Amy Eileen Hamm is a Canadian nurse and anti-transgender extremist.
Hamm co-founded anti-trans group Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar). Hamm was fired in 2025 following a hearing brought by the nursing regulatory board, which found that Hamm publicly identified as a nurse while engaging in anti-transgender activity.
Background
Hamm earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Thompson Rivers University, followed by a bachelor’s degree in nursing from University of British Columbia in 2012.
Hamm worked for 7 months as a psychiatric nurse in Vancouverâs Downtown East Side. Hamm then became a nurse educator in the psychiatric unit at a hospital in Richmond (part of Vancouver Coastal Health). Hamm resides in New Westminster, British Columbia.
In 2011, Hamm responded to the question “If you could live in a certain time period and place what would it be?” Hamm said:
1950s, small-town ‘merica. I could go for some “ignorance is bliss”. I’d be a stupid housewife with a stupid optimistic outlook on life.
Hamm (2011)
Hamm ended up in a much more modern cliché. Hamm is divorced and has children. Hamm has discussed being a single parent and the stigma involved:
It has been a few years since I left my marriage, and I did end up meeting someone wonderful. In the time between, I realized that single motherhood is the largest unquestioned stigma of my era. It can be achingly lonely andâif you let it get to youâit can crush your self-esteem.
Hamm (2023)
Anti-transgender activism
Hamm is a sex segregationist who co-founded gender critical group Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (caWsbar) in 2019. Hamm claims to be fighting “the harms that gender-identity ideology was inflicting on women and children.”
In 2021 and 2022 Hamm and “Esme Vee” hosted Gender Critical Story Hour podcast. Episodes include:
- 0 – trailer
- 1 – Meghan Murphy (February 21, 2021)
- 2 – Marguerite Stern (February 22, 2021)
- 3 – Laoise UĂ Aodha de BrĂșn (February 23, 2021)
- 4 – Barbara Kay (February 24, 2021)
- 5 – Graham Linehan (February 28, 2021)
- 6 – Heather Mason and Madeline Riversong (March 20, 2021)
- 7 – Linda Blade (June 4, 2021)
- 8 – Bad Women: Amy & Esme (June 20, 2021)
- 9 – Cancel Club: Amy & Esme (July 26, 2021)
- 10 – Heather Mason and Linda Blade (April 7, 2022)
- 11 – Sue-Ann Levy (April 26, 2022)
- 12 – The Haters Inside the Canadian “Anti-Hate” Network (July 25, 2022)
- 13 – How Far Can They Go: Are we reaching peak trans? (September 29, 2022)
Hamm and Holly Stamer co-founded GIDYVR, an anti-trans speaker series based in Vancouver. Their first event at the Vancouver Public Library on January 10, 2019 featured Meghan Murphy, Fay Blaney, and Lee Lakeman, moderated by Mary-Lee Bouma. Vancouver Public Library Chief Librarian Christina de Castell issued a statement about the event.
Hamm is best known for purchasing billboards that say “I â„ JK Rowling” with Chris Elston. They have been quickly removed for being a reference to anti-transgender views of transphobic author J.K. Rowling.
Hamm’s writing has appeared in conservative and fascist publications including the Post Millennial, The New Westminster Times, Human Events, and Quillette.
Disciplinary hearing
In 2022 the British Columbia College of Nurses and Midwives (BCCNM) initiated a disciplinary hearing against Hamm:
Between approximately July 2018 and March 2021, you made discriminatory and derogatory statements regarding transgender people, while identifying yourself as a nurse or nurse educator. These statements were made across various online platforms, including but not limited to, podcasts, videos, published writings and social media.
BCCNM (2022)
Hamm reportedly rejected a proposed settlement from the college that would have included a two-week license suspension and social media training.
Hamm was represented by Lisa Bildy and Karen Bastow of Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF). JCCF brought in anti-trans activists James Cantor, Kathleen Stock, and Linda Blade to testify on Hamm’s behalf in 2023.
On March 13, 2025, the College found that Hamm, while identifying herself as a member of the medical profession, made statements that were âuntruthful and unfair as they challenge the existence of transgender women, argue for less constitutional protection for transgender women, and are designed, in part, to elicit fear, contempt and outrage against members of the transgender community.â
Tabs 4, 24, 28 and S3 of the Extract were found to be violative:
- Tab 4: Responded stated âtrans activists determined to infiltrate or destroy women-only spaces.â Respondent also stated that Vancouver Womenâs Shelter [VRR] will âsurely (and maddeningly) face continued backlash from trans activists determined to infiltrate or destroy women-only spaces. The women of VRR, however, are clearly up to the taskâ. […] The suggestion that trans activists are seeking to âinfiltrate or destroyâ women-only spaces strongly connotes illegal, aggressive, and improper conduct and mischaracterizes transgender women seeking access to support services available to cisgender women in crisis situations as dangerous individuals. The Panel finds that the statement is not true nor is it fair to transgender women.
- Tab 24: in her article entitled âOn feeling like a womanâ. The Respondent states âthere is no abscondingâ from female bodies, the feeling of being a woman does not exist, and there is no âincantation or initiation that can transcend bodily reality.â The Panel finds that these statements are untrue and unfair to transgender women as they deny the possibility that that an individual born into a male body can feel like a woman and effectively deny the existence of transgender women.
