I finished this in one sitting. For a nonfiction book that deals with the harsh reality of the issues that trans people face, that says a lot.
It was intelligent, well-researched, and extremely clear, both in message as in medium. This should be read by everyone, regardless of gender identity or politics. Really. And I will recommend it to everyone I know.

When I’m not reading, I have a full time job in a further education college, and one of my favourite responsibilities is to support and facilitate enrichment groups, one of which being an LGBTQI+ group. The act of coming together in a safe space to chat with friends is such a simple yet important aspect of the lives of young LGBTQI people, and the knowledge that others don’t get that experience made me want to learn why that was, and more
Importantly, how it can be changed.

The Transgender Issue highlights the experiences of transgender people and how the demand for trans liberation actually echoes the demands of workers, feminists, socialists and anti-racists, but prejudiced views spewed by the media spread discord and division, preventing real change from occurring. Change can only happen when people unite.

Despite thinking of myself as an ally to the trans community, I still learned so much from this book. I appreciated Faye’s intersectional approach, recognising that experiences are vastly different depending on race, ethnicity and socio-economic background.

I have also learned that any discussion on the rights of trans people must put the voices of trans people at its centre. To discuss the rights of a minority without including them is to silence them.

This book is clear, direct, well thought out and easy to digest. A must read for anyone wanting to understand more about what it means to be transgender.

This book isn’t quite what I thought it would be. Rather than actually being about the transgender issue, it’s about trans women. There’s barely even a second thought given to trans men.

Hugely disappointed

I was sent a copy of The Transgender Issue by Shon Faye to read and review by NetGalley. This is an informative and very political exploration of the transgender issue of the book’s title. There are plenty of both historical and present-day facts and statistics regarding how trans people have been viewed and treated both in Britain and around the world. Some horrific treatment and discrimination are highlighted regarding both society and the establishment, much of which sadly persists in the 21st century. The author concentrates primarily on the plight of trans women and seems to me to just pay lip service to issues concerning trans men. Whether this is because the author is so much more invested in trans women’s issues or whether trans men do not receive as much abuse and discrimination is possibly a moot point. With the amount of historical and statistical evidence some of the chapters, which are each concerned with different issues, overlapped and therefore there was some repetition. What is missing from this work is the personal experience of contemporary trans people and their families, which, being the (supportive) mother of a teenager identifying as trans male I would have appreciated.

This is a book that everyone should read. It is informative and very interesting. The writer has done an excellent job informing the reader on what it is like to be trans in todays society, and helps cis women like me have a very brief understanding of the issues they face today, I highly recommend this book.

There are perhaps only a couple of topics more contentious in the public sphere at the moment than the issue of trans rights and it’s not one that I feel particularly qualified to comment upon in detail. Which is why I’m not going to and instead focus largely on this book instead. That Shon Faye is entering into tempestuous cultural waters here shouldn’t be a surprise. It’s far from her first rodeo in terms of controversy in this area, as she discusses in the book, and she’s ideally suited for a deep dive into these issues.

And the complexity of the debates in play here can perhaps be best illustrated by some of the preliminary reviews of the book itself. One that caught my eye expressed disappointment that the book was ‘so political’ and didn’t dwell enough on the personal reality of trans lived experience. But Faye is pretty up-front (to the point that it’s even expressed on the book’s blurb) that she’s not writing a confessional memoir of transition but that her interests are more social and political. But it also perhaps highlights how ‘confessional memoir’ is one of the few ways that trans experience is rendered acceptable for capitalist consumption.

But such criticisms also illustrate one of the key arguments of Faye’s book. That just how successfully the personal and political have been atomised and separated, that you apparently can’t have one without the other. But Faye is making the point that they could and should be intertwined (in the way that they were through the (still ongoing) fights for gay rights and female equality). There are definitely aspects of the book we’re talking about political struggle that goes simply beyond greater recognition and parity for the trans community. That part of the atomisation and rancour around these debates is because trans rights represent an existential challenge to the social structure of capitalism. That the erosion or outright smashing of the binaries of gender could lead to a more fundamental transformation of society. Faye’s discussion of carceral policy, for instance, has implications far beyond the trans community, even if her proposed solutions could do with a little bit more detail.

