The founder of Transgender Trend, Stephanie Davies-Arai, was shortlisted for the 2018 John Maddox Prize.
The prize is awarded to those who address misleading information about scientific issues, bring sound evidence to the public and help others to make sense of a complicated scientific topic. The prestigious award seeks to recognise ‘the work of individuals who promote sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, facing difficulty or hostility in doing so’. In her work, Davies-Arai challenged the unquestioning acceptance of transgenderism and addressed the concerns faced by parents and young people.
Although not going on to win the prize, judges noted the emergence of ‘toxic debates’ in new areas of research, such as the evidence for transgender medical interventions, and called for employers, government agencies, funders and professional bodies to do more to support researchers, to ensure the public continue to have access to all discussions about evidence.