- Tab 28: In a book review entitled âReview: âLove Lives Here â A Story of Thriving in a Transgender Family,â Respondent refers to the âfalsehood that babies can be âborn in the wrong bodyâ or that humans can change their sexâ. She asserts that everyone âwho believes in wrong bodies or innate gendersâ would rather devastate a child than acknowledge that men cannot become transgender women, that gender identity ideology is akin to a Satanic Panic craze, that lesbians do not have penises, that a gender soul does not exist, and that men cannot literally become women. […] These statements, which appear to be designed to elicit fear, contempt and hostility towards the transgender community, particularly transgender women
- S3 of the Extract: Respondent makes several statements in the context of the YouTube interview entitled, âThe Same Drugs Live with Amy Hamm on I heart JK Rowlingâ. As the Respondent is asked in the interview about the background to the billboard, those comments must be considered in conjunction with the billboard itself and J.K. Rowlingâs essay. The billboard message must be assessed from the perspective of a âreasonable person in the claimantâs circumstancesâ […] From the perspective of a transgender person, the essay contains some references that could be interpreted as portraying them as a risk to cisgender women and girls and predatory. Such characterizations unquestionably elicit fear and hostility towards transgender people.
On March 27, 2025, Hamm reported being fired without severance from Vancouver Coastal Health.
References
Ruttle, Joseph (March 13, 2025). B.C. nurse committed professional misconduct with transgender commentary, hearing rules. Vancouver Sun https://vancouversun.com/news/bc-nurse-misconduct-transgender-commentary-hearing-rules
British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives (March 13, 2025). In the matter of a Discipline Hearing under s. 38 of the Health Professions Act, RSBC 1996, c 183 between British Columbia College of Nurses & Midwives and Amy Eileen Hamm. https://bccnm.ca/Documents/complaints/2025_03_13_BCCNM_Hamm_Decision.pdf
Higgins, Michael (Jan 23, 2023). Michael Higgins: B.C. nurse Amy Hamm is being persecuted for believing in biology. National Post https://nationalpost.com/opinion/michael-higgins-amy-hamm-is-being-persecuted-for-believing-in-biology
Lindsay, Bethany (October 23, 2023). Nurse’s ‘discriminatory and derogatory’ comments on transgender people at issue in B.C. hearing. CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-amy-hamm-disciplinary-hearing-1.7005480
Lindsay, Bethany (October 24, 2023). Controversial psychologist tells B.C. hearing he feels a duty to speak out on transgender issues. CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-amy-hamm-disciplinary-hearing-oct-24-1.7007014
Lindsay, Bethany (October 25, 2023). Lawyer says contentious psychologist will ‘dispel the myth’ that B.C. nurse’s comments harm trans people. CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-amy-hamm-disciplinary-hearing-oct-25-1.7008318
Lindsay, Bethany (November 3, 2023). Nurse tells B.C. hearing she’s not transphobic, but calls gender identity ‘metaphysical nonsense.’ CBC https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-amy-hamm-disciplinary-hearing-nov-3-1.7018573
Pawson, Chad (September 12, 2020). I Love J.K. Rowling sign makes brief, controversial appearance in Vancouver. CBC News https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/i-love-j-k-rowling-sign-makes-brief-controversial-appearance-in-vancouver-1.5722244
Takeuchi, Craig (September 12th, 2020). Transphobia concerns prompt East Vancouver billboard supporting J.K. Rowling to be covered up. The Georgia Straight https://www.straight.com/living/transphobia-concerns-prompt-east-vancouver-billboard-supporting-jk-rowling-to-be-covered-up
Christina de Castell (January 27, 2020). Statement from VPLâs Chief Librarian regarding March 21 GIDYVR event. Vancouver Public Library https://www.vpl.ca/statement-on-gidyvr-event
Publications by Hamm
Hamm, Amy Eileen (June 22, 2023). On the stigma of single motherhood. Substack https://preta6.substack.com/p/on-the-stigma-of-single-motherhood
Hamm, Amy Eileen (February 14, 2023). Teaching UBC Medical Scholars that Biological Sex is a âColonial Imposition.â Quillette https://quillette.com/blog/2023/02/14/teaching-ubc-medical-students-that-biological-sex-is-a-colonial-imposition/
Hamm, Amy Eileen (April 8, 2022). Iâm Being Investigated by the British Columbia College of Nurses Because I Believe Biological Sex Is Real. Quillette https://quillette.com/2022/04/08/im-being-investigated-by-the-british-columbia-college-of-nurses-because-i-believe-biological-sex-is-real/
Resources
BCCNM (bccnm.ca)
- Notice: Hamm, Amy, RN Hearing
- bccnm.ca/Public/complaints/Pages/Notice.aspx?NoticeID=790
- Hamm Citation (June 28, 2022)
- bccnm.ca/Documents/complaints/2022_06_28_BCCNM_Hamm_Citation.pdf
- Hamm Decision (March 13, 2025)
- bccnm.ca/Documents/complaints/2025_03_13_BCCNM_Hamm_Decision.pdf
Canadian Women’s Sex-Based Rights (cawsbar.ca)
Substack (substack.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Reddit (reddit.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
Gwendolyn Ann Smith is an American writer, designer, and transgender rights activist. Smith is a pioneer in online trans resources and created what became the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
Background
Gwendolyn Ann “Gwen” Smith was born July 22, 1967. Smith attended Pasadena City College, then began doing desktop publishing and digital design under the entity designstylestudios. Smith was an early adopter in online communities, rising to Programming Director at America Online’s onQ community, which later merged with PlanetOut.
