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Paris Lees is an English author, journalist, presenter and campaigner.[1][2][3] She topped The Independent on Sunday's 2013 Pink List, came second in the 2014 Rainbow List, and was awarded the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT in the 2012 National Diversity Awards.[1][4][5][6] Lees is the first transgender columnist at Vogue and was the first transgender woman to present shows on BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4.[7] Her first book, What It Feels Like For a Girl, was published by Penguin in 2021 and adapted into a television series in 2025.[8][9]

Key Information

Early life and education

[edit]

Lees was born and grew up in Hucknall, Nottinghamshire.[10][11] Her mother, Sally, gave birth to her aged 17.[12] Her father, Daren Lees,[12] worked as a bouncer.[13] Her parents separated when she was a baby.[12] Lees' aunt and her grandmother helped to raise her.[12] Lees describes herself as having had behavioural difficulties as a child and aged 9 her mother sent her to live with her father. At school, Lees underwent severe bullying, although she achieved good GCSE results.[13] She began having sex with men in exchange for money aged 14. Lees has stated that she recognises the experience as statutory rape, although she did not at the time.[3]

At age 16, Lees moved out of her father's house.[13] Lees later committed a robbery, for which she served eight months in prison, beginning at age 18. Lees later said, "I had dropped out of college. Basically, I had gone off the rails because I was terrified of going to prison. I ended up taking lots of drugs."[11] While in prison Lees decided to change: "I just thought, 'I'm this silly teenage boy in a prison cell who has made a huge mistake and I want to be this happy person'."[11] After being released from prison early, Lees studied for her A-Levels.[13]

Lees moved to Brighton, a notably LGBT-friendly city, to study English at university. Not long after moving, Lees started to identify publicly as a woman. "In the space of six weeks I went from living in Nottingham as a boy [...] to living in Brighton as a girl."[11] She received a referral to Charing Cross Gender Identity Clinic, where she received hormone treatment to begin her gender transition.[14]

Career

[edit]

Journalism and presenting

[edit]

Lees moved to London to pursue a career in journalism after graduating from university.[3]

She founded the first British magazine aimed at the trans community, META,[5][11] and was the acting assistant editor of Gay Times.[15] She also has columns in both Gay Times and Diva,[16] and was the first trans cover girl for Diva.[1][11]

Lees has also written for newspapers and magazines, including The Independent, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, PinkNews, and Vice,[15][16][17][18][19] as well as for Channel 4 News.[20]

Lees has worked as a presenter for television and radio, being the first trans woman presenter on both BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4.[1][11] On Radio 1, she produced a documentary entitled "The Hate Debate" for BBC Radio 1's Stories in which the attitudes people have towards minority groups were considered, along with racism, homophobia, transphobia and Islamophobia.[19] Critics praised Lees for doing "a fine job of provoking her listeners"[21] and for seeming "genuinely interested in the opinions of the young people she interviewed".[22] "The Hate Debate" was followed up with a second documentary in the same slot, "My Transgender Punk Rock Story", interviewing transgender rock star Laura Jane Grace and introducing the teenage audience to trans concepts of identity both within and outside of the binary. She also presented the episode "Trans" of Channel 4's The Shooting Gallery.[23]

On 25 October 2013, Lees took part as a panellist in the BBC's 100 Women event.[24] On 31 October, Lees became the first openly trans panellist to appear on the BBC's Question Time programme, drawing praise from commentators who included former Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and the Labour Party deputy leader Harriet Harman.[25]

In 2018, Lees was appointed as Vogue's first trans columnist.[7]

In 2021, Penguin released Lees' first book, What It Feels Like For A Girl, a novel memoir based on Lees' life aged 13 to 18, beginning in 2001. In the book, Lees uses the fictional character of Byron as a way of writing about her pre-transition self.[8] Lees had approached Penguin with the idea for the book in 2013, originally planning to write a more conventional autobiography.[3] In 2025, a television series based on the book was released on BBC Three.[26]

Activism

[edit]

