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Trans

When Ideology Meets Reality

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About this listen

The instant Sunday Times best seller

"An intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight. Even those outraged by Joyce’s positions would benefit from understanding them.... Open conversation about such fraught issues is the only realistic path forward." (Jesse Singal, The New York Times)

"This rigorous and brave book nails the absurd idea that sex is just a 'social construct'." (David Aaronovitch, The Times)

Gender identity ideology is about more than Twitter storms and using the right pronouns. In just 10 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.

If we recommit to our liberal values of freedom of belief, freedom of speech, and robust debate, we scan de-escalate this most vicious of culture wars.

©2021 Helen Joyce (P)2021 Oneworld Publications
Gender Studies Law Social Sciences Thought-Provoking Inspiring Liberalism

Critic reviews

"An intelligent, thorough rejoinder to an idea that has swept across much of the liberal world seemingly overnight. Even those outraged by Joyce’s positions would benefit from understanding them.... Open conversation about such fraught issues is the only realistic path forward." (Jesse Singal, The New York Times)

"This rigorous and brave book nails the absurd idea that sex is just a 'social construct'." (David Aaronovitch, The Times)

All stars
Most relevant
This is an excellent book. If you are interested in the growing debate around Self ID and the affects this will have on the rights of women and children, this is a really well balanced, clearly presented exploration of the history of how the trans movement gained so much ground under the radar and how this is now impacting other groups in policy, law, education, and healthcare.

Helen Joyce is a balanced voice in this debate. She is respectful to trans people's needs, she uses inclusive and tolerant language, yet she is clear for the need for the realities of the end goals of queer theory and gender ideology being the removal of sex as a measure of worth in our society, and why this would be against the interests of many other minority groups.

It's a great overview. Easy to understand, easy to digest- this is the mark of a great author. Joyce is able to disseminate what could be complicated ideas and language and explains it with no confusing terms for the pay person. Thank you.

Just excellent

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Read it then buy copies for everyone you know.
This is one of the most important books of the decade.

Essential reading for these strange times

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JK Rowling is not a transphobe or a bigot and here is exactly why. Fantastic, methodical and respectful. I was alarmed when my union branded all gender-critical thinking as ‘far right’ when I am as red as they come, but feel very uncomfortable about legalised gender self-identification. I will be listening to this again (and then probably again) to reassure myself and be prepared to argue the case as calmly and logically as Joyce does.

Wow. An absolute must-read/listen.

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It's disturbing what Helen writes in this book. You will never think of Transgender activism the same way after reading this book. I found the narrator's voice to be too soft though.

Disturbing and Timely

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A must read for anyone interested in gender ideology and women's rights and child safety

A must read for anyone

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