Smith has been involved with the game Second Life since its release in 2003 and since 2019 has offered high-end professional support to the game’s power users.
Smith is married to Bonnie “Bon” Smith and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Transgender activism
Starting in 1992, Smith was the driving force behind making America Online (AOL) trans-friendly, lobbying them to change anti-trans policies. Smith developed and maintained a repository of information and resources on AOL and hosted many chats. Smith developed the Transgender Community Forum (TCF), which AOL forced to close.
In 1998, Smith founded the Remembering Our Dead Project to document anti-trans murders. That project evolved into the annual Transgender Day of Remembrance.
In 2000, Jamison Green, Dallas Denny, Jessica Xavier, Gwen Smith, Penni Ashe Matz, and Sandra Cole launched the nonprofit Gender Education and Advocacy (GEA) at the website gender.org.
Smith has written and edited for many publications, including LGBTQ Nation, The New Civil Rights Movement, and Genderfork. Smith has written a column titled “Transmisisons” for the Bay Area Reporter since 2000.
Smith designed the accompanying booklet and attended our 2004 all-transgender benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues.
Smith is subject of the 2017 book Trans/Active: A Biography of Gwendolyn Ann Smith.
This site (transgendermap.com) is dedicated to Smith and Melanie Anne Phillips for their key roles in early online resources for the community.
References
Leveque, Sophia Cecilia (2017). Trans/Active: A Biography of Gwendolyn Ann Smith. ISBN 9781618460448
Burns, Katelyn (November 20, 2019). Founder Gwendolyn Ann Smith on the 20th Anniversary of Transgender Day of Remembrance. Vogue. https://www.vogue.com/article/gwendolyn-ann-smith-interview-transgender-day-of-remembrance
Inkster, Andy (2008). Gwendolyn Ann Smith (1967â). In LGBTQ America Today: An Encyclopedia. ISBN 978-0313339905
Resources
Gwen Smith (gwensmith.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Transgender Day of Remembrance (tdor.info) [archive]
Gender.org (gender.org) [archive]
- Remembering Our Dead: gender.org/remember [archive]
- Host: Above & Beyond (abgender.com) [archive]
Bay Area Reporter (ebar.com)
Genderfork (genderfork.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Bluesky (bsky.app)
Dan Savage is an American author and activist. Savage has been glitter-bombed many times for anti-transgender views. Some of Savage’s views have evolved following criticism.
Savage has written about sex and relationships since the 1990s and has supported the work of many gender critical and transphobic public figures. Savage has also been involved in a number of important projects that have improved the lives of sex and gender minorities, including trans people.
Background
Daniel Keenan “Dan” Savage (born October 7, 1964) grew up in a Catholic household in Chicago. Savage graduated with a theater degree from University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, then moved to Germany for two years before moving to Madison, Wisconsin.
In 1991 The Onion founder Tim Keck told friend Savage about a plan to start The Stranger, an alternative newspaper in Seattle. Savage suggested writing a sex and relationship advice column. The title was proposed as Hey Faggot!, but Keck refused to use that title, so they settled on Savage Love. For years, all answered letters started with “Hey Faggot!” as the greeting. The column was syndicated, and Savage dropped the greeting in 1999 when the column started accepting emailed questions.
Savage moved to Seattle for the job. Under the stage name “Keenan Hollahan,” Savage also founded Seattle’s Greek Active Theater, producing reimagined classics in the mid-1990s. Savage was active in the Seattle theater scene until around 2003.
Savage created the It Gets Better project in 2010 with spouse Terry Miller. They were married in Canada in 2005 and remarried in the US when it was legalized. They have one child. The nonprofit has helped many trans and gender diverse young people through its message. The nonprofit’s President Paul Dien and founding member Seth Levy have noted that Savage is no longer involved in the project day to day:
“I don’t agree with what he has said, and I think it’s important to call out our privileges,â said Dien. âI think in our communities, cisgender white folks do have that privilege, and it’s okay to talk about when people are wrong or offensive to other parts of our community. And I think it’s important to have those discussions.â
âI really can’t comment on whatever Danâs relationship with the trans community is; that’s been a complicated one for a long time,â added Levy. âAll I know is that as a co-founder with them and having done a lot of work with them over the years, he’s done a lot for that community, often through this project. And so I hope at the end of the day, that’s what people start to understand, is that we’ve all really been trying to fight the same fight, even if we don’t always get along along the way.â
Ennis (2021)
Controversies
Savage’s strong opinions and acerbic tone have been criticized by numerous groups.
