Beyond Trans

Starred review from April 3, 2017
Davis (The Ethics of Transracial Adoption), a professor of political science at Temple University in Philadelphia, challenges readers to consider why binary sex identity categories are used so pervasively in our everyday lives, and whether such routine categorization is needed. Sex-identity discrimination, the author argues, happens to both transgender and cisgender individuals whose appearance is at odds with observers’ beliefs about how masculine and feminine people should look in public, and the routine sorting of individuals into sex identity categories invites discriminatory social and institutional policing of individuals’ sex identities. In four brief chapters, this work examines four common locations of sex-identity sorting: sex markers on identity documents, sex-segregated restrooms, single-sex colleges, and sex-segregated sports. Davis consistently pushes readers to consider whether the practice of sex sorting bears any rational relationship to the goals its proponents claim to further: fighting identity fraud, promoting personal health and safety, addressing sexism in higher education, and encouraging fair play in competitive sports. An appendix offers guidelines for conducting a “gender audit” of organizational policies and practices, encouraging critical self-assessment of everyday acts that unnecessarily invoke sex and gender classifications. The author, a transgender man of color, approaches this topic as both an expert scholar and an individual whose own identity has been subject to hostile scrutiny.

Starred review from May 1, 2017

In 2014, Time magazine published the article, "Transgender Tipping Point," acknowledging the heightened visibility of the "T" within the LGBTQ population. Recently, that visibility has come to the fore in states' battles over who has access to which bathrooms. Davis (political science, Temple Univ., PA) covers that issue here in his cleverly named chapter "Bathroom Bouncers." But the author also does much more in his survey of the hot-button issues confronting transgender people navigating society's barriers. He explores the complex questions of identification and documentation, college admissions, and single-sex sports. The overarching question: To what extent are gender markers useful, accurate, and productive in these instances? The author not only challenges the status quo but, in the appendix, provides guidelines for organizations to perform a gender audit, which includes worksheets and policy guidelines based on Davis's consulting experience. VERDICT This highly recommended work offers clear, real-world discussions of issues facing transgender people, along with practical applications and solutions. It will be useful to academics, policymakers, and general readers.--David Azzolina, Univ. of Pennsylvania Libs., Philadelphia

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