Thomas Baty

Thomas Baty (8 February 1869 – 9 February 1954), who also used the name Irene Clyde, was an English gender non-conforming international lawyer, writer, and activist. A prominent legal scholar and authority on international law, Baty served for many years as legal advisor to the Japanese Foreign Office and authored numerous works on legal theory and practice. Under the name Irene Clyde, Baty co-founded and edited the gender-progressive journal Urania and advocated for radical feminism and the rejection of the gender binary. Modern scholars have variously described Baty as non-binary, genderfluid, transgender, or a trans woman.

Born in Stanwix, Cumberland, Baty won a scholarship to The Queen's College, Oxford following the early death of Baty's father, graduating with a degree in jurisprudence in 1892. Further studies were completed at Trinity College, Cambridge, leading to academic appointments at several universities and a prolific scholarly output. As Irene Clyde, Baty published the feminist utopian novel Beatrice the Sixteenth, depicting a postgender society, and founded the short-lived Aëthnic Union. Urania, co-founded with like-minded collaborators, served as a platform to challenge binary conceptions of gender. In 1916, Baty began advising the Japanese government, an appointment that led to the awarding of the Order of the Sacred Treasure.

While based in Japan, Baty developed a legal philosophy that emphasised effective territorial control as the chief criterion for state recognition—a principle invoked to support Japanese imperial ambitions. Baty represented Japan in various international forums, including the League of Nations. During World War II, Baty continued working in Japan despite escalating global conflict. Alignment with Japanese policy prompted the British government to consider treason charges, which were ultimately dropped in favour of revoking citizenship. Baty died in Ichinomiya, Chiba, and was posthumously honoured by Japanese officials.