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A review by connorgirvan
The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice by Shon Faye
4.0
4.5 / 5 stars
This was a really informative book - certain sections were reminiscent of other books I've read. For example, the section on sex work was explored more thoroughly in 'Revolting Prostitutes' by Molly Smith and Juno Mac. The discussion on the prison industrial complex draws on arguments from 'Are Prisons Obsolete' by Angela Davis and the section about trans-inclusion in the military is tackled in the Against Equality anthology. However, those books were afforded the luxury of dedicating much more room to these topics and Shon Faye does a good job of getting the crucial points of these books across - even if some nuances/further details are lost along the way.
Similarly, some of the other arguments are touched upon in books like Queer Intentions by Amelia Abraham and We Can Do Better Than This - an anthology in which Shon Faye is featured.
However, the discussion on the interconnectedness between class and trans activism was relatively new to myself with the linkages between the precarious relationship between the NHS and trans lived experience being previously vague in my mind. Similarly, there were other smaller points not fully fleshed out that were interesting - such as the difficulties many trans individuals might face in palliative care situations (although this is briefly explored in a book mentioned above).
There are so many figures and much research quoted that it's impossible for me to remember but the overall impact of the arguments remain with me and I think that Shon Faye done a fabulous job of connecting all of these arguments in one book which is accessible and informative.
This was a really informative book - certain sections were reminiscent of other books I've read. For example, the section on sex work was explored more thoroughly in 'Revolting Prostitutes' by Molly Smith and Juno Mac. The discussion on the prison industrial complex draws on arguments from 'Are Prisons Obsolete' by Angela Davis and the section about trans-inclusion in the military is tackled in the Against Equality anthology. However, those books were afforded the luxury of dedicating much more room to these topics and Shon Faye does a good job of getting the crucial points of these books across - even if some nuances/further details are lost along the way.
Similarly, some of the other arguments are touched upon in books like Queer Intentions by Amelia Abraham and We Can Do Better Than This - an anthology in which Shon Faye is featured.
However, the discussion on the interconnectedness between class and trans activism was relatively new to myself with the linkages between the precarious relationship between the NHS and trans lived experience being previously vague in my mind. Similarly, there were other smaller points not fully fleshed out that were interesting - such as the difficulties many trans individuals might face in palliative care situations (although this is briefly explored in a book mentioned above).
There are so many figures and much research quoted that it's impossible for me to remember but the overall impact of the arguments remain with me and I think that Shon Faye done a fabulous job of connecting all of these arguments in one book which is accessible and informative.