Debates around gender in contemporary media and public discourse often overlook the depth and rigour of existing academic research. These discussions can miss the rich, nuanced insights that transgender and trans-feminist studies contribute to understanding and fostering inclusivity. Education plays a critical role in challenging stereotypes, promoting equity and creating spaces for transformative dialogue. The trans-inclusivity seminar series (TSS), held from February to June 2024 at the Institute of Education (IOE), UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, exemplifies how academic initiatives can bridge this gap by bringing groundbreaking research to the forefront. Funded by UCL’s LGBTQ+ Equality Implementation Group (LEIG) and launched during LGBT+ History Month, the series featured a variety of talks by leading academics in trans-inclusive research and scholarship, showcasing their rigorous and inclusive work. As an undergraduate student research fellow, I had the opportunity to gain valuable insights into trans-inclusive research and academic activism. Most of the videos are now available as resources for others.

Framing trans lives: Media narratives and digital power

The first event featured Professor Deborah Shaw (University of Portsmouth) on ‘Trans-inclusive feminism, gender-critical feminism: culture wars in the media’. This talk highlighted the media’s role in shaping public perceptions of trans issues. As a student, it made me consider the silences built into mainstream narratives, and whether education is doing enough to equip students to notice what (and who) is missing from view. Shaw investigated how frequent reporting of gender-critical feminists has been weaponised in media coverage against trans people, in contrast to the significant underreporting of trans-inclusive perspectives from supporters such as trans-inclusive feminists (IOE, 2024c).

‘[Deborah Shaw’s] talk highlighted the media’s role in shaping public perceptions of trans issues … it made me consider the silences built into mainstream narratives, and whether education is doing enough to equip students to notice what (and who) is missing from view.’

Dr Kata Kyrölä from the IOE continued this theme on media with a talk on ‘Cancel culture and politics of vulnerability in queer/trans online spaces’ (IOE, 2024d). Throughout the talk, concepts of ‘cancellation’ were illustrated through examples of platform drama, offering a comprehensive examination of the unique challenges faced by queer communities in digital spaces.

Challenging the social construct of gender and power

What might it mean to imagine a society without legal sex? Professor Davina Cooper from King’s College London delved into ‘The controversial politics of abolishing legal sex in Britain’, exploring the implications of prefigurative law reform (IOE, 2024b). This approach analyses dominant arrangements while imagining alternative social organisations that support transformative change. By envisioning the abolition of legal sex and gender, Cooper invited critical reflection on existing norms and encouraged more radical thinking around social justice. Her talk offered a powerful rethinking of gender categories, highlighting the potential for societal shifts.

Building on these structural questions, Dr Natacha Kennedy (Goldsmiths College) tackled ‘Deconstructing transphobia’, analysing strategies used by transphobia proponents and their institutionalised impacts on transgender human rights (IOE, 2024a). Her analysis underscored the need for grassroots alliances between trans groups and other organisations campaigning against abuse of power, to combat the systematic exclusion of transgender rights.

Identity and the complexity of being: Queer histories, trans futures

Dr Onni Gust (University of Nottingham) spoke on ‘Trans history: What? Why? Where?’, providing a holistic look at the recording and importance of transgender history (IOE, 2024e). Their historical perspective illustrated the ever-present yet often obscured transgender history and its critical role in understanding a history of everyone. This narrative of shared experiences of being othered and stigmatised highlighted the universal relevance of trans history.

Shifting from historical record to lived experience, Dean Kathryn Bond Stockton delivered a talk titled ‘I was a queer child and so were you’. The talk wove personal memoir with theoretical insights about gender, sexuality and identity, exploring how these concepts are shaped by societal, racial,and cultural norms, especially in childhood. The talk ultimately tied this awareness to broader goals of social justice and human flourishing. Together, these talks made a powerful case for embracing the complexities of identity, and left me reflecting on how we engage with them in education.

Conclusion

By fostering critical discussions and understanding, the TSS paves the way for future initiatives aimed at enhancing trans-inclusivity, steering us towards more inclusive futures. However, as an undergraduate student research fellow and facilitator on this project, I also witnessed the institutional barriers that remain. This experience left me questioning: How can we ensure that such spaces are safe, sustainable and accountable to trans communities? And what does meaningful inclusion look like in academia beyond a series of talks? These questions will continue to shape my thinking long after the series has ended. In reflecting on the dialogues I was part of, I am reminded that education is never neutral, and that perhaps the most an individual can do is to keep asking difficult questions even when there are no easy answers.

References

UCL Institute of Education [IOE]. (2024a, June 26). Deconstructing transphobia [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WK15bA-nZAg

UCL Institute of Education [IOE]. (2024b, July 1). The controversial politics of abolishing legal sex in Britain [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V3Wx7eVCxA

UCL Institute of Education [IOE]. (2024c, July 1). Trans-inclusive feminism, gender critical feminism: Culture wars in the media [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iXcT98w8dlE

UCL Institute of Education [IOE]. (2024d, July 17). ‘Cancel culture’ and the politics of vulnerability in queer/trans online spaces [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qgFB80dKK2k

UCL Institute of Education [IOE]. (2024e, December 10). Trans history: What, where, why? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jx4xTb8557o