Biphobia allegations
Savage’s support of transphobic psychologist J. Michael Bailey and like-minded sexologists has caused the greatest reputational harm. Savage uncritically repeated Bailey’s claims that bisexual men don’t exist, and Savage told gay men “DON’T MESS AROUND WITH BISEXUALS” and likened bisexuality to âincest and dog-fucking.â
It was âthe way most gay men were at the time, and it was shitty,â Savage says now. âA lot of my hostility to bi guys early was because I dated bi guys who were gay closet cases who felt superior to the gay men that they were dating, because they werenât 100 percent polluted by gayness.â Over the years, âpushback from my readersâ and some new bi lovers helped change his mind.
Anderson (2021)
Bailey and friends magically “discovered” bisexuality as soon as they got a payment from The American Institute of Bisexuality. Savage supported Bailey’s claims about that “discovery” as well.
Transphobia allegations
Then there are the transphobic slurs that frequently appeared in Savage Love over the first 20-odd years, along with some gender nonaffirming advice about trans people and cheap jokes about the appearance of trans women. Savage told me that he used those words in the same spirit as he invited readers to call him a âfaggot.â He offered a similar explanation when, at a much-covered event at the University of Chicago in 2014, he was challenged by a trans student who objected to his continued use of the slurs while talking about the slurs, and wrote a scorched-earth takedown of the student in the Stranger. (Savage now uses the phrase ât-slurâ instead of saying the word out loud.)
Anderson (2021)
Savage says those views have evolved:
âHow do you disprove a charge like youâre transphobic? Iâm not afraid of trans people. […] I certainly have had a journey in the last 20 yearsâââas have we allâââon trans issues. When I started writing Savage Love 20 years ago, and you can yank quotes 15, 18 years ago and flat them up today and say, âYou know, thatâs transphobic,â Iâd probably agree with you. 15 years ago I didnât know as much as I know nowââânor did anybody.â
Badash (2014)
Savage is one of the few people to reify “autogynephilia,” writing in 2010: “You might want to google autogynephilia. Not saying thatâs where youâre at or headed, donât know enough about it to endorse it, but . . . it seemed relevant.” Gender critical and anti-trans people Savage has platformed and supported include:
Here Savage cites Singal’s promotion of conservative clinician Erica Anderson as evidence Singal is not transphobic.
There is a tendency among this collection of people to back each other up and logroll for each other when accused of acting against the best interests of the trans community. Let’s hope that changes in the future, as their monopolization of media opportunities by shutting out trans critics is one of the key ways they perpetuate harm.
References
Rude, Mey (March 24, 2021). Cis Men Like Jesse Singal, Dan Savage Don’t Decide What’s Transphobic. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2021/3/24/cis-men-jesse-singal-dan-savage-dont-decide-whats-transphobic
Badash, David (April 29, 2014). Dan Savage Does Not Hate You. The New Civil Rights Movement. https://www.thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/2014/04/dan_savage_does_not_hate_you/
Anderson, LV (September 23, 2021). Dan Savage Revolutionized Sex. Then the Revolution Came for Him. Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2021/09/dan-savage-advice-savage-love-criticism-interview.html
Savage, Dan (December 2, 1999). Gay Ol’ Time. Savage Love https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=2686 [archive]
Abad-Santos, Alexander (November 3, 2011). Dan Savage: Queer-on-Queer Glitter-Bombing Victim. The Wire via The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/11/dan-savage-queer-queer-glitter-bombing-victim/335921/
Lowder, J. Bryan (November 4, 2011). Did Dan Savage Deserve to be Glitter-Bombed?. Slate. http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2011/11/04/did_dan_savage_deserve_to_be_glitter_bombed_.html
Dan Savage Gets Glitterbombed, Called Transphobic At University Of Oregon. The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/02/dan-savage-glitterbombed-oregon-transphobia-_n_1071627.html
Hill-Meyer, Tobi (November 2, 2011). Dan Savage Gets Glitter Bombed for Being Transphobic. The Bilerico Project. http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/dan_savage_gets_glitter_bombed_for_being_transphob.php
Hill-Meyer, Tobi (November 14, 2011). Dan Savage Glittered Again, Student Arrested. The Bilerico Project. http://www.bilerico.com/2011/11/dan_savage_glittered_again_student_arrested.php
Oommen, Isaac (January 21, 2012). Dan Savage Glitterbombed. Vancouver Media Co-op. http://vancouver.mediacoop.ca/photo/dan-savage-glitterbombed/9681
Schmidt, Christine (May 30, 2014). Comments at IOP spark controversy. [archive] Chicago Maroon http://chicagomaroon.com/2014/05/30/comments-at-iop-spark-controversy/
University of Chicago Institute of Politics (May 27, 2014). IOP Statement on Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion. http://politics.uchicago.edu/news/entry/iop-statement-on-commitment-to-diversity-inclusion
Johnson, Andrew (June 5, 2014). UChicago Students: Dan Savage’s Use of ‘T-Slur’ Made Us Feel ‘Unsafe’. National Review http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/379649/uchicago-students-dan-savages-use-t-slur-made-us-feel-unsafe-andrew-johnson
Soave, Robby (June 9, 2014). Dan Savage Stands Up to the Speech Police, Defends His Use of ‘Tranny’, Reason http://reason.com/blog/2014/06/09/dan-savage-stands-up-to-the-speech-polic
Savage, Dan (2014). About That Hate Crime I Committed at University of Chicago | Slog”. The Stranger http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/06/07/about-that-hate-crime-i-committed-at-university-of-chicago
Ennis, Dawn (May 3, 2021). âIt Gets Betterâ Gets New Leadership. Forbes https://www.forbes.com/sites/dawnstaceyennis/2021/05/03/it-gets-better-gets-new-leadership/
Resources
Dan Savage (savage.love)
The Stranger (thestranger.com)
It Gets Better (itgetsbetter.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.