This is a book that is significantly about class and Faye very ably highlights how much the current visibility of the trans debate is conducted in terms that are very white and middle-class. She takes great pains to point the continuing invisibility of the black, working class or disabled trans experience as well as that of trans men which is sometimes at danger of erasure amidst the more heated debates. It’s important not to forget (and Faye never does) that modern trans experience encompasses far more than the likes of Caitlyn Jenner or Laverne Cox (or even of the author herself). It’s a book about solidarity and raises the very real fear that current gender critical debates are being weaponised by right-wing family fundamentalism to not just marginalise trans voices but as means to destroy the power of the LGBTQ+ lobby in general.

However, the writing in places is surprisingly flat. It only occasionally has the sense of the passion that you’d expect this kind of subject matter to inspire and it also lacks the wit and humour that even a cursory glance of Faye’s Twitter feed would show her capable. But this, I suspect, is a deliberate choice. Writing something too heated and polemical would be easier to dismiss by the book’s opponents and a more chatty or humorous tone might also be considered counter-productive, especially considering the harrowing nature of some of the case studies contained in its pages.

There are also, to me, some structural concerns. Faye rightly points out how the experience of trans men is marginalised or even misrepresented in the current debates and she spends some time unpacking these concerns. However, she does so pretty much in the final pages of the book and this gives them the feeling of being something of an afterthought. I would have liked to have seen these arguments integrated a bit more throughout the book itself to offset that feeling and perhaps strengthen Faye's core argument.

Nevertheless, this is still an engaging and important book. It’s my hope that it doesn’t become a classic — not as any slight to the author but that the issues and debates that it raises become such anachronisms as to be utterly irrelevant. In the meantime, however, it offers a nuanced and considered articulation of the current situation and emphasises how there’s no option but to discuss these issues and to find solutions together.

The Transgender Issue is an insightful book that reclaims the term 'the transgender issue' to explore what it means to be trans in Britain today, how we got here, and where we can go from here. Each chapter explores a different area of life, considering work, healthcare, the prison system, and community, and builds towards a call for solidarity and a focus on trans liberation, rather than rehashing the same 'debates' in the media.

I've heard so much about this book even before it's out, and there's a reason why: it is a well-explained and engaging deep dive into trans life in Britain, focusing both on politics and theory and on practical action and everyday realities. Faye considers both issues that impact beyond trans people to other marginalised people and issues specific to trans women, trans men, or non-binary people to draw out the importance of solidarity across issues whilst still paying attention to the specific needs of particular people, for example trans people of colour or sex workers.

The dual focus on uncovering the present and past of trans life and on the vital nature of solidarity and trans liberation for the present and future makes The Transgender Issue a powerful book that is for trans and cis people alike. It will open up the eyes of many people to look beyond the 'debates' popularised in the media and think about the practical and political work we can do for the future to make life better for everyone.

As a cis bisexual woman, I considered myself aware of trans identities and the issues affecting trans people, but struggled to understand why the transphobia of the UK felt so different from the transphobia of the US (where I am originally from). It was strange to me that prominent left-wing celebrities and politicians were expressing opinions on trans people I would associate more with the US right-wing. This is a really vital read that makes sense of the reality in the UK for trans people and how the media has twisted trans experiences and caused the moral panic we're seeing today. An important and necessary read especially in light of current events.

When I started reading this book, what I was looking for was an informative read and it's exactly what I got. Not only was it refreshing to read a book about transgenderism that doesn't revolve around the question of access to public toilets or medical transition in all its voyeuristic details, but it was fascinating to have access to such a rich political, sociological and historical analysis. The Transgender Issue doesn't rely on sensationalism or emotionalism to make its point, but on facts. Its intersectional approach made huge sense to me, and I came out of it with the impression that I finally knew a bit more about a struggle that, ultimately, concerns us all.

Shon Faye lends her powerful blend of punchy writing, detailed arguments and deep analysis to this wonderful and crucial book on trans lives, and particularly those in Britain.

The book is brilliantly organised and researched, clearly detailing the historical contexts that have not only led us to the paradox of transphobic arguments and trans rights achievements in Britain, but that also shape how we see future struggles for equity and justice.

It is to Faye’s immense credit that this book never sinks into despair (despite the horrors that she outlines) nor blind optimism (despite her focus on a manifesto for change.

Instead, what we get here is a vibrant and powerfully-argued deconstruction of various arguments used against trans people, and clarifies brilliantly how the fight for trans rights must go hand-in-hand with other struggles, whilst acknowledging the unique ways in which trans people are affected by certain issues, such as for example housing, or the criminalisation of sex work.