Lees, working with Trans Media Watch, challenged Channel 4 to remove transphobic material from their broadcasts,[4] and consulted with the channel for its documentary My Transsexual Summer.[27][28] She has worked with several media outlets to guide the covering of transgender people; in its 2013 Pink List award coverage, The Independent on Sunday said "It was noted by our judges that the Daily Mail's coverage of trans issues has improved noticeably since she had lunch with its managing editor".[1]

Lees currently works with All About Trans, a project that tries to bring together journalists and other media professionals with transgender people.[11][29]

In 2013, Lees topped The Independent on Sunday's Pink List, naming her as the most influential lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender figure in the UK; she was a judge for that award in 2011 and 2012.[1][11]

Lees has said that social media is a key tool for transgender people to improve their societal recognition:

People have been taking the piss out of trans people for 60 years. The narrative on trans issues has been controlled by people who have no understanding of them. Social media is about us grabbing the narrative back and telling our own stories – this is our reality, this is what we go through and this is what matters to us. We're here, we're in your face, we definitely exist. That's the most important thing – realising we exist.[30]

Paris Lees in 2014

Lees also expressed objections to "#fuckcispeople", a controversial trending hashtag on the social networking site Twitter referring to cisgender people, which she thought was counterproductive: "It is much better to engage in a positive dialogue than through angry abuse".[31]

On 11 August 2014, Lees was supposed to be on air with BBC Newsnight recording to talk about the impact of Kellie Maloney coming out as a trans woman. However, Lees refused to be a part of the show as she tweeted that "I've turned down BBC Newsnight as I'm not prepared to enter into a fabricated debate about trans people's right to exist/express themselves".[32]

In November 2014, Lees appeared in Hollyoaks, playing herself, and a friend of the transgender character Blessing Chambers (played by Modupe Adeyeye).

In May 2016 Lees, alongside Brooke Magnanti, was called to give evidence about conditions for sex workers in the UK to the Home Affairs Select Committee investigating prostitution laws in Britain.[33] The resulting recommendations by the committee headed by Keith Vaz, released in July 2016, implemented Lees and Magnanti's suggestions[citation needed] to eliminate criminal records[34] of those arrested for prostitution-related crimes.[35] Sex worker non-profits called the apparent U-turn decision "a stunning victory for sex workers and our demands for decriminalisation" and "a giant step forward for sex workers' rights in the UK".[36]

In June 2020, Lees invited J. K. Rowling to lunch, after the COVID lockdown was over, to introduce her to some young trans people, following the author's comments about transgender people.[37][38]

Personal life

[edit]

Lees has publicly identified herself as a bisexual trans woman, and as a feminist.[19][39] Lees has written about how in the early days of her gender transition she received abuse for not passing as female.[30]

In response to the announced gender transition of Chelsea Manning, Lees revealed that as a teenager and before her transition, she had gone to prison for robbery. Lees, who then was living as an effeminate gay male, said of the experience that "looking like a girly boy in an institute full of rough lads wasn't a barrel of laughs", but that prison was less violent than school because other prisoners were more disposed to harming themselves than others.[40]

After her release from prison and being turned down for a part-time job answering phones, Lees described having an epiphany: "When I realised I would like to change society, not myself, all these good things have come into my life".[11] She subsequently received a referral to Charing Cross Hospital's gender identity clinic, and met her boyfriend shortly after beginning hormone replacement therapy.[11]

In 2018 she became the first openly trans woman featured in British Vogue.[41] She later became a columnist with British Vogue in November 2018.[42]

She was also the first openly trans presenter on BBC Radio 1 and Channel 4.[43]

Bibliography

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See also

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References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Paris Lees

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Paris Lees (born 1988) is a British journalist, author, and broadcaster who transitioned from male to living as a woman. Raised in , , Lees endured , grooming by older men, and involvement in exploitative sex work during a troubled , which led to an eight-month sentence in a young offenders institution for robbery at age 16. After release, Lees returned to education, earning A-levels and a BA in English from the in 2009, during which time she began hormone treatment and transitioned. She launched a career in , serving as assistant editor at Gay Times, founding META—the UK's first transgender community magazine—in 2012, and becoming the first openly transgender columnist for British Vogue. Lees authored the memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl in 2021, drawing from her youth, which was adapted into an eight-part BBC Three drama series in 2025; she has also presented for and , and contributed to outlets including The Guardian and The Telegraph. Named Britain's most influential LGBT person by The Independent on Sunday in 2013, Lees has advocated for improved media representation of individuals but faced criticism for supporting self-identification policies and equating her pre-transition male experiences with those of biological females.

