Why does the history of trans rights activism matter now?

Because it shows us these are not sudden or extreme ideas. Trans rights sit within a much longer line of work, people fighting to be seen, to be safe, to live with dignity. When we understand that, the conversation changes. It becomes less about fear and more about continuation. What part of that history resonates with you?

How does seeing trans rights as part of social justice history change things?

It takes the heat out of the idea that this is all new or threatening. Every generation has had to decide whether to extend dignity to those previously excluded. Trans rights are this generation's version of that question. Framing it that way helps, I think. Does that shift how you see the debate?

Trans rights activism has deep historical roots

Substack 6 March 2026

The fight for trans rights is not new, not fringe, and not a departure from the values that have always driven social justice. Joe Ball's Higginbotham Lecture places trans rights activism within a longer history of movements that sought to recognise the humanity of people society had previously overlooked, and that context changes everything.

Joe Ball's Higginbotham Lecture offers an important reminder about perspective and history. The fight for trans rights is not new, not fringe, and certainly not disconnected from the broader movements for equality and dignity that have come before it.

When we understand trans rights activism within its proper historical context, something shifts in how we see it. These are not sudden demands or radical departures from established values. Rather, they represent a continuation of the long work of recognising the humanity and rights of those whom society has previously overlooked or excluded.

I've always believed that good medicine and good policy emerge when we listen to history and to the people affected. Ball's lecture reminds us to do both. Read the full piece to explore how this history shapes our understanding of where we are now and where we need to go.

In response to: We Are Not Going Away (Substack)