Fake news, false experts and flawed narratives

Sarah Lamble is Reader in Criminology & Queer Theory at Birkbeck, University of London. Lamble’s work addresses issues of gender, sexuality and imprisonment as well as alternative forms of justice and responses to violence. Lamble is a founding member of the Bent Bars Project, which coordinates a letter-writing programme for LGBTIQ+ prisoners in Britain.

Transgender prisoners in Britain have received considerable public attention in recent years. Questions about the placement of trans people in men’s and women’s prisons, debates around current prison policy, and concerns about safety, well-being and human rights have generated increased public interest and discussion. Yet much of the current public debate, as well as social and corporate media reporting, has been characterised by false claims, misleading narratives and decontextualised statistics. Drawing from a range of examples from corporate media and campaigning groups, this paper will trace why and how such narratives have taken hold, and the social and political context that underpins these claims. Focussing specifically on the debates about trans women in women’s prisons, the paper argues that the widespread circulation of misinformation not only rests on a set of misdirected fears and fantasies, but through a popularised affective investment in carceral feminism and ‘sexual exceptionalism’.

This webinar is part of an open webinar series, hosted by CISC. To discover more please visit the Centre for Intimate and Sexual Citizenship and follow the Centre on Twitter.