Early Life and Criminal History

Childhood and Family Influences

Paris Lees was born in 1988 in , , a former mining town north of . Her mother, Sally, was 17 years old at the time of her birth, and her father, Daren Lees, worked as a club and former boxer described locally as a "hardman." The parents' relationship ended in a contentious breakup when Lees was an infant, after which her father had limited involvement in her upbringing. Lees' mother struggled to manage parenting responsibilities amid the separation, leading to primary caregiving by members, including her maternal aunt Rachael and grandmother, whom Lees referred to as "Mama." Her mother and an older sister also contributed to her care during early school years. Lees has described her childhood as containing both affectionate elements and significant hardships, including for effeminate traits and an overall sense of instability from familial discord. Growing up in a working-class environment marked by economic decline in , she identified early as and faced social for non-conforming . These experiences, detailed in her 2021 memoir What It Feels Like for a , encompassed grooming by older individuals and exposure to local dangers, contributing to a turbulent beginning around age 13. The absence of a stable paternal figure and reliance on maternal relatives shaped a household dynamic of intermittent support amid maternal challenges.

Involvement in Crime and Prostitution

Lees began engaging in prostitution at the age of 14, working as a "rent boy" and meeting older men in public toilets and wooded areas for paid sexual encounters. She has reflected on these experiences as involving statutory rape, given her age and the ages of clients in their 30s and 40s, though she notes they were not forced at the time. This activity continued part-time during her college years and later in Brighton, where she earned higher fees after adopting makeup and feminine presentation. At age 16, Lees participated in a alongside another sex worker, targeting a client by stealing his bank cards and withdrawing a significant amount of money. She was arrested for her role in the offense and sentenced to a two-year term in a young offender institution, serving eight months before early release under curfew. Following release, Lees worked in a call center while completing A-levels, marking a shift away from such activities. Her from these events later impacted job opportunities, such as a rejection for a part-time phone-answering role.

Imprisonment and Initial Transition

Incarceration Details

Lees was convicted of committed at the age of 16 in , . She received a two-year and was incarcerated in a young offenders' institution. Lees served eight months of the sentence before release. The incarceration occurred prior to her and has been described by Lees as a pivotal moment prompting life reevaluation.

Gender Dysphoria Onset and Early Transition Steps

Paris Lees reported experiencing from a young age, recalling feelings of being a as early as age four, when she was defended by a friend against older boys and began experimenting with wearing tights to school and using girls' toilets a few years later. She described always knowing her identity but viewing a female life as an "impossible dream" amid family rejection and . At age 16, Lees was incarcerated for eight months in a young offenders institution following a conviction, during which she initially assumed her attractions indicated she was but came to recognize a deeper desire to live as female, marking a pivotal clarification of her . conditions exacerbated her distress, including , yet she used writing as an outlet while privately envisioning a female existence. Following her release on , Lees returned to presenting as male and completed her A-levels before, at approximately age 18 or 19 around 2006–2007, relocating to after her grandmother's death and initiating social transition by living openly as a girl within six weeks. She then enrolled in university in , ceased male attire, and pursued medical evaluation, securing a referral to London's Gender Identity Clinic for (HRT), which she began during this period amid struggles with depression and societal adjustment. Later steps included in 2012, supported by her mother.

Education and Entry into Advocacy

Academic Background

After her release from prison in 2008, Lees returned to education by enrolling in college to complete her A-levels, having previously dropped out. She subsequently applied to and was accepted at the , where she studied English Language and Literature, graduating in 2009 with a BA (Hons) degree. During her time at the university, Lees began her . In recognition of her advocacy work on gender diversity, the awarded Lees an honorary in 2016. Similarly, conferred an honorary upon her in 2019 for her contributions as a and equal rights campaigner. Lees has no record of formal academic qualifications prior to her post-incarceration studies.

