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Holly Lawford-Smith vs. transgender people

Holly Lawford-Smith is an anti-transgender philosopher and activist.

Lawford-Smith is author of the 2022 book Gender-Critical Feminism and the 2023 book Sex Matters: Essays in Gender-Critical Philosophy.

Background

Lawford-Smith attended University of Otago, earning a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. Lawford-Smith then earned a doctorate from Australian National University.

Anti-transgender activism

Lawford-Smith was banned from Twitter in 2019 for hateful conduct. The account was reinstated in 2023 after Elon Musk took over.

Lawford-Smith co-authored an anti-trans piece with Sophie Allen, Jane Clare Jones, Mary Leng, Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, and Kathleen Stock. Lawford-Smith’s anti-trans writings were permanently removed from Medium for being “in violation of the Medium Rules.”

Lawford-Smith describes the conflict thus:

My understanding is that radical and gender critical feminists, and trans people and trans allies, are falling out because trans people and trans allies expect feminists to be allies to the trans cause, and those feminists’ emphasis on the male/female distinction feels to trans people like a kind of betrayal. But those feminists also feel enormously betrayed by trans people and their allies, in particular by the trans allies who claim to be defending trans rights but really seem to be mostly interested in just venting all their pent up misogyny onto women, this time with a socially legitimate excuse for doing so! 

Marshall (2019)

In 2021, University of Melbourne opened an investigation following Lawford-Smith’s creation of “No Conflict They Said,” a site to collect anonymous submissions about “trans women accessing women’s only spaces such as change rooms, toilets and women’s shelters.”  

Gender-Critical Feminism (2022)

In 2022, Oxford University Press was protested after OUP decided to publish Lawford-Smith’s book Gender-Critical Feminism.

Preface
1. Introduction
Part I: What Is Gender-Critical Feminism?
2. Gender-Critical Feminism’s Radical Roots
3. Gender-Critical Feminism
4. The Sex Industry
5. Trans/Gender
6. Why is Gender-Critical Feminism So Vilified?
Part II: Hard Questions For Gender-critical Feminism
7. Is Gender-Critical Feminism Intersectional?
8. Is Gender-Critical Feminism Feasible?
9. Is Gender-Critical Feminism Liberal?
Coda
10. A Gender-Critical Manifesto

The acknowledgements mention Kathleen Stock, Sophie Allen, Nin Kirkham, Caroline Norma, Stephanie Collins, Alex Byrne, Frank Hindriks, David Schweikard, Katie Steele, Christian Barry, Dana Goswick, Luana Ferracioli, Kate Phelan, Jess Megarry, Cordelia Fine, Wolfgang Schwartz, John Matthewson, Howard Sankey, Rosa Freedman, Karen Riley, Rachael Hadoux, Tegan Larin, Bernard Lane, J. Michael Bailey, Komarine Romdenh-Romluc, Meghan Murphy, Ani O’Brien, Axel Gosseries, Anca Gheaus, Siba Harb, Marie Baston, Eric Boot, John Thrasher, Dan Halliday, Callie Burt, Adi James, Colin Klein, Zakiya Deliefde, Lilian Gonzalez, Evie, Ole Koksvik, Sun Liu, Rene Rejon, Will Tuckwell, Ryan Cox, and editor Peter Momtchiloff.

Sex Matters (2023)

Acknowledgements
Preface
Some notes on language
Part I: Theory
1. Ending Sex-Based Oppression: Transitional Pathways
2. Gender: What Is It, And What Do They Want It To Be?
3. Do Arguments For ‘Trans Women Are Women’ Succeed?
Part II: Policy
4. Women-Only Spaces And The Right To Exclude
5. Sex Self-Identification And Costly Signals Of Assurance
6. The Never-Ending Dispute Over Public Bathrooms
Part III: Speech
7. Is ‘TERF’ A Slur?
8. Is Gender-Critical Speech Hate Speech?
9. Is Gender-Critical Speech Harmful Speech?