Dylan Mulvaney is an American media personality who documented the first year of gender transition in a popular video series called “Days of Girlhood.”
Background
Mulvaney was born December 29, 1996 in San Diego, California, grew up in Southern California, and earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Cincinnati in 2019.
Mulvaney performed in the musical The Book of Mormon on its national tour, as well as in other musical theatre productions. Mulvaney also was brought up from the audience to dance with a friend at the Ellen show and appeared as a contestant on The Price Is Right.
“Days of Girlhood”
At the start of the pandemic, Mulvaney began posting comedy videos on social media. Mulvaney quickly amassed a large following after the “Day One of Being a Girl” post went viral on TikTok. Mulvaney was soon doing many endorsement deals and sponsored posts. Several of Mulvaney’s videos sparked criticism, including one about tampons, one about Ulta cosmetics, one about wearing tight clothing to “normalize the bulge,” and several where Mulvaney dressed up as a young girl.
In October 2022, Mulvaney was invited to speak with Joe Biden at the White House, which led to significant backlash from conservatives, including conservative trans people like Caitlyn Jenner.
Following 2022 facial feminization surgery, Mulvaney did a face reveal of the results in January 2023. At the 2023 Grammy Awards, Mulvaney talked over Laverne Cox while filming their first introduction. Though Mulvaney had solicited Cox’s advice, Mulvaney was clearly not listening, leading a number of prominent trans people to comment on the dynamics of the encounter.
In March 2023 Mulvaney held the live fundraising event Dylan Mulvaney’s Day 365 Live! to celebrate one year since starting transition. Those who showed Mulvaney support, including cisgender allies like Drew Barrymore, faced criticism.
In April 2023 Mulvaney made sponsored posts for Bud Light and Nike. The Nike post showed Mulvaney exercising in their sports bra and sparked more criticism from anti-trans people. The Bud Light posts promoted an NCAA March Madness giveaway and revealed the brand had made a customized Bud Light can with Mulvaney’s face on it.
Bud Light immediately faced bomb threats and boycotts after conservative demagogues like Tucker Carlson and anti-trans groups decided to make an example of the beer. Anti-trans troll Matt Walsh made such pointed and cruel personal attacks that Walsh’s YouTube channel was demonetized. In the first weeks, several conservative entertainers joined the boycott, Bud Light sales dropped about 25% year over year, two ABInBev marketing executives were ousted, the stock was downgraded by several firms, and Senator Ted Cruz announced a planned investigation into whether the brand was marketing to underage audiences. ABInBev released a noncommittal statement and a poorly received patriotic ad, announced they would buy back unsold beer, and hired conservative consultants to help with a rebrand. Bud Light lost its place as America’s favorite beer, ABInBev laid off hundreds of employees, and North American organic sales dropped $1.4 billion. The fiasco instantly became one of the worst marketing blunders in history and a setback for national brands supporting trans inclusion or offering brand endorsements to trans people.
Facing extreme overexposure, Mulvaney reduced the frequency of posting and announced an upcoming book. In June 2023 Mulvaney reflected on the first three months of the controversy:
âWhat transpired from that video was more bullying and transphobia than I could have ever imagined. For months now, Iâve been scared to leave my house. I have been ridiculed in public. Iâve been followed. And I have felt a loneliness that I wouldnât wish on anyone. And Iâm not telling you this because I want your pity. I am telling you this because if this is my experience, from a very privileged perspective, know that it is much much worse for other trans people.â
Jones (2023)
In 2023 Attitude magazine honored Mulvaney as Woman of the Year.
To mark the 2024 anniversary of starting transition, Mulvaney posed with Lady Gaga and shared several messages with fans. In 2025, Mulvaney released the book Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer and announced a podcast called The Dylan Hour.