Founding of META Magazine

In 2012, Paris Lees founded META, recognized as the first magazine in the specifically aimed at the community. The publication launched in May 2012 as a digital-only platform, emphasizing accessibility via the , which Lees identified as particularly vital for individuals seeking information and community. Lees served as editor, with the magazine published by the team responsible for DIVA and Gay Times, and Andy Potter appointed as head of marketing. Its content focused on and -related news, discussions, and entertainment, including interviews such as one with journalist , legal advice for transgender readers, and features on medical interventions like delay drugs. The founding motivation stemmed from Lees's view that inadequately addressed issues in a mature manner, prompting a push for a celebratory and aspirational outlet where the community could assert ownership over its narratives. Lees described META as capturing "a new mood" among transgender people and those questioning norms, aiming to appeal beyond strictly transgender audiences to broader discussions on diversity. By 2013, Lees had shifted focus to freelance writing, though the initiative marked an early effort to establish dedicated transgender media in Britain.

Media Career

Journalism Milestones

Lees entered journalism through contributions to LGBTQ+ focused outlets, including where she served as assistant editor around 2013. In December 2013, she published a prominent personal essay in recounting her childhood , involvement in sex work, and , which garnered attention for its candid portrayal of experiences. In May 2015, Lees received the Young Campaigning Journalist of the Year award at the Media & Health Promotions Charity's (MHPC) 30 to Watch Awards, recognizing her efforts to advance visibility and rights through writing in publications like Attitude. This accolade highlighted her role in challenging media underrepresentation of trans perspectives via opinion pieces and features. A pivotal achievement came in November 2018 when Lees was appointed the first regular columnist in British Vogue's 125-year history, contributing essays on topics ranging from personal style to broader cultural issues, often diverging from explicit transgender themes. Her Vogue tenure expanded her reach into mainstream fashion and , with columns appearing from late 2018 onward. She has also penned columns for , emphasizing free speech and cultural critiques, and contributed to .

Broadcasting and Public Appearances

In 2013, Lees presented The Hate Debate on , a documentary examining prejudice across the , becoming the first woman to host a program on the station. That same year, she debuted as Channel 4's first presenter, producing and fronting content on identity and experiences. Lees appeared as a panelist on Question Time in November 2013, marking her as the first woman on the political debate program; she addressed topics including transgender rights and generational attitudes. She returned for additional episodes, including a March 2018 broadcast where she critiqued baby boomers' societal impact and advocated for improved support for individuals. From 2021, Lees hosted The Flipside with Paris Lees on , a series blending personal narratives from opposing perspectives with scientific analysis of . The program, which ran for multiple episodes, featured stories on topics such as and , produced in collaboration with writers including Hannah Varrall. Lees has made guest appearances on television panels and talk shows, including ITV's in June 2020, discussing transgender life and media representation, and in June 2025 to promote her BBC drama adaptation. These platforms have amplified her commentary on , identity, and cultural shifts, though critics have noted the 's emphasis on such narratives amid debates over transgender representation in .

Activism and Ideological Positions

Trans Rights Campaigns

Paris Lees co-founded All About Trans in 2011, an initiative aimed at facilitating direct connections between individuals and media professionals to improve portrayals in British broadcasting. The project involved training sessions and consultations that resulted in transgender characters in BBC Two's Boy Meets Girl (2016) and the EastEnders' first figure in 2015. In collaboration with Trans Media Watch, Lees advocated for the removal of transphobic content from broadcasts and provided advisory input to refine the channel's depictions. These efforts emphasized accurate representation over sensationalism, targeting systemic media biases that often reduced experiences to stereotypes of victimhood or pathology. On October 31, 2013, Lees appeared as the first openly panelist on BBC's , using the platform to discuss issues and challenge public misconceptions, which drew commentary for advancing in political discourse. In 2019, she became the first woman appointed as a ambassador, leveraging the role to promote narratives of trans through commercial rather than solely victim-focused . Lees' campaigns prioritized media reform and cultural integration, critiquing overly narrow trans narratives while seeking broader societal acceptance grounded in everyday experiences.

