A Philosopher Discusses Gender

‘Transgressive’ by Rachel Anne Williams

I stumbled across a fabulous trans philosophy book by Rachel Anne Williams. It’s a long collection of short essays, and it’s called Transgressive: A Trans Woman on Gender, Feminism, and Politics.

[Note: After I read the book and wrote this article, Ray Alex Williams began posting videos to YouTube, starting with “Why I am Detransitioning” in August 2023, discarding not only trans identity but also renouncing so-called trans “ideology” and “activism.” Williams now mocks trans people on X, telling them they don’t pass. I became aware of this in January 2025. I’ll revisit this article I wrote when I have time. Meanwhile I’m ever more skeptical of the influence of Heidegger.]

In the book, Williams covers topics like these.

What Does It Mean to Be Trans?

• We don’t need to know how our brains or chromosomes are sexed.
• We can be agnostic about our own “gender identities.”
• In a pragmatic sense, you’re trans if you want to take some action toward gender transition. Williams — just trying to explain the word, not to gatekeep the community or the language — proposes that “trans” means the desire to “self-consciously move away from one’s birth assignment” and to do…