The preface and acknowledgements cite the following gender critical works:

The book also acknowledges Kate Phelan, Emily Vicendese, William Tuckwell, Sun Liu, Rene Rejon, Stephanie Collins, Cordelia Fine, Jess Megarry, Caroline Norma, Katie Steele, Christian Barry, Colin Klein, Luara Ferracioli, Kieran Oberman, Wolfgang Schwarz, Frank Hindriks, Arto Laitinen, Olle Blomberg, David Schweikard, Nin Kirkham, Rosa Freedman, Kathleen Stock, Mary Leng, Sophie Allen, Elizabeth Finneron-Burns, Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, Miriam Ronzoni, Anca Gheaus, Alex Byrne, Tomas Bogardus, and Callie Burt.

“Let Women Speak” rally (2023)

In 2023, Lawford-Smith was among those who attended an anti-trans rally co-organized by extremist Kellie-Jay Keen-Minshull and politician Moira Deeming. Deeming was expelled from the Liberal Party, and University of Melbourne opened an investigation into Lawford-Smith. Lawford-Smith was found to have posted about students in a way that “falls short of the standards of conduct and professionalism expected,” but the school declined to bring disciplinary action.

References

Killmister S. What’s Wrong with Gender-Critical Feminism? Hypatia. 2026;41(1):1-22. https://doi.org/10.1017/hyp.2024.79

Díaz-León, E. (2023). [review] Gender-Critical Feminism. Ethics, 134(1), 146–154. https://doi.org/10.1086/725814

Le Grand, Chip (May 21, 2023). University closes book on lecturer transphobia complaints. Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/national/university-closes-book-on-lecturer-transphobia-complaints-20230518-p5d9c4.html

Weinberg, Justin (April 27, 2022). OUP Responds to Letter Regarding Gender-Critical Feminism Book. Daily Nous https://dailynous.com/2022/04/27/oup-responds-letter-regarding-gender-critical-feminism/

Anti-trans coverage

Little, Ann M. (August 23, 2024). A Feminism with Teeth: Lessons from Holly Lawford-Smith’s “Gender Critical Feminism.” Fairer Disputations https://fairerdisputations.org/a-feminism-with-teeth-lessons-from-holly-lawford-smiths-gender-critical-feminism/

McCullough, Alison (September 4, 2022). What Is Gender-Critical Feminism? 4W https://4w.pub/what-is-gender-critical-feminism/

“Gluck, Genevieve” (May 5, 2021). ‘No conflict, they said’ – An interview with Holly Lawford-Smith. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2021/05/05/no-conflict-they-said-an-interview-with-holly-lawford-smith/

Linehan, Graham (September 24, 2019). The Disappeared: Holly Lawford-Smith. Women Are Important. https://glinner.co.uk/untitled-11/ [archive]

Marshall, Richard (March 18, 2019). Thinking about climate change, global justice, and trans. 3:16 magazine https://www.3-16am.co.uk/articles/thinking-about-climate-change-global-justice-and-trans?c=end-times-series Original removed at 3am iagazine https://www.3ammagazine.com/3am/thinking-about-climate-change-global-justice-and-trans/

Selected writing by Lawford-Smith

Lawford-Smith, Holly (April 29, 2026). Is It Morally Wrong for Transwomen to Claim to Be Women? Journal of Controversial Ideas 2026, 6(1), 7 https://journalofcontroversialideas.org/article/6/1/317

Lawford‐Smith, H. (2026). What Does Trans Inclusion in a Liberal State Require? Philosophy & Public Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1111/papa.70016

