Sex, Lies and Statistics

Sex, Lies and Statistics investigates one of the most contentious and puzzling social phenomena of our time: the removal of sex from data, social policy and public discourse.

Sociologist Alice Sullivan traces the origins of the conflation of sex and gender in sexology, postmodern queer theory, and transgender rights activism. She analyses the way these ideas moved beyond academia and permeated our institutions, tracing the consequences everywhere from statistics bureaux to sports bodies to prisons to the effects on children and young people. Along the way, she exposes the pressures—political, institutional, and social—that have discouraged open debate and sidelined evidence in favour of orthodoxy.

Sex, Lies and Statistics explains why we are losing data on sex, why we still need it as much as ever, and how we can move forward by recognising the distinction between sex and transgender identities. Clear, accessible, and deeply researched, this book makes a powerful case for evidence-based policymaking and honest public discussion. At a time when trust in institutions is increasingly fragile, Sullivan argues that if we are to avoid a post-truth culture, we must reject tribalism and groupthink, welcome critical voices, and reclaim the virtue of tolerance.