Engagements with Policy and Media Influence

Lees provided oral evidence to the UK Parliament's Home Affairs Committee on 10 May 2016 during its inquiry into , testifying based on her prior experiences as a sex worker that she had never felt degraded, been raped, or trafficked, thereby challenging narratives of universal victimhood in the industry. She has publicly supported reforms to the to enable self-identification of legal gender, arguing that trans individuals should not require surgery or medical certification to qualify, as this represents the logical progression of societal acceptance amid what she describes as exaggerated "moral panic" over potential abuses. In opinion pieces for outlets including , Lees endorsed policy adjustments like permitting trans individuals to update passport gender markers without full legal transition, praising cross-party efforts such as those by Conservative MP in 2016 to facilitate such changes. Lees has critiqued prison policies for trans women, asserting in 2016 that housing them in male facilities constitutes cruel punishment given the risks of , and called for reforms prioritizing individual assessments over blanket categorizations. Her media contributions, including columns in Vogue—where she became the first transgender writer in 2018—and broadcasts on and , have elevated trans visibility and pressured institutions to adopt self-identification practices, such as using preferred pronouns in editorial guidelines following input from advocates like Lees. Through appearances on programs like BBC's Political Thinking in February 2018, she has highlighted perceived flaws in media debates on trans topics, advocating for and structural changes to counter what she views as hostile framing that hinders policy progress for trans rights.

Publications and Adaptations

Memoir and Written Works

Paris Lees' debut book, What It Feels Like for a Girl, was published by Particular Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on May 27, 2021. The 272-page work is structured as a novelized memoir, drawing on Lees' own experiences from ages 13 to 18 in early-2000s Nottingham, beginning around 2001. Written in Nottinghamshire vernacular dialect reminiscent of Irvine Welsh's Trainspotting, it employs a raw, stream-of-consciousness style to depict episodes of adolescent rebellion, nightlife involvement, substance use, and evolving gender identity amid working-class surroundings. The narrative centers on a navigating family dysfunction, peer influences in clubs and pubs, romantic entanglements, and personal risks including petty crime and encounters with older men, framed as a coming-of-age account rather than a strictly linear . Lees has described the book as rejecting a singular "trans misery narrative," emphasizing instead moments of humor, resilience, and agency in her formative years. A paperback edition followed in 2022. Beyond the memoir, Lees has produced extensive journalistic output, including columns and features for outlets such as , , and Vogue, often addressing experiences, , and from a personal perspective. These pieces, spanning over a decade, contribute to her written oeuvre but remain distinct from book-length works, with no additional full-length publications reported as of 2025.

2025 BBC Drama Adaptation

What It Feels Like for a Girl is an eight-part British television drama series adapted from Paris Lees' 2021 coming-of-age of the same title. The series, produced by Hera Pictures for and , premiered on 3 June 2025. It depicts the early experiences of gender-questioning teenager Byron, who escapes a working-class town for the city's club scene, joins a group called the Fallen Divas, and encounters elements of , danger, self-discovery, and sex work. Paris Lees served as lead writer and creator of the adaptation, with direction by Brian Welsh. The cast includes Ellis Howard as Byron, Laquarn Lewis as Lady Die, Hannah Jones as Sasha, Jake Dunn as Liam, Adam Ali as Dirty Damian, Alex Thomas-Smith as Sticky Nikki, Michael Socha as Steve, Hannah Walters as Mommar Joe, and Laura Haddock as Lisa. Lees emphasized entertainment as the primary goal, stating, "My primary objective with this show is that people will enjoy watching it and will be entertained." Filming occurred prior to the 2025 premiere, with first-look images released on 20 March 2025.

