutely the place to start.

The media's current obsession with anti-trans messages becomes more clear the more aware you are of it. People are being given misinformation through the press on a daily basis however, how many of us are stopping to learn and ask questions from actual trans people experiencing these issues. Without this reference back to humanity we are left with the othering of a community. One of the great points in the book which I think can resonate with most people is, can you take the word trans and switch it out with gay and see whether these look like out fashioned, out dated arguments from the 80's? If so, point easily made.

I would recommend this book to anyone, please read it and let go of outdated perspectives.

I always find it hard to review books like this, because really, everyone should read them - and the people that most need to read them probably won't.

In this book, trans writer Shon Faye puts forward her argument for justice for all trans people, and outlines her theories on how that can be achieved. This book made me aware of things I, in my privilege, never would have known, and for that I am incredibly thankful.

The main thing (that I'm sure anyone who frequents Twitter will unfortunately be aware of), is both the absence of trans people from debates, and the role of media (and indeed the legacy of Section 28) in demoralising and misrepresenting trans people. While I knew about this to some extent (Ian Huntley springs to mind, and the completely fabricated story that one red-top rag ran about the convicted child murderer wearing wigs and wanting to transition), I was unaware how severe this was and how long it has been going on for. This needs to be called out, especially by cis people. (Cis/Cisgender = not Trans/Transgender).

The conspiracy theory that Big Pharma is pushing transitions on kids becomes apparent as utter bollocks when you look at how discriminatory the health system is towards trans people. It can be years before people can even access an initial appointment, never mind hormonal or surgical services. The author references multiple studies throughout the book that support this, alongside the fact that while Trans people are oft misreported as "dangerous", they are in fact exposed to much more danger on a daily basis than many other members of society.

The chapter on sex work was eye-opening, as was this quote:

"In a society that is both patriarchal & capitalist, men's misogyny towards women sits comfortably alongside their desire to extract women's sexual labour."

I had to sit with that for a minute, and this one:

"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."

The author also talks about the use of the term TERF and how it no longer means what it used to mean, Transphobia within the LGBT community, the link between anti-trans feminists and racists, and how the success of the patriarchy depends on transmisogyny, capitalism, and a lack of education around trans healthcare and rights.

For the patriarchy to succeed, people need to be uneducated, misinformed and distracted. I urge you to arm yourself with as much knowledge as possible - reading this book would be a wonderful way to begin.

CW for mentions of suicide & self-harm.

This is a rare non-fiction book that combines a cold-headed dissection of the roots of the struggles that transgender people face in the UK (and in the West in general) today (as well as they did in the past) and a heart-rendering storytelling which brings forth real people’s stories, not excluding the author’s personal experiences. Faye succeeds at connecting transgender history with the current societal perceptions and prejudices of what it means to be transgender in the modern world and in the LGBTQ+ world in particular. It is an important educational book as well as a wonderful lesson in humanism for anyone and everyone.

<i>"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>

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.

Thank you to Netgalley for offering me a review copy of this book.

The Transgender Issue was one of my anticipated releases of 2021 and it certainly delivers. Shon Faye writes about trans people in Britain today and reclaims the idea of the ‘transgender issue’. Faye writes about trans participation in LGBTQ+ and feminist communities, analysis of the prison system, family, work, and beyond. This book is monumental and is thoroughly researched. The Transgender Issue is a text that should be in every library and widely available to everyone so we can work towards a society which is not transphobic.

This book educated me and reaffirmed ideas and theory I had already engaged with. Faye engages with a lot of gender theory and makes it quite accessible. If you are not well versed with theory, I would still recommend this book as Faye does an excellent job introducing, explaining and applying theory.

A section of the book that really stuck with me was on colonialism and how British views of gender binaries are rooted in colonialism. This was a refreshing and important part of the text and adds to the wider debate surrounding empire.

This book covers the history and current political situation of transgender people in the UK, and calls for trans-justice and freedom. It shows how the oppression and marginalisation experienced by those who are trans echoes the oppression of other societal groups. The plea is for trans people, and all the oppressed, to be treated with dignity and respect. The book covers issues of class, sex work, sexuality, and feminism and how these intersect with trans experience. Throughout the author critiques capitalism, and in the conclusion states "There can be no trans liberation under capitalism."
The writing is clear with a good flow, and it is well referenced. It will be a very helpful summary for those new to the field, and a challenge to all those interested in politics, sociology, equality and human rights.