Lawford-Smith, Holly (January 16, 2026). The Uninvited Sermon: Why artists, academics and others should not exploit the presence of a captive audience. Quillette https://quillette.com/2026/01/13/the-uninvited-sermon-activism-free-speech-captive-audienc/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (June 3, 2025). The Best Kind of Political Art. Quillette https://quillette.com/2025/06/03/the-best-kind-of-political-art-chimamanda-adichie-dream-count-feminism-fiction/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (December 18, 2024). Identity and Conflicts of Interest. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/12/18/identity-should-never-override-academic-freedom-gender-critical-feminism-universities/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (December 8, 2024). Corporate Cancellations. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/12/08/corporate-cancellations-free-speech-australia/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (October 21, 2024). Feminism and Free Speech. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/10/21/feminism-and-free-speech/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (September 26, 2024). Mandatory Denunciations and the Case of Deeming v Pesutto. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/09/26/court-ordered-denunciations-pesutto-kelly-jane-keane-deeming/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (December 14, 2025). Defaming the Dead. Quillette https://quillette.com/2025/12/14/defaming-the-dead-monster-ed-gein-netflix-review/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (August 27, 2024). Tickle vs. Giggle. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/08/27/tickle-vs-giggle/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (August 12, 2024). Ladies in Leotards. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/08/12/why-do-female-gymnasts-wear-leotards-womens-gymnastics-olympics/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (June 25, 2024). What Heterodox Feminism Is Not. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/06/25/what-heterodox-feminism-is-not/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (May 27, 2024). What Does It Mean for Something to Be Socially Constructed? Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/05/27/what-does-it-mean-for-something-to-be-socially-constructed-sex-gender-trans/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (April 12, 2024). Double Standards in the Gender Debate. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/04/12/whos-afraid-of-gender-judith-butler-holly-lawford-smith/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (March 20, 2024). Is G Flip A Woman? Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/03/20/is-g-flip-a-woman/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (March 4, 2024). Not Everyone Who Disagrees with You Is An ‘Uncle Tom.’ Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/03/04/not-everyone-who-disagrees-with-you-is-an-uncle-tom/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (January 21, 2024). Is Sanity Returning to the Australian Gender Debate? Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/01/21/is-sanity-returning-to-the-australian-gender-debate/

Lawford-Smith, H. (2024). Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Conversion Therapy: Or, Who Put The ‘GI’ in ‘SOGI’? Journal of Open Inquiry in the Behavioral Sciences, 3(3). https://doi.org/10.58408/issn.2992-9253.2024.02.01.0001

Lawford-Smith, H., & Tuckwell, W. (2024). What is an ally? Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy, 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1080/13698230.2024.2309050

Lawford-Smith, Holly (2023). Is Inclusion Good? In Hetherington, Stephen [editor]. Extreme Philosophy: Bold Ideas and a Spirit of Progress. Routledge, ISBN 978-1032317397

Lawford-Smith, Holly (November 27, 2023). The Heckler’s Veto and the Right to Free Association. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/11/27/the-hecklers-veto-and-the-right-to-free-association/

Phelan, Kate M.; Lawford-Smith, Holly (October 31, 2023). Feminist Separatism Revisited. Journal of Controversial Ideas https://journalofcontroversialideas.org/article/3/2/261

Lawford-Smith, Holly (October 6, 2023). Trans Identity and the Right to Exist. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/10/06/the-right-to-exist/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (September 15, 2023). Sex Discrimination Without Sex. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/09/15/sex-discrimination-without-sex/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (August 24, 2023). On Political Hatred. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/08/24/on-political-hatred/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (June 26, 2023). What Even Is ‘Trans’? Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/06/26/what-even-is-transfeminism/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (May 31, 2023). Campus Speech and Compromised Safety. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/05/31/campus-speech-and-compromised-safety/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (April 26, 2023). The Witch Trials of J.K. Rowling Continue. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/04/26/the-witch-trials-of-jk-rowling-continue/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (April 4, 2023). Mobbed but Unbowed: An Interview with Kellie-Jay Keen. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/04/04/an-interview-with-kellie-jay-keen/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (March 20, 2023). Is There Such a Thing as a Good Academic-Activist? Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/03/20/is-there-such-a-thing-as-a-good-academic-activist/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (February 16, 2023). The Ethos of Female Prisons. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/02/16/the-ethos-of-female-prisons/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (January 18, 2023). Vices of Mainstream Feminism. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/01/18/vices-of-mainstream-feminism/