Controversies and Criticisms

Criminal Past and Public Portrayal

Paris Lees was convicted of committed at the age of 16 and sentenced to two years' detention in a young offenders' institution, of which she served eight months. The offense occurred during a period of her youth marked by , , involvement in from age 14, and association with a reckless in . In public accounts, Lees has described the incarceration as a pivotal "turning point" that allowed her to escape an abusive family environment and reflect on her , stating it was "only fair" given the crime committed. She has emphasized personal responsibility, noting in interviews that provided structure absent in her prior life of dropping out of college and engaging in risky behaviors. Her 2015 memoir What It Feels Like for a details these experiences, framing the episode as formative rather than defining, and subsequent media coverage, including profiles, has portrayed her trajectory as a redemption arc "from to transgender role model." Critics, including documentation on sites tracking transgender-related crimes, highlight the robbery's violent nature—potentially involving an elderly victim in some accounts—contrasting with mainstream narratives that minimize specifics to focus on rehabilitation and identity struggles. Lees has acknowledged ongoing barriers from her record, such as job rejections predating her transition, yet public discourse often subordinates these details to her advocacy achievements, attributing early hardships more to societal rejection of her femininity than criminal agency. This portrayal aligns with her self-presentation in outlets like The Guardian, where she attributes youthful recklessness to being "easily led" amid identity confusion, without delving into victim impact or legal gravity.

Ideological Debates and Gender-Critical Responses

Paris Lees has positioned herself as a proponent of expansive transgender rights, advocating for self-identification in legal gender recognition without medical gatekeeping, as expressed in her 2015 comments to Prospect magazine where she argued for simplifying processes to affirm trans identities. She has criticized media debates on transgender issues as sensationalist and harmful, stating in a 2018 PinkNews piece that concerns over trans rights often parallel outdated prejudices like racism, dismissing skeptics as unworthy of platforming. In 2014, Lees defended certain aspects of street interactions in a Vice article, suggesting some women might find catcalling flattering, which prompted rebuttals from feminists arguing it normalized harassment and undermined campaigns against male entitlement. Gender-critical feminists, who emphasize biological sex as immutable and foundational to women's sex-based rights, have responded to Lees' advocacy by contesting her claims to female experience. Critics, including contributors to UnHerd, have argued that Lees, as a biological male who transitioned post-puberty, cannot authentically convey "what it feels like for a girl," a phrase from her 2021 memoir What It Feels Like for a Girl, which posits innate gendered knowledge transcending biology. This critique intensified with the 2025 BBC adaptation of her memoir, where outlets like The Telegraph labeled it "gender nonsense," asserting that promoting a male perspective as equivalent to female socialization erodes protections in single-sex spaces and perpetuates sexist stereotypes of womanhood tied to appearance and male gaze rather than shared female biology. Lees has framed such opposition as transphobic exclusion from , writing in a 2014 Vice piece that conflicts between transgender advocates and radical feminists devolve into unproductive "mudslinging" by "over-educated narcissists," while rejecting the "TERF war" label in a 2019 tweet as misleading, insisting no inherent conflict exists between trans inclusion and . Gender-critical voices counter that Lees' dismissal ignores material realities, such as the exclusion of males from female prisons, , and shelters to safeguard against male-pattern and physical advantages, with empirical from sources like the UK's showing elevated risks in mixed-sex facilities involving trans women. These debates highlight tensions over whether transgender self-identification supplants or complements sex-based categories, with Lees' emphasis on clashing against arguments prioritizing immutable and evidence of sex dimorphism in safeguarding outcomes.

Reception and Impact

Achievements and Awards

Lees received the Positive Role Model Award for LGBT at the National Diversity Awards in 2012, recognizing her early advocacy work for rights. In 2013, she topped on Sunday's annual Pink List as the most influential , , bisexual, or figure in the . She ranked second on the publication's Rainbow List in 2014, which highlights 101 prominent LGBT individuals. Lees was named Ultimate Trailblazer at the Cosmopolitan Ultimate Women of the Year Awards in 2014, honoring her efforts to advance visibility and equality. In 2015, she won Young Campaigning Journalist of the Year at the MHP Communications 30 to Watch Awards for her journalism promoting trans inclusion. The awarded her an honorary degree in 2016, citing her contributions as a , broadcaster, and equality campaigner; Lees dedicated the honor to sex workers during the ceremony. In January 2018, Lees became the first openly woman featured in , marking a milestone in representation of individuals. That November, she was appointed Vogue's first columnist.

