Photo courtesy of Marta Kochanek
I am a social researcher, currently based in the School of Sociology and Social Policy at the University of Leeds, UK.
I completed my PhD at the University of Warwick in 2016. My thesis looked at how trans health is differently understood within trans community spaces, activist groups and professional literatures, and how this can have important consequences for access to care. I have written a book based on this work: Understanding Trans Health.
In addition to trans health, my research interests include ethnography and autoethnography, feminist theory, Internet studies, gender studies, queer theory, and trans cultural studies. I am a member of the British Sociological Association, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health and the Feminist and Women’s Studies Association, and sit on the editorial boards of The Sociological Review and the Community Development Journal.
I’m also an activist, aspiring punk/metal musician, DJ, conference organiser and DIY gig promoter. I have played with Abandoned Life, Dispute Settlement Mechanism and Not Right, and co-organised gigs through Revolt! and Rolling Head Promotions. You can read about some of the conferences and academic events I have run on this page.
During the 2000s and early 2010s I was an elected trans representative in the National Union of Students, working for both the NUS LGBT Campaign and NUS Women’s Campaign (for which I was the first ever trans rep). I also worked as a staff writer for Lesbilicious.
This website has grown organically around the blog, which pre-dates my academic career. At various times it has been known as Trans Youth Takes On World, Writings of a Trans Activist, and Trans Activist Takes On World. In the early days of the blog I wrote anonymously, so in some older posts I refer to myself in the third person.
Old blog banner
Today, the ‘blog’ section of this website is updated sporadically. I typically use it to discuss news and issues relating to trans health and feminism, but this can vary.
(last updated: 14th April 2018)