Lawford-Smith, H. (2023). Who Is Feminism For? The Philosophers’ Magazine, (99), 40–48. https://doi.org/10.5840/tpm20239911

Lawford-Smith, Holly (November 28, 2022). Ending Discrimination by Twitter. Quillette https://quillette.com/2022/11/28/ending-discrimination-on-twitter/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (November 4, 2022). Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity: the Politics of the Pairing. Part of Sex, and the Politics of Sex: with Tomas Bogardus, Alex Byrne. and Eric Sampson [moderator]. 6th Annual Meeting of the Philosophy, Politics, and Economics Society. New Orleans. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qR2SPnmvwPY1azc82CdqfuR8nLnx39K0/view?pli=1

In the last few years, many countries have introduced (or are proposing to introduce) legislation on ‘conversion therapy’, prohibiting attempts to change or suppress sexual orientation and/or gender identity. This legislation covers ‘aversion therapy’, a form of torture that has already been criminalized in most progressive countries, and ‘talk therapy’, involving things like counselling, psychoanalysis, and prayer. Puzzlingly, when an evidence base is pointed at to justify claims that such attempts are ineffective and harmful, the evidence is almost exclusively about sexual orientation, and not gender identity. So why have the two been paired in conversion therapy legislation? I consider various philosophical and political arguments for the pairing, and argue that they are largely unsatisfying. Furthermore, pairing them risks locking in an ‘affirmation-only’ approach to gender identity, which is reckless given what looks like a social contagion around these identities. The implications are that conversion therapy legislation should be about sexual orientation alone, and activists for lesbian, gay and bisexual rights should be vigilant about academic and political work that simply rolls the two together.

Lawford-Smith, Holly (July 13, 2022). How Automatic Gender ‘Affirmation’ Hurts Girls and Women. Quillette https://quillette.com/2022/07/13/how-automatic-gender-affirmation-hurts-girls-and-women/

Lawford-Smith, Holly (September 20, 2019). How the Trans-Rights Movement Is Turning Philosophers Into Activists. Quillette https://quillette.com/2019/09/20/how-the-trans-rights-movement-is-turning-academic-philosophers-into-sloganeering-activists/

Mary Leng, Sophie Allen, Jane Clare Jones, Holly Lawford-Smith, Rebecca Reilly-Cooper, and Kathleen Stock (May 23, 2019). Doing better in arguments about sex, gender, and trans rights. Medium https://medium.com/@kathleenstock/doing-better-in-arguments-about-sex-and-gender-3bec3fc4bdb6 [archive]

Selected books

Lawford-Smith, Holly (2025). Feminism Beyond Left and Right. Polity, ISBN 978-1509564798

Lawford-Smith, Holly (2023). Sex Matters: Essays in Gender-Critical Philosophy. Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0192896131

Lawford-Smith, Holly (2022). Gender-Critical Feminism. Oxford University Press, ISBN ‎978-0198863885

Media

Quillette with Iona Italia and Holly Lawford-Smith (September 12, 2025). Podcast #302: Should Feminists Work with the Right? https://quillette.com/2025/09/12/podcast-302-should-feminists-work-with-the-right/

Beyond Gender with Stella O’Malley, Bret Alderman, and Holly Lawford-Smith (April 24, 2025). The Philosopher Who REJECTS Gender Identity – Holly Lawford-Smith (#10). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwe2BCeJ4qM

Quillette / Quillette Cetera with Zoe Sankey and Holly Lawford-Smith (September 7, 2023). Oppressed or Oppressor? Quillette Cetera Episode 16

Resources

Holly Lawford-Smith (hollylawford-smith.org)

No Conflict They Said (noconflicttheysaid.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Quillette (quillette.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Google Scholar (scholar.google.com)