Philosopher's Zone Is it time to get rid of legal gender status?
Mar 18, 2026
Davina Cooper, research professor in law and political theory at King’s College London, discusses legal gender, decertification and gender politics. She traces the Future of Legal Gender Project, surveys public polarisation, and maps where legal sex still matters. She considers arguments for abolishing legal gender status, practical risks for institutions like prisons and sport, and how reform fits into wider social justice.
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Why Legal Sex Certification Is Being Questioned
- Decertification questions why the state assigns legal sex at birth and whether those categories remain necessary.
- Davina Cooper explains pressures from transitions, non-binary identities, and administrative burdens that prompted the Future of Legal Gender Project.
Public Opinion On Legal Gender Is Deeply Polarised
- Public opinion on legal gender is polarised and contested rather than settled.
- Cooper's 2018 survey revealed strong emotions and accusations of bias, showing the debate fuels frustration more than consensus.
Why The UK Debates Look Different
- British gender debates uniquely mobilise feminist traditions alongside other forces, producing a sex-realist movement.
- Cooper links socialist and radical feminist materialist histories, Brexit-era nationalism, media platforms, and protectionist frames as drivers.