Broader Societal Influence and Critiques

Paris Lees has played a role in advancing transgender visibility within British media and public discourse, co-founding the All About Trans initiative in 2013 to educate journalists and producers on portraying transgender individuals more accurately and humanely. This effort aimed to shift narratives away from sensationalism toward everyday experiences, contributing to a broader cultural acceptance that Lees attributes to milestones like the 2014 Time magazine cover on transgender issues. Her appointment as Vogue's first transgender columnist in November 2018 further embedded transgender perspectives in high-profile fashion and lifestyle media, challenging stereotypes and promoting representation. Lees' advocacy has intersected with policy debates, including support for self-identification of without medical requirements, as expressed in a 2018 BBC discussion on transgender . Recognized as the most influential , , bisexual, or person in Britain by The Independent on Sunday in 2013, her media appearances on platforms like in March 2018 have amplified calls for reducing anti-trans bigotry and fostering . The 2025 of her memoir, What It Feels Like for a , has extended this influence to dramatized depictions of adolescence, potentially shaping younger audiences' understandings of and transition. Critiques of Lees' societal impact, particularly from gender-critical feminists, contend that her prominence risks misrepresenting biological women's experiences by conflating socialization with reality. For instance, her expressed enjoyment of catcalling and —described in a 2014 Vice column as flattering—has been faulted for endorsing views influenced by and overlooking the fear such interactions often induce in women and s. Gender-critical commentators argue that Lees' narrative of "always knowing" she was a , drawn from a background including adolescent sex work as a , fails to capture innate embodiment and may contribute to a cultural erasure of sex-based distinctions in favor of . The BBC's promotion of Lees' story has drawn fire for prioritizing transgender narratives amid rising female-specific issues like eating disorders, with critics asserting it rewrites womanhood and sidelines voices of biological girls facing predation or dysphoria. In public clashes, such as a 2018 exchange with BBC journalist Nick Robinson, Lees has been accused of dismissing legitimate concerns about transgender access to single-sex spaces as mere fear-mongering, exacerbating polarized debates rather than resolving underlying tensions between transgender inclusion and women's safeguards. While Lees rejects reductive labeling as a "trans activist," asserting broader feminist credentials, detractors view her influence as advancing intersectional frameworks that, in practice, subordinate sex-based rights to gender self-identification.

Personal Life

Relationships and Current Status

Lees has discussed several past romantic relationships with men following her . In October 2013, she lived with her boyfriend in , describing him as a source of stability amid her career beginnings. By 2017, she referenced another boyfriend whose actions contributed to a crisis requiring hospitalization. In a 2020 Vogue column, Lees detailed embracing singledom and voluntary after a tumultuous prior relationship marked by intense but emotional volatility. No public records indicate marriage or long-term partnerships beyond these accounts. In a June 2025 interview, Lees emphasized her professional achievements as independent of spousal support, stating she lacks a . As of late 2025, Lees maintains privacy regarding any current romantic involvement, with no verified disclosures in media profiles or interviews.