On of the most important books of the year. A must read for everyone. Learned a lot and really want a lot of other people to read this.

Thank you to Netgallery for the ARC.

Wow, wow, wow. I know 'must-read' is an over-used way to describe books, but The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye really is a must-read. I was (embarrassingly) unaware of how little I actually knew about the realities of being transgender in the UK, and Shon presents it all so brilliantly.

It is meticulously researched, razor-sharp and analytical. It provides the historical accuracy, statistical data and sociopolitical context that is still so blatantly omitted from so much of the mainstream conversation (because so much of *that* is still focused on one particular, singular, specific transgender experience that benefits the status quo; something Shon says straight away she won't be doing.)

This, combined with the excellent analysis on how trans liberation fits in with feminism and capitalism (or, rather, doesn't, in the latter case) give a real manifesto for change and a sense of hope for the future.

A clear look at the life of a trans person in the UK that examines the real life issues faced by trans people in their daily lives. I love Shon Faye so no surprise that I loved this book but genuinely have never read arguments so bullet proof and rigorously examined. Read this book if you want to cut through the transphobic noise surrounding 'trans issues' in mainstream media!

Abolutely stunning as a piece of work. This book is an incredibly timely look at the trans experience specifically in the UK but much of it is more broadly applicable. It investigates questions like state supports, medical care, sex work and more while also looking at the personal relationships and dynamics trans people deal with.

It feels both groundbreaking and exactly what's needed with such constant attacks on trans people in the media. Shon Faye manages to cover so much, backed up with solid facts and anecdotes. But we also get people's personal stories of their lived experiences which can be so important for people to connect to.

I truly believe this book has the power to broaden perspectives and change minds. It's thought provoking for any of us thinking about how we can better support the trans people in our lives and the community as a whole. Would honestly recommend to any of my friends and family in a heartbeat.

An accessible, engaging and important read. I shared with someone who is questioning their gender identity and they found it a very useful resource. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Quite an eye opener and sad how society are so narrow minded on treating trans people.
It made you think of trans people from youth to when in nursing homes with dementia or housing and in prisons and how they are received even in Drs surgeries. things you never thought would be a problem.
Some of the writing I found very hard going.

Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review

I have watched a few documentaries recently where members of the transgender community have been murdered because of who they are and so as soon as I saw this book I knew I wanted to read it.
It was so well written, well researched and respectful and was really informative. It is a book that everyone should read and I truly hope that soon transgender will not be seen as an issue but rather as just a normal part of life, as everyone deserves to be who they truly are. I really enjoyed this book.

in the transgender issue, shon faye looks at the realities of the trans experience in the uk, the ugliness of ‘the debate’, and what trans liberation actually looks like. i really appreciated that the book was framed around the argument that trans liberation is part of liberation for us all - not an optional extra, but also not achievable under current social and economic circumstances. this isn’t just about acceptance, but radically reimagining what is possible for our societies

i thought the book was strongest in the chapter called “trans life now”, but more broadly whenever faye was dealing with current social issues and the stories of trans people. i was a bit disappointed by the final chapter on feminism - i thought the argument about why exactly the UK is so gd terf-y wasn’t super convincing, and the philosophical engagement with some of the issues around binary understandings of gender, for example, weren’t as deep as i was hoping for. this meant the book ended on a bit of a disappointing note for me, but the rest was compelling, clear and well thought out. i really hope it’s part of a changing tide
in the discourse

This is a very well-researched book on what hopefully one day won't be seen as an 'issue'. It is quite heavy reading and I probably could have done with the book being shorter, but the issues the author raises are important and hopefully a step along the way to making us a more tolerant, flexible and understanding society.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for sending me an ARC of this fabulous book. The Transgender Issue is a powerful manifesto that tackles the toxic myths that make up much of the frenzy and ‘debate’ around the rights of transgender people to live their lives free from harassment and discrimination. So often this debate doesn’t actually include any actual trans people so Shon Faye adding her voice and expertise to the conversation is a hugely refreshing change. In her meticulously researched book, Faye examines what it really means to be transgender in Britain today, looking at everything from healthcare to employment to prisons to the relationships between the transgender community and the LGBTQ+ and feminist communities. If you’re a person who’s trying to get your head around the trans experience, get to the truth behind all of the culture war bluster and understand what you can do to be an ally to the trans community, this book is a fantastic starting point.