Alex Sharpe

Alex Sharpe photot Professor Sharpe has been involved in transgender law reform and activism for over twenty years. During that time, she has provided advice to various government agencies and departments, members of parliament, law firms, public interest advocacy organisations, and a variety of professional bodies, both in the UK and internationally. Professor Sharpe has also represented transgender groups at parliamentary hearings. She regularly meets with transgender groups both nationally and internationally and sits on the International Legal Committee of the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (WPATH). This committee makes law reform interventions in transgender litigation worldwide by way of amicus briefs. She also sat on Amnesty International's Expert Committee on the Criminalisation of Sexual and Reproductive Conduct.

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Keynote addresses and lectures

Alex regularly presents keynote addresses, lectures and appears at many other speaking events involving transgender rights concerns. In recent years, she has been invited to speak in New York, Prague, Tel Aviv, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, Lund, Oslo, Berlin, Vienna, San Francisco, Zurich, Rome, as well as in the UK. She also has a significant media profile and is widely consulted by various media as well as publishing in national newspapers, magazines and blogs.

For recent examples, see:

Interviews

Sharpe A. 'Reform of the GRA' BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour (26 November 2018).
Sharpe A. 'The eight year sentence Gayle Newland received after her conviction for 'gender fraud' London's LBC Radio (13 November 2015).
Sharpe A. 'The conviction of Gayle Newland for 'gender fraud' Canada's CBC Radio (2 October 2015).

Media Articles

Sharpe A. 'Are Some Feminists Asking the Wrong Question about Who Counts as a Lesbian?' Diva Magazine https://divamag.co.uk/2019/01/22/opinion-are-some-feminists-asking-the-wrong-question-about-who-counts-as-a-lesbian/ (22 January 2019).
Sharpe A. ‘Parliament cannot have Intended such Absurdity' in 'Shifting Sands: Six Legal Views on the Transgender Debate’ The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2018/oct/19/gender-recognition-act-reforms-six-legal-views-transgender-debate (19 October 2018).
Sharpe A. ‘What Would Changes to the Gender Recognition Act Mean? Two legal Views’ The Conversation https://theconversation.com/what-would-changes-to-the-gender-recognition-act-mean-two-legal-views-103204 (5 October 2018).
Sharpe A. ‘Using AI to Determine Queer Sexuality is Misconceived and Dangerous’ The Conversation https://theconversation.com/using-ai-to-determine-queer-sexuality-is-misconceived-and-dangerous-83931 (co-author Dr Sen Raj) (15 Sept 2017).
Sharpe A. 'Gayle Newland and the Problem of Equating Ignorance with Non-Consent' The Conversation (3 July 2017) https://theconversation.com/gayle-newland-and-the-problem-of-equating-ignorance-with-non-consent-80407 - this article considers the conviction of Gayle Newland at her retrial in Manchester.
Sharpe A. 'The Dark Truth Behind Convictions for Gender Fraud' The New Statesman (16 December 2015) http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2015/12/dark-truth-behind-convictions-gender-fraud - this article considers the Kyran Lee conviction and situates it within the broader context of 'gender fraud' cases prosecuted in the UK since 2012.
Sharpe A. 'Let Germaine Greer Speak: Its the Fastest Way to Discredit Her' The New Statesman (27 October 2015) http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2015/10/let-germaine-greer-speak-its-fastest-way-discredit-her - this article considers sexual politics around censorship.
Sharpe A. 'There's More Than Meets the Eye in the Case of Gayle Newland' The New Statesman (18 September 2015) http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/feminism/2015/09/theres-more-meets-eye-case-gayle-newland - this article criticises the conviction of Gayle Newland for 'gender fraud' and considers how a jury could have found believable a complainant story so fantastic.
Sharpe A. 'We Must Not Uphold Gender Norms at the Expense of Human Dignity' The New Statesman (1 May 2013) http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/05/we-must-not-uphold-gender-norms-expense-human-dignity - this article considers what is at stake in the wake of the successful prosecutions for 'gender fraud' of Chris Wilson and Justine McNally.

