How gender identity conquered the world and what it means for women, children, gay people and the sporting community
'There are few subjects which need treatment that is at once delicate, thoughtful and brave. Helen Joyce manages all of these things in Trans. Anyone looking to understand this most fraught of issues should start here.' Douglas Murray, author of The Madness of Crowds
Gender identity ideology is about more than twitter storms and using the right pronouns. In just ten years, laws, company policies, school and university curricula, sport, medical protocols, and the media have been reshaped to privilege self-declared gender identity over biological sex.
People are being shamed and silenced for attempting to understand the consequences of redefining 'man' and 'woman'. While compassion for transgender lives is well-intentioned, it is stifling much-needed inquiry into the significance of our bodies, particularly with regard to women's rights, fairness in sport, same sex attraction and children's development.
If we recommit to our liberal values of freedom of belief, freedom of speech and robust debate, we stand a chance of addressing what is at stake.
About the Author
Helen Joyce is a senior staff journalist at The Economist, where she has worked for 15 years. Since becoming interested in gender-identity issues, she has written a number of articles and editorials on the topic for The Economist and other outlets. She tweets at @HJoyceGender