Joe Ball's Higginbotham Lecture contextualises the fight for trans rights within a longer history of social justice movements, challenging the notion that these are new or extreme concerns.6 March 2026
Joe Ball's Higginbotham Lecture offers an important reminder about perspective and history. The fight for trans rights is not new, not fringe, and certainly not disconnected from the broader movements for equality and dignity that have come before it.
When we understand trans rights activism within its proper historical context, something shifts in how we see it. These are not sudden demands or radical departures from established values. Rather, they represent a continuation of the long work of recognising the humanity and rights of those whom society has previously overlooked or excluded.
I've always believed that good medicine and good policy emerge when we listen to history and to the people affected. Ball's lecture reminds us to do both. Read the full piece to explore how this history shapes our understanding of where we are now and where we need to go.