References
Mulvaney, Dylan (2025). Paper Doll: Notes from a Late Bloomer. Harry N. Abrams, ISBN 978-1419770395
Huston, Caitlin (March 5, 2025). Dylan Mulvaney Launches Podcast With Lemonada Media. Hollywood Reporter https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/digital/dylan-mulvaney-podcast-lemonada-media-1236154656/
Editors (March 20, 2025). Behind the scenes at Dylan Mulvaney’s Advocate cover shoot. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/exclusives/dylan-mulvaney-advocate-cover-shoot
Puckett-Pope, Lauren; Gaffney, Adrienne (March 14, 2025). Dylan Mulvaney and Laverne Cox on What It Means to Be a Trans âItâ Girl. Elle https://www.elle.com/culture/books/a64135694/dylan-mulvaney-laverne-cox-interview-paper-doll-trans-it-girl/
Factora, James (March 12, 2025). Hereâs What Dylan Mulvaney Learned on Her Ayahuasca Trip. them https://www.them.us/story/dylan-mulvaney-paper-doll-late-bloomer-book-ayahuasca-trip-details
Sanders, Wren (June 6, 2023). Dylan Mulvaney Is Ready for Life After âGirlhood.â them. https://www.them.us/story/dylan-mulvaney-life-after-girlhood-now-awards-2023
VanHoose, Benjamin (March 1, 2025). How Dylan Mulvaney ‘Healed’ After Bud Light Scandal: I’m ‘a Thousand Times Stronger’ Now (Exclusive). People https://people.com/dylan-mulvaney-stronger-two-years-after-bud-light-controversy-exclusive-11687040
Lange, Maggie (February 18, 2025). Dylan Mulvaney Dreams of Privacy. Really. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/style/dylan-mulvaney-paper-doll-book.html
Jones, CT (June 29, 2023). Trans Influencer Dylan Mulvaney Breaks Her Silence on Bud Light Controversy. Rolling Stone https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/dylan-mulvaney-trans-bud-light-controversy-1234780871/
Bellware, Kim; Javaid, Maham (April 6, 2023). She’s on Bud Light cans and all over the internet. Who is Dylan Mulvaney? The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/04/06/dylan-mulvaney-transgender-influencer-tiktok/
Billson, Chantelle (October 17, 2022). Beauty giant Ulta bombarded with transphobic hate over video of trans woman. PinkNews [archive] https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2022/10/17/ulta-beauty-trans-dylan-mulvaney/
Miller, Julius (June 1, 2022). Dylan Mulvaney On Transitioning and Becoming a TikTok ‘Trailblazer’. lamag.com. [archive] https://www.lamag.com/culturefiles/dylan-mulvaney-on-transitioning-and-becoming-a-tiktok-trailblazer/
Malkin, Marc (March 9, 2023). TikTok Star Dylan Mulvaney Recalls Coming Out as Trans at Age 4, Tells Trans Youth: ‘There Is a Light at the End of the Tunnel’. Variety. [archive] https://variety.com/2023/digital/podcasts/tiktok-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-1235547512/
Dellatto, Marisa (November 22, 2022). ‘#BoycottTampax’ Trends On Twitter After Viral Tweet From Tampon Company. Forbes [archive]
Iftikhar, Asyia (October 27, 2022). Caitlyn Jenner joins right-wing pile-on of trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney. PinkNews [archive] https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/11/22/boycotttampax-trends-on-twitter-after-viral-tweet-from-tampon-company/?sh=7a5ab1ba72a9
Holpuch, Amanda (April 14, 2023). Behind the Backlash Against Bud Light’s Transgender Influencer. New York Times [archive] https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/14/business/bud-light-boycott.html
St. Martin, Emily (March 14, 2023). Drew Barrymore sat on the floor with trans TikToker Dylan Mulvaney. Online turmoil ensued. Los Angeles Times. [archive] https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-03-14/drew-barrymore-dylan-mulvaney-transgender-online-hate
Coen, Susie; Corless, Blathnaid (April 7, 2023). Sharron Davies calls for Nike boycott after trans influencer promoted its sports bra. The Telegraph [archive] https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/04/07/sharron-davies-dylan-mulvaney-nike-transgender-bra-boycott/
Williamson, Harriet (April 15, 2023). Budweiser targeted by bomb threats as right-wing snowflakes keep raging over Dylan Mulvaney collab. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2023/04/15/budweiser-bomb-threats-dylan-mulvaney-bud-light/
Picchi, Aimee (April 25, 2023). Maybelline faces boycott over partnership with Dylan Mulvaney. CBS News. [archive] https://www.cbsnews.com/news/maybelline-dylan-mulvaney-boycott/
Ziady, Hanna (February 29, 2024). Bud Light boycott likely cost Anheuser-Busch InBev over $1 billion in lost sales. CNN https://www.advocate.com/business/has-bud-light-lost-sales
Resources
Dylan Mulvaney (dylanmulvaney.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
IMDb (imdb.com)
TikTok (tiktok.com)
Public is a Substack platform and podcast by anti-transgender extremist Michael Shellenberger.
Largely through the efforts of contributor Mia Hughes, Public has showcased many leading figures in anti-transgender extremism, including Az Hakeem, Julia Mason, Helen Joyce, Parents with Inconvenient Truths about Trans (PITT), “Michelle Alleva,” Bev Jackson, Kate Harris, “Chloe Cole,” J. Michael Bailey, Stephanie Winn, “Christina Buttons,” Meghan Murphy, “K. Yang,” Womenâs Declaration International, Peter Boghossian, and Stephen B. Levine.
People
Contributors to Public include:
Resources
Substack (substack.com)
The Stranger is an alternative newspaper based in Seattle, Washington. The publication is generally progressive politically, with some issues around anti-trans coverage by Dan Savage, Alice Dreger, and Katie Herzog.
Background
Founded in 1991 as a weekly print publication supported by coupon ads, it switched to a biweekly magazine format in 2017. It suspended print operations in 2020, then resumed them in 2023. In 2024, the paper was sold to Noisy Creek.
Transgender coverage
Since its founding, The Stranger has published a sex column by Dan Savage called Savage Love. Over the years, Savage has published a number of columns about trans and gender diverse people that have been criticized. In addition to work like the It Gets Better project that has helped some in the community, Savage has a long history of supporting and defending sexologists and journalists who have also been accused of bias.
