Alessandra Asteriti is an Italian legal scholar and anti-transgender activist. Asteriti is author of the 2024 book Gender Identity in International Law: A Certain Inconvenience.
Asteriti has published anti-trans articles in The Critic and on a personal Substack.
Background
Alessandra Asteriti earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Rome in 2000. After moving to the UK, Asteriti earned a master’s degree from the University of Essex in 2005. Asteriti then attended the University of Glasgow, earning a doctorate in 2011 and a law degree in 2016.
Asteriti has taught in Scotland and Germany and Italian language in Minnesota. Asteriti has served as a Junior Professor of International Economic Law, Leuphana University.
Anti-trans activism
In 2020, Asteriti published an opinion piece in La Repubblica titled “L’identità di genere è contro le donne” [Gender identity is against women]. Asteriti was then dubbed “queen of the Italian TERFs.”
Asteriti is affiliated with Women’s Declaration International and has appeared on the RadFem Italia YouTube channel and the Peaked podcast by Róisín Michaux.
In 2023, Asteriti co-signed an anti-trans complaint to United Nations prepared by LGB Alliance.
Selected writing by Asteriti
Asteriti, Alessandra (April 27, 2023). Trans rights and wrongs: There is more than one definition of a “right.” The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/trans-rights-and-wrongs/
Asteriti, Alessandra (January 31, 2023). Journalism is failing women: We deserve to know the sex of dangerous criminals. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/journalism-is-failing-women/
Asteriti, Alessandra (January 17, 2023). The case for repealing the GRA. A category error cannot solved by exceptions. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/the-case-for-repealing-the-gra/
Asteriti, Alessandra (January 12, 2023). How I Became the Queen of Italian TERFs. Gender Dissident https://alessandraasteriti.substack.com/p/how-i-became-the-queen-of-italian
Asteriti, Alessandra (July 26, 2022). Canaries in the coalmine: The effects of transgender inclusion policies on female prisoners. Centre for Crime and Justice Studies https://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/canaries-coalmine alt url https://alessandraasteriti.substack.com/p/canaries-in-the-goldmine
Asteriti, Alessandra (December 16, 2020). L’identità di genere è contro le donne [Gender identity is against women]. La Repubblica https://invececoncita.blogautore.repubblica.it/articoli/2020/12/16/lidentita-di-genere-e-contro-le-donne/
Asteriti, Alessandra; Bull, Rebecca (2020). Gender Self-Declaration and Women’s Rights: How Self Identification Undermines Women’s Rights and Will Lead to an Increase in Harms: A Reply to Alex Sharpe, ‘Will Gender Self-Declaration Undermine Women’s Rights and Lead to an Increase in Harms?’ (2020) 83(3) Modern Law Review, 539. https://www.modernlawreview.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Asteriti-and-Bull-Reply-to-Sharpe.pdf
Book
Asteriti, Alessandra (2024). Gender Identity in International Law: A Certain Inconvenience. Cambridge Scholars Publishing, ISBN 978-1036405502
Media
Women’s Declaration International with Alessandra Asteriti, Sharon Byrne, and Anna Zobnina (July 30, 2024). Alessandra Asteriti -The genealogy of gender identity in international law #WDI #FQT #WDIConference. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogYdpHgfYOk
Women’s Declaration International with Jo Brew, Joan, Laura & Jodie from Resistance Lesbiennes, Amanda Stulman, Zoe Blunt, and Alessandra Asteriti (July 20, 2021). Feminist Question Time 17 July 2021 [COMPLETE WEBINAR]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Byptrwg5_eQ
- Women’s Declaration International with Jo Brew and Alessandra Asteriti (July 20, 2021). Alessandra Asteriti on the importance of women’s sex segregated spaces: toilets and changing rooms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yD-c63gkLuY
RadFem Italia (May 6, 2021). TACI DONNA! Ospite Alessandra Asteriti. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_eJm8SQpVw
Resources
The Critic (thecritic.co.uk)
- Alessandra Asteriti
- thecritic.co.uk/author/alessandra-asteriti
X/Twitter (x.com)
Substack (substack.com)
- alessandraasteriti
- Gender Dissident
- alessandraasteriti.substack.com
The Umbra Institute (umbra.org)
- Alessandra Asteriti
- umbra.org/facultypost/alessandra-asteriti
University of Glasgow (gla.ac.uk)
- Dr Alessandra Asteriti
- eprints.gla.ac.uk/profile/29773
Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (crimeandjustice.org.uk)
- Alessandra Asteriti
- crimeandjustice.org.uk/author/alessandra-asteriti