Blogs

Sharpe A. 'Gym Use and Changing Rooms: the Illegality and Chilling Effect of (Trans)gender Segregation' Oxford University Human Rights Hub http://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/gym-use-and-changing-rooms-the-illegality-and-chilling-effect-of-transgender-segregation/ (co-author Dr Peter Dunne) (28 March 2019).
Sharpe A. ‘Legal Arguments that Gender Self-Declaration Undermines Women’s Rights are Seriously Flawed’ Inherently Human https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2018/10/15/legal-arguments-that-gender-self-declaration-undermines-womens-rights-are-seriously-flawed/ (15 October 2018).
Sharpe A. ‘Foxes in the Henhouse: Putting the Trans Women Prison Debate in Perspective’ Inherently Human https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2018/09/11/foxes-in-the-henhouse-putting-the-trans-women-prison-debate-in-perspective/ (11 Sept 2018).
Sharpe A.'Taking to Task Left Liberal Opposition to Greening's Gender Recognition Reforms' Inherently Human 1 August 2017 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/taking-to-task-left-liberal-opposition-to-greenings-gender-recognition-reforms/#more-2159 - this article challenges elements of the left who oppose gender recognition reform.
Sharpe A.'Blind Desire: The Troubling Case of Gayle Newland' Inherently Human 29 June 2017 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2017/06/29/blind-desire-the-troubling-case-of-gayle-newland/ - this article considers the Newland case and invites readers to reconsider the relationship between agency, desire and consent.
Sharpe A.'Let's Get Real on International Women's Day' Inherently Human 3 October 2017 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2017/03/10/lets-get-real-on-international-womens-day/ - this article takes to task comments made by Jenny Murray on Radio 4's Woman's Hour.
Sharpe A.'The Poverty of Gender Critical Feminism' Inherently Human 17 May 2017 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2016/05/17/the-poverty-of-gender-critical-feminism/ - this article offers a critique of gender critical feminism in relation to transgender.
Sharpe A.'Why We Should Oppose Gender Identity Fraud Prosecutions' Legal Voice 10 July 2017 http://www.legalvoice.org.uk/oppose-gender-identity-fraud-prosecutions/ - this article offers a number of principled objections to criminal prosecution.
Sharpe A. 'Stop Me if You Think that You've Heard this One Before' Inherently Human 1 April 2016 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2016/04/02/stop-me-if-you-think-youve-heard-this-one-before-the-stranglehold-of-the-gender-fraud-narrative/ - this article challenges 'gender fraud' prosecutions on the back of the conviction of Jason (Jennifer) Staines and the 39 month prison sentence handed down.
Sharpe A. 'Transgender Inquiry Side-Steps Urgent Issue of Gender Fraud' Inherently Human 15 January 2016 https://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/2016/01/15/transgender-inquiry-side-steps-urgent-issue-of-gender-fraud/#more-1835 - this article challenges whether CPS prosecutorial guidelines are being applied appropriately in 'gender fraud' cases.
Sharpe A. 'Deceit or Disappointment: Gender 'Fraud' Revisited Inherently Human 6 October 2015 http://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/ - this article considers whether 'gender fraud' cases are motivated by deceit or disappointment.
Sharpe A. 'Constructing Trans-Cis Sexual Intimacy as Rape: A Novel Cis-Sexist Genre' Inherently Human 23 October 2013 http://inherentlyhuman.wordpress.com/ - this article challenges legal constructions of consent, harm and deception in the context of 'gender fraud' prosecutions.

Citation of publications by courts

In terms of impact, Professor Sharpe’s publications in the field of transgender jurisprudence have been cited judically and have been used in parliamentary and amicus curiae intervention submissions.

European Court of Human Rights

Hamalainen v Finland [2014] ECHR 877 (Joint Dissenting Opinion of Judges Sajo, Keller & Lemmens, para. 13)

United States

In the Marriage of Michael J. Kantaras v Linda Kantaras (2003) 6^th Judicial Circuit in and for Pasco County, FLA case number: 98-5375CA 511998DR00537WS

Australia

Attorney-General for the Commonwealth of Australia v Kevin and Jennifer & HREOC (2003) FamCA 94
Kevin and Jennifer v Attorney-General for the Commonwealth of Australia (2001) FamCA 1074

Citations in parliamentary and amicus curiae intervention submissions

United Kingdom

Submission by the Centre for Law and Social Justice, University of Leeds, and Intersex UK to the Women and Equalities Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Transgender Equality (August 2015)

Submission by the Gender Identity, Research and Education Society to the Public Bills Committee proposing legislative amendments to the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2013.

Hong Kong

Submission by counsel for W in the Hong Kong appeal case of W v Registrar for Marriages against the decision of Mr Justice A. Cheung, Appeal heard October 12-14, 2011.

Australia

Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs in relation to the ‘Inquiry into the Effectiveness of the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act 1984 in Eliminating Discrimination and Promoting Gender Equality’ by the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University, Mebourne, 2009 http://www.law.monash.edu.au/castancentre/policywork/sex-discrimination.pdf

Submission by the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission intervening in Re Alex: Hormonal Treatment for Gender Identity Dysphoria [2004] FamCA 297

Argentina

Amicus Curiae intervention by the Programa para America Latina y el Caribe Comision Internacional para los Derechos Humanos de Gays y Lesbianas in Alitt Associacion Lucha Por La Identidad Travesti-Transexual c/IGJ 1720574/35584 s/Recurso Contencioso-Administrativo (2006) Buenos Aires.

Written parliamentary submissions

United Kingdom

Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill: A Consultation (March 2020).

Submission to the International Commission of Jurists regarding ‘Misuse of Criminal Laws in the areas of Sexuality and Gender Identity’ (31/3/19).

Submision to the Government Equalities Office in relation to Reform of the GRA 2004 to allow for gender self-declaration (co-author: Dr Peter Dunne) (15/10/18).

Submission to Ministry of Justice Inquiry into the Care and Management of Transgender Offenders (2016) - focuses on issues of allocation and segregation within the prison estate (co-authors: Dr Fabienne Emmerich and Ms Robyn Emerton).

Submission to the Women and Equalities Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry into Transgender Equality, focusing specifically on criminal law and marriage issues (August 2015);

Co-author, submission by the Gender Identity, Research and Education Society to the Public Bills Committee proposing legislative amendments to the Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2013.