‘You’re not welcome here’: Juno Dawson on fans who are ‘horrified’ that she’s trans (EXCLUSIVE)
The bestselling writer opens up about her lived experience as a trans woman to mark being awarded the Culture Award at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M&S and electrified by Polestar
By Aaron Sugg
Multi-award-winning author Juno Dawson has called out fans who claim to be “horrified” when they discover she is a trans woman, speaking to Attitude to mark her Culture Award win.
Dawson is this year’s Culture Award winner at the Virgin Atlantic Attitude Awards 2026, in partnership with M&S and electrified by Polestar, recognising her work as an author and prominent voice for LGBTQ+ rights.
She has written fiction and non-fiction for young adults and adults, putting into words different experiences of bodies, sexualities, identities and genders long before she found mainstream success.
Dawson came out as trans in 2015 and has since become one of the most articulate voices for LGBTQ+ rights in the UK.
“People just do not care” – Juno Dawson on her experience as a trans writer
Speaking to Attitude about her career as a trans writer, Dawson said her lived experience has shown her that most people are far less concerned with trans people than the noise online might suggest.
“Yes, because, actually, my lived experience is that most people just do not care,” she said. “Most people are just so happy to live and let live.
“And then you have these incredibly loud people, particularly online, and it can make it seem like everybody is thinking about trans people all day long. They’re not. Most people are going to work. They’ve got their own lives. And I think that’s important to remember.”
Dawson said there is something hopeful in that distinction between the voices online and everyday life and that her fans, for the most part, understand “empathy”.
“You’re not for me” – Dawson to fans who are “horrified” she’s trans
“I think so. And I don’t understand how you could be a fan of something like Doctor Who, or read a book like Her Majesty’s Royal Coven, and not have empathy. These are things that are full of empathy,” she said, listing two of her works.
“If somebody comes to my social media because they like my books or because they like Doctor Who, and then they’re horrified that I’m trans, then you’re not for me. You’re not welcome here.”
“But I don’t actually think that’s most people,” Dawson added.
The full interview appears in the Attitude Awards 2026 issue, available on digital platforms and in print. Print copy available for pre-order here.