Proposed change would allow people to alter their legal sex or gender based largely on their self-declared gender identity. It was a change some trans people wanted, in part because they felt that the need for a diagnosis was stigmatizing. The feminist argument was that some level of gatekeeping was necessary in order to safeguard single-sex spaces. Some feminists worried that predatory males would take advantage of these requirements to harm women and girls.
The movement for trans rights hits its stride in the early 2010s, but encounters fierce resistance from an unexpected source. J.K. Rowling watches the battle unfold with mounting unease.
Produced by Andy Mills, Matthew Boll, and Megan Phelps-Roper, with special thanks to Candace Mittel Kahn and Emily Yoffe.
This show is proudly sponsored by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression. FIRE believes free speech makes free people. Learn more at thefire.org.