Thread by @ButNotTheCity

My new book, Banning Transgender Conversion Practices: A Legal and Policy Analysis (UBC Press) is officially out today. Tragically, it couldn’t be more timely with yesterday’s news that the UK wouldn’t protect trans people from the torturous practices.

ubcpress.ca/banning-transg…

When I began writing this book nearly five years ago, I thought that conversion practices were on a path to extinction, and that my work would merely help finish the job. I am disturbed by how wrong I was—trans conversion practices are on the rise.

Trans visibility hasn’t helped—the fact that the UK government threw trans people under the bus on #TDoV is a bitter reminder of that. The backlash against trans rights has been severe, and the inclusion of trans people under the bans is increasingly challenged.

But do not be mistaken; resistance to including trans people is also an excuse to weaken, delay, and abandon bans on practices targeting sexual orientation as well. Trans people are canaries in the coal mine—a familiar refrain.

My book, with a brilliant cover by @catgraffam, was honed in the fires of advocacy. It began in academic research, true, but its published form is rooted in my work with legislatures in and outside Canada alongside @NoConversionCA and the awe-inspiring @icequeenerika.

My book considers critical questions for clinicians, scholars, lawmakers, and advocates alike. What is the scope of bans? How do they differ across jurisdictions? What are their pros and cons? How can we do better?

My research shows why existing bans haven’t been working, and forges a path forward. A path towards clear, detailed, and effective legislation rather than mere puffery. With this goal in mind, I offer a carefully annotated model law to inspire legislators going forward.

The book is not only the first to focus on conversion practices targeting transgender people, but also the first to approach conversion practices from a legal standpoint. It sets the stage and agenda for both of these discussion, a role I take immensely seriously.

My work owes immensely to survivors, from whom I have drawn inspiration, knowledge, and motivation. Without them there would be no book. My hope is for to do them justice, and support them in their ongoing work against conversion practices. You deserve to be valued as you are.

I also want to thank all those who supported me in this project. Thank you to the team at UBC Press for their marvellous and tireless work. Thank you @LTempo3 and @dykelaw for being family.

An immense thanks to @victor_madrigal for your encouragements and touching foreword. I also want to thank you for your fantastic report on so-called ‘conversion therapy’ to the UN Human Rights Council, which cites an early version of this manuscript.

To journalists, policymakers, and advocates, I welcome you to contact me if you want an expert perspective on conversion practices, how they impact trans and queer people, and how to best fight them. This book is only the beginning of the work. There is still so much to do.

While legal and policy work gets unavoidably dense at times, I have worked hard to make the book as accessible as possible with the help of lay readers. My hope is for the book to be readable by most members of trans communities.

For those interested in acquiring the book, there are many places you can turn to. Only the hardback version is available in print as of now, with the more affordable paperback version coming at the end of the year. Electronic versions should become available shortly.

In Canada, you can get the book directly from UBC Press:

ubcpress.ca/banning-transg…

You can also get it from its distributor UTP:

utpdistribution.com/9780774866927/…

It is also available on Amazon. Amazon is a fraught source because the company is immensely unethical, yet Amazon reviews and rankings really drive sales.

amazon.ca/Banning-Transg…

You should also be able to find it in certain bookstores like Indigo:

chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/ba…

In the United States, the main distributor is the University of Chicago Press:

press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book…

You can also get it from Amazon with the same addenda as above. For the US, you’ll have to wait until May to get it from Amazon but can pre-order it now.

amazon.com/Banning-Transg…

And you can get it from Barnes and Noble’ website:

barnesandnoble.com/w/banning-tran…

As for Europe, the book is distributed by Combined Academic Publishers:

combinedacademic.co.uk/9780774866927/…

It will also be available on Amazon UK and, quite possibly, other countries’ Amazon website:

amazon.co.uk/Banning-Transg…

As retailers receive deliveries, it may also start popping up in various large bookstores and websites. Hopefully you’ll be able to find yourself a copy!