In 2011, The Queer Issue edited by Christopher Frizzelle and Savage included a piece by Alice Dreger, who has long voiced opposition to the affirmative model of care for trans and gender diverse youth, especially any kind of medical options:
The great majority of young children who declare they are a gender that doesn’t match their birth sex grow out of the mismatch. […]
But somehow if we wrap these major interventions around gender identity, we’re supposed to believe they are not that big a deal in terms of planning for a child’s future? And the clinician who tries to get a gender dysphoric kid to learn to like her or his innate body really is a Nazi? Not buying it. […]
I am also sick and tired of trans-rights advocates acting like a certain current-day endocrinologist is ever-so-progressive because he essentially starts prepping genderqueer kids for surgery the moment they are presented by their distraught parents. Reminds me a little too much of Iran, you know?
The Stranger also employed Katie Herzog, whose article on “detransition” was sourced from a group of anti-transgender people associated with the “ex-trans movement.” The Stranger never updated that article to note that major source Ky Schevers has disavowed the views made in the piece.
References
Hiruko, Ashley (July 29, 2024). The Stranger newspaper sold to former state legislator Brady Walkinshaw. KUOW https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-stranger-newspaper-sold-to-former-state-legislator-brady-walkinshaw
Schevers, Ky (June 24, 2024). The Reality Behind the Story I Told The Stranger. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/queer-issue-2024/2024/06/05/79545098/the-reality-behind-the-story-i-told-the-stranger
Wood, Natalie (June 20, 2018). What Happens After the Person You Married Tells You They’re Transgender. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/queer-issue-2018/2018/06/20/27820946/what-happens-after-the-person-you-married-tells-you-theyre-transgender
Herzog, Katie (July 3, 2017). A Response to the Uproar Over My Piece, âThe Detransitioners.â The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/07/03/25262759/a-response-to-the-uproar-over-my-piece-the-detransitioners
Herzog, Katie (June 28, 2017). The Detransitioners: They Were Transgender, Until They Werenât. The Stranger. https://www.thestranger.com/features/2017/06/28/25252342/the-detransitioners-they-were-transgender-until-they-werent
Savage, Dan (June 7, 2014). About That Hate Crime I Committed at University of Chicago. The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2014/06/07/about-that-hate-crime-i-committed-at-university-of-chicago
Dreger, Alice (2011). Trans Advocates (At Least Where Genderqueer Kids Are Concerned). The Stranger https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/trans-advocates/Content?oid=8743338
Savage, Dan (August 12, 2010). Golden Oldie. https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=4642012
Savage, Dan (August 12, 2010). Bad Tranny. https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=13054
Savage, Dan (March 26, 2009). Deep Thought. https://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=1192438
Resources
The Stranger (thestranger.com)
Wikipedfia (en.wikipedia.org)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
X/Twiiter (x.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Bluesky (bsky.app)
Transgender Trend is a British anti-transgender pressure group founded by Stephanie Davies-Arai. It is an important hub for the “parental rights” faction of anti-transgender activists.
Background
Davies-Arai founded the group in 2015 after reading an article that recommended affirming children in their gender identities and expression.
Davies-Arai believes that children are being “groomed” and “brainwashed” into thinking they are transgender by “gender ideology.”
According to progressive publication Truthout:
“Groups like Transgender Trend, an organization that campaigns against LGBT-inclusive relationship and sex education to schools (and was allowed to contribute to the Keira Bell case as an expert witness), are now refocusing on targeting trans health care for anyone under 25.”
Anti-trans activist Heather Brunskell-Evans wrote a piece for Transgender Trend titled “Judith Butler at the Court of Appeal.”
People
Core team
- Stephanie Davies-Arai
- Shelley Charlesworth
- Rachel Rooney
- Janey Galloway
References
Kesslen, Ben (18 August 2022). How the idea of a “transgender contagion” went viralâand caused untold harm. MIT Technology Review https://www.technologyreview.com/2022/08/18/1057135/transgender-contagion-gender-dysphoria/
Dodds, Io (3 July 2022). How two trans women ran a legendary underground surgical clinic in a rural barn. The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/trans-history-underground-sugical-clinic-b2114777.html
Ring, Ellie (16 June 2022). Edinburgh LGBTQ+ officer claims university hosted ‘highly transphobic’ seminar. The Edinburgh Tab https://thetab.com/uk/edinburgh/2022/06/16/edinburgh-lgbtq-officer-claims-university-hosted-highly-transphobic-seminar-77705
Staff report (3 June 2022). Anti-Trans Group Founder Stephanie Davies-Ara Awarded ‘British Empire Medal’ In Queen’s Birthday Honours. Star Observer https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/anti-trans-group-founder-stephanie-davies-ara-awarded-british-empire-medal-in-queens-birthday-honours/213480
Hansford, Amelia (2 June 2022). Founder of notorious anti-trans pressure group named in Queen’s birthday honours. i https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/groomer-new-lgbt-slur-incite-hatred-spark-violence-1585179
Rayner, Gordon (1 June 2022). Vindication for ‘transphobic’ gender-critical campaigner named in Queen’s Birthday Honours list. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2022/06/01/vindication-transphobic-gender-critical-campaigner-named-queens/
