#7 Sunday Times bestseller
Selected as one of The Times ‘The best books of 2021’

Just ten years ago almost no one held the belief that we are all born with a “gender identity” that is more significant than our biological sex. Yet in 2020, law, politics, school and university curriculums, and even medicine, are all being reshaped around the principle of “gender self-identification”: the claim that whatmakes you a man or woman (or even neither) is not objective biological facts but your own declaration of subjective feelings. The influence of gender-identity ideology on policy has happened with little public awareness of its true extent and almost no public support.

This book explores the origins of gender-identity ideology – from male psychology and sexual desire to lobbyists, the pharmaceutical industry, post-modern feminism and gender studies, and social- justice activism – and the consequences for us all.

Praise

‘A courageous, intelligent and important work, rooted in good science and common sense.’
Jenni Murray

‘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, Race, Identity

‘If anyone doubts that gender ideology poses a threat to all of us – including trans people – you really should read this book.’
Simon Fanshawe, OBE, co-founder of Stonewall

‘Well-researched, compelling…a deeply compassionate reminder that there are real trade-offs to be made in human rights activism.’
Ayaan Hirsi Ali

‘I’ve only ever wanted the research to come before the rule changes. Trans is thoroughly researched and extremely illuminating.’
Sharron Davies

‘Helen Joyce shows how the best intentions can morph into bullying in this sane, humane book. The role we all play in letting people be who they want to be is a delicate balancing act, no place for self-righteous partisans’
Daniel Dennett

‘A frighteningly necessary book: well-written, thoroughly-researched, passionate and very brave.’
Richard Dawkins

‘This is the book every woman should read…Brilliant, coruscating, brave.’
Joan Smith, author of Misogynies

‘This rigorous and brave book nails the absurd idea that sex is just a “social construct”… One benefit of Joyce’s book is its intellectual clarity and its refusal to compromise.’
David Aaronovitch, The Times

‘The book you need to read about trans …superlative critical analysis… Joyce is clear that her book is about trans activism, not trans people… Time and again, this book reveals how simply getting hold of more information can reorient trans activism’s initially emotive spin on a particular event… Joyce shows an impressive capacity to handle complex statistics, legal statutes, and other bits of evidence without losing clarity or narrative drive… With this fact-filled, humane, and brave book, a grown-up has entered the room.’
Kathleen Stock, The Telegraph

‘[Trans] argues that a tide is now turning… Whether you find that heartening or terrifying determines whether you’ll want to read this book’
Gaby Hinsliff, Observer

‘Joyce is witty, erudite and she wears her considerable scholarship lightly, but she also manages to present all the issues clearly… this book is a page-turner and, in many ways, it reads like a gripping thriller…  truly is a tour de force. With a fine eye for detail, she brings all the elements of gender ideology together with clarity and precision. For anybody who wishes to gain a deep understanding of the issues related to trans activism, this book is simply a must-read.’
Stella O’Malley, Evening Standard 

‘A searing analysis of the transgender debate that has dominated much of public discourse in Scotland in recent years, at least among feminists… I urge you to read Helen Joyce’s book… It may well offer you a new perspective on this most troubling of national conversations. It may even change your mind.’
Susan Dalgety, Scotsman

‘Joyce lays it all out lucidly, carefully, compassionately… This is a story that matters very much for all of us. It’s a fascinating story about our human susceptibility to ideology. Because it affects us all, it’s ultimately a book about that greatest of all human conversations: how do we live successfully together? What matters and who decides?’
Caroline Ffiske, The Article

‘Trans illuminates the convolutions of gender identity theory in a way that is clear, engaging, well-researched and (crucially for reaching the broadest audience) does not seem to require the reader to consider herself particularly invested in any sort of feminism from the outset… she illustrates her points using common sense, narratives and examples, rather than applying a more theoretical lens… captivating… a remarkable achievement.’
Filia

‘… thank goodness for Helen Joyce… Trans is a searing and at times devastating analysis of an ideological shift that has had a profound influence on many institutions in the West — its schools, workplaces, healthcare, universities and laws.’
Sunday Times

‘Trans is an enormously readable and widely accessible book, full of righteous anger and common-sense feminism’
Radical Notion

‘Trans is the book I wish I’d had the foresight to pitch and the insight to write… Joyce is a mathematician by training, and she brings a clear-eyed, systematic approach to her analysis… Trans gives a compelling, comprehensive overview of why this science-denying ideology has conquered the world. Ultimately, it is a story of inequality; both economic and sexed. Trans is a book that ought to be read by every legislator, policy maker and activist.’
The Critic

‘intelligent…Trans is a compelling, overdue argument for viewing self-ID more critically…Open conversation about such fraught issues is the only realistic path forward, and Joyce’s book offers a good, impassioned start.’
The New York Times

‘I was knocked out by Trans… Joyce is always cool, calm and in complete possession of her extensive collection of facts.’
Julie Bindel, Spectactor, ‘Books of the Year’