She intentionally resists the common expectation placed on trans people to only talk about their bodies and their personal stories for a non-trans audience, and instead writes her socks off to produce a startling manifesto for change that is both accessible and very, very good.

I received an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Transgender Issue is a non-fiction book about the issues than transgender people face today. As a cisgender person, I found this to be very informative and accessible. It debunks some of the common misconceptions and false headlines that you might have seen and offers a factual account. I read this fairly quickly and would definitely recommend it to anyone looking to educate themselves.

Packed with facts and really informative. I learnt a lot. Discusses loads on culture and explores hot topics round the world. I think everyone should read this and discuss it openly.

If you've read any of my other relatively recent book reviews, you'll know how I start each of them by saying they all start off with the full five stars and that I hope the book finishes with them all in place too. This review is no different in that respect.

It's on the Political Science & Ideology section of Amazon, so I'm wondering if it's gonna be shoving politics down my throat... I seriously hope not, but I'm already weary of it. Gonna still read with an open mind, but if the author concentrates more on politics than people who are transgender then I'll be knocking a star off straight away.

Also, I'm wondering if there's a new trend to only publish as eBooks and Hardcovers as opposed to paperbacks now, 'cos this is the second book I've started reading in the last 24 hours that hasn't got a paperback available.

That's all beside the point now though, just random thoughts is all lol

The book *has* been semi-political so far, but it hasn't turned me off reading it - yet! The author has been very clever to get their opinions out there about politics without saying "this is the only opinion out there that's right... everything else is wrong" which is refreshing so far.

*Now* it's getting more political, which is frustrating, so I'm knocking off the first star after only 6%. It's not saying that one party is right and the other is wrong, or anything like that, but it's focussing on political policies rather than people who are transgender which is frustrating. If it doesn't change pretty soon then I'll be skipping ahead and knocking off another star because of that... I hope I don't have to, but I'm really not enjoying this book right now.

Yup, the author is now talking about Teresa May and comparing her to David Cameron and the author seems to be making it more about their political views than supporting people who are transgender and increasing the understanding of those who want to learn more about those who are transgender, so that's another star coming off and I'm skipping forward... I hope it's not a book that I feel the need to skip more than I read!

OK, I've skipped forward to 15% and I hope that the rest of the book is less political!

OK, so now it's talking about a documentary and the resultant bullying of children who identified as transgender, so I'm hoping that's the end of the political stuff now. it's a pity that I've already had to get rid of two stars and I'm not even a quarter of the way through the book yet... maybe I had my expectations set too high to start with?

Basic grammar point that even a child knows - if someone is speaking and you're putting it into text, then you use speech marks "like this", right? I've lost track of if it's a person speaking or the author because there are so few speechmarks used and it's getting on my nerves now. That third star is looking very wobbly right now, unfortunately.

There are inverted comma's signalling speech now, so maybe the earlier bits just slipped through accidentally and can be put down to human error? The third star is still wobbly, but it's clinging on by its finger tips right now, so still 3 stars.

19% of the way through and it's returned to being heavily political opinions again, so I'm skipping forward even further... I was really hoping that this wouldn't be like that, but the further I feel forced to skip forward, the more and more it's looking like it is.

I've skipped forward to 25% and I'm really not feeling too positive about this book any more... I'm a quarter of the way through and I've skipped so much of it 'cos it's so political that I'm really not thinking I'll get to the end before I give up unfortunately... that third star is looking incredibly close to dropping off and the author isn't doing theirself any favours.

I've skipped even further forward to 35% and that third star is finally coming off because I'm skipping more than I'm reading. If it had been considerably less political and quite frankly dull then I would have been happy to keep ploughing on, but this really isn't the book I'd been hoping for in those first pages. There's only one star left to lose and I'm not even half way through it yet, so things are looking pretty bleak unfortunately.

That's more like it! I'm 36% of the way through and it's mentioned something political but focussed on the people who are transgender more... as long as the rest of the book carries on like this, it'll be a 2 star review instead of the five I was hoping for when I first started reading it.

I'm at 39% now and there has been very little about politics and has got my attention fully instead of feeling that I have to skip so much of it.

I've skipped forward again through sheer boredom, so that's the final star coming off at 43%. It was OK in parts, it's just not what I was expecting and the sheer politicalness of it has turned me right off unfortunately. It's been more like the author's political views than anything more than brief mentions of people who are transgender.

This book is a single star review after less than half way unfortunately.