Rebecca Jane Morgan

For decades, conservative evangelicals and so-called gender critical feminists have worked hand-in-hand to oppose trans liberation. But how did this alliance come about? What makes it tick? And how can trans people and allies respond? In Gender Heretics, Rebecca Jane Morgan tackles this reactionary alliance head on. With unique insight, she explores how theological arguments snaked their way from anti-trans feminist tracts into the everyday practices of evangelical churches today, and how the unlikely alliance remains strong in spite of seemingly irreconcilable worldviews. Shedding light on the roots of today’s transphobic backlash, she provides crucial tools to overcome it, offering a hopeful way forward by advocating for a full recalibration of evangelical thought on gender identity and trans activism.

At a time when trans rights are under attack across Britain and beyond, Deviants and Trailblazers arrives as a powerful antidote, uncovering a rich, overlooked history. Spanning from the first legal gender changes in 1944 and the devastating Corbett v. Corbett ruling in 1970, to the groundbreaking Gender Recognition Act of 2004 and the ongoing battle for reform today, this is a gripping chronicle of resistance and radical change. Far from being a recent invention or a niche concern, legal recognition of trans identities has been a demand of trans communities for generations. Rebecca Jane Morgan shows how that fight emerged, evolved, and was sustained by grassroots organising, court battles, and an unwavering demand by the trans community to be recognised by the very systems that so often try to erase them. In a moment defined by pseudoscience, moral panic, and political backlash, this authoritative and readable account of the movement to date offers clarity, context, and hope.