References

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  26. https://www.vogue.co.uk/profile/paris-lees
  27. https://www.polyesterzine.com/features/what-it-feels-like-for-an-icon
  28. https://www.independent.co.uk/author/paris-lees
  29. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/sex/9952009/Radio-1s-first-trans-woman-presenter-hating-is-a-national-sport.html
  30. https://www.thepinknews.com/2013/03/25/first-trans-woman-bbc-radio-one-presenter-launches-program-tackling-prejudice/
  31. https://www.autostraddle.com/paris-lees-debuts-on-bbcs-question-time-in-a-skeleton-top-is-awesome-202927/
  32. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p09xwdnj
  33. https://www.facebook.com/BBCQuestionTime/videos/paris-lees-on-baby-boomers/1957950884218627/
  34. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0b05w53
  35. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Y0goPESkw
  36. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0JYpoN3o0o
  37. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/articles/bbc-spouting-gender-nonsense-again-170408818.html
  38. https://www.thepinknews.com/2019/11/20/paris-lees-pantene-power-of-hair-going-blonde-transgender/
  39. https://fortune.com/2019/06/04/paris-lees-pantene-activism/
  40. https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/paris-lees-on-stepping-out-of-the-shadows-and-the-radical-shift-in-trans-visibility
  41. https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/5662/html/
  42. https://committees.parliament.uk/work/3191/prostitution-inquiry/publications/
  43. https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-43255878
  44. https://www.vice.com/en/article/we-debunked-the-transphobic-myths-about-gender-recognition-act-reform/
  45. https://thepinknews.com/2018/03/01/paris-lees-my-interview-with-nick-robinson-highlights-everything-wrong-with-debate-about-trans-people/
  46. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jan/06/tory-championing-transgender-rights-maria-miller
  47. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05xp3z2
  48. https://www.amazon.com/What-Feels-Like-Girl/dp/0241450128
  49. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/24/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-by-paris-lees-review-ketamine-laced-coming-of-age-memoir
  50. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59238511-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl
  51. https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/52949/1/paris-lees-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-novel-memoir-interview-2021
  52. https://www.amazon.com/What-Feels-Like-Girl/dp/0141993081
  53. https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl
  54. https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/mediapacks/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl
  55. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c70zd31n2k0o
  56. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/jun/03/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-review-deeply-disturbing-and-totally-fearless-tv
  57. https://deadline.com/2025/03/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-first-look-bbc-paris-lees-1236330953/
  58. https://www.joe.co.uk/politics/paris-lees-i-receive-more-abuse-from-transgender-people-and-feminists-than-the-men-i-met-in-prison-157703
  59. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-9624789/Paris-Lees-says-sent-prison-16-real-turning-point-life.html
  60. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/lifestyle/article-14774961/what-feels-like-girl-bbc-paris-lees.html
  61. https://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/society/47151/paris-lees-why-do-we-have-to-have-a-legal-gender
  62. https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/03/01/paris-lees-my-interview-with-nick-robinson-highlights-everything-wrong-with-debate-about-trans-people/
  63. https://www.feministcurrent.com/2014/03/06/of-course-some-women-are-flattered-by-cat-calls-but-that-doesnt-make-street-harassment-ok-a-response-to-paris-lees/
  64. https://www.vice.com/en/article/paris-lees-terf-war-twitter-radical-feminists-088/
  65. https://twitter.com/parislees/status/1091018255978897408
  66. https://unherd.com/newsroom/the-bbc-has-let-paris-lees-rewrite-womanhood/
  67. https://www.champions-speakers.co.uk/speaker-agent/paris-lees
  68. https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/entertainment/news/a31658/ultimate-women-awards-paris-lees/
  69. https://www.gires.org.uk/transgender-role-model-paris-lees-named-top-young-journalist-2015/
  70. https://www.brighton.ac.uk/about-us/news-and-events/news/2016/07-27-prize-winning-equality-campaigner-and-journalist-honoured.aspx
  71. https://www.attitude.co.uk/news/world/paris-lees-dedicates-her-honorary-doctorate-to-sex-workers-289611/
  72. https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-42572561
  73. https://equal-eyes.org/database/2018/3/26/uk-question-time-panellist-paris-lees-taking-on-anti-trans-bigotry
  74. https://www.bbc.com/mediacentre/2023/what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-bbc
  75. https://www.vice.com/en/article/zn7b79/enjoying-catcalls-paris-lees-column
  76. https://www.thepinknews.com/2018/02/21/paris-lees-clashes-with-nick-robinson-over-stoking-peoples-fears-about-trans-people/
  77. https://www.vogue.co.uk/arts-and-lifestyle/article/paris-lees-single-on-valentines-day
  78. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/features/paris-lees-what-it-feels-like-for-a-girl-bbc-hit-b2773767.html
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