The Queen’s Birthday Honours 2022. GOV.UK. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1080317/birthday-honours-list-2022.csv/preview
Strudwick, Patrick (22 May 2022). ‘Shocked and scared’: Trans man speaks out over reporting psychiatrist for ‘conversion therapy’. I News https://inews.co.uk/news/long-reads/trans-conversion-therapy-patient-speaks-out-psychiatrist-reported-1641330
Strudwick, Patrick (26 April 2022). How ‘groomer’, the dangerous new anti-LGBT slur from America, is taking hold in Britain. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
Ferreira, Lou (22 March 2022). NHS invited speakers with ‘anti-trans’ links to trans event. Open Democracy https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/nhs-pulls-trans-conference-after-speakers-links-exposed/
Turner, Camilla; Somerville, Ewan (1 January 2022). Group of girls’ schools says they will not accept transgender pupils and “jeopardise” their status as single-sex institutions. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/01/01/group-girls-schools-says-will-not-accept-transgender-pupils/
Norris, Sian (30 September 2021). The Far-Right Co-Option of the Transgender Rights Issue. Byline Times https://bylinetimes.com/2021/09/30/the-far-right-co-option-of-the-transgender-rights-issue/
Davies-Arai, Stephanie (7 July 2021). Teachers are powerless to resist trans activism in schools. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/07/07/teachers-powerless-resist-trans-activism-schools/
Somerville, Ewan (9 May 2021). Transgender guidelines for girls schools quietly scrapped by the equalities watchdog. The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/05/09/transgender-guidelines-girls-schools-quietly-scrapped-equalities/
Greenesmith, Heron (28 February 2021). Health Care for Trans Youth Is Under Attack in UK — and It’s Impacting the US. Truthout https://truthout.org/articles/health-care-for-trans-youth-is-under-attack-in-uk-and-its-impacting-the-us/
McLean, Craig (2021). The Growth of the Anti-Transgender Movement in the United Kingdom: The Silent Radicalization of the British Electorate. International Journal of Sociology. 51 (6): 473â482. doi:10.1080/00207659.2021.1939946
Savage, Rachel (4 December 2020). LGBT+ groups see surge in calls after UK court ruling on trans teens. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-lgbt-health-idUSKBN28E2UF
Savage, Rachel (4 December 2020). British LGBT+ groups see surge in calls after UK court ruling on trans teens. Reuters https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-lgbt-health-idINL8N2IK4A0
Thomas, Kim (29 September 2020). What are the new rules for teaching identity in schools?. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/education-and-careers/2020/09/29/new-rules-teaching-identity-schools/
“As the number of children identifying as transgender has increased, schools have consulted trans charities such as Stonewall and Mermaids about how best to approach the topic. These charities have, however, come under criticism by campaigners, including Transgender Trend and Safe Schools Alliance, for reinforcing a rigid belief in gender roles, and for encouraging children who don’t conform to gender stereotypes to believe they might be trans.
“
Mohdin, Aamna (25 September 2020). Government issues gender identity guidance for teachers in England. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/education/2020/sep/25/government-issues-gender-identity-guidance-for-teachers-in-england
Duffy, Nick (17 June 2020). Thousands of cisgender women sign letter urging Liz Truss to shelve ‘disturbing’ rollback of trans rights. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/06/17/liz-truss-gender-recognition-act-reform-cis-women-open-letter-trans-equality/
John, Tara (4 April 2020). The quest for trans rights has exposed a deep divide in the UK. Scotland may show a way forward. CNN https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/04/uk/trans-rights-reforms-scotland-gbr-intl/index.html
Wakefield, Lily (11 March 2020). Anti-LGBT+ priest tells MPs that sex education leads to sex abuse and anal cancer, and no one stopped her. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2020/03/11/anglican-priest-lynda-rose-lgbt-inclusive-sex-education-house-of-commons-anal-cancer-abuse/
Andersson, Jasmine (10 January 2020). The medical, ethical, and legal complications surrounding the puberty blockers case. i https://inews.co.uk/news/puberty-blockers-legal-case-experts-transgender-382047
Duffy, Nick (7 October 2019). Someone is trolling anti-trans group Transgender Trend in the most perfect way. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/10/07/someone-trolling-anti-trans-group-most-perfect-way/
Duffy, Nick (11 May 2019). Education magazine TES loses star columnist over transphobia row. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/05/11/education-magazine-tes-loses-star-columnist-transphobia-row/
Keating, Shannon (22 April 2019). Gender Dysphoria Isn’t A “Social Contagion,” According To A New Study. BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/shannonkeating/rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-flawed-methods-transgender
Duffy, Nick (28 September 2018). Gender-neutral toilets in Canada targeted with anti-trans ‘penis’ stickers. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/09/28/gender-neutral-toilets-targeted-with-anti-transgender-penis-stickers-canada/
Strudwick, Patrick (12 September 2018). A Leading Trans-Critical Group Said Schools Should Out Trans Pupils To Their Parents. BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeed.com/patrickstrudwick/trans-kids-should-be-outed-to-their-parents-says-a-group
Robertson, Alix (10 September 2018). Schools warned over new ‘harmful’ Transgender Trend stickers. schoolsweek.co.uk https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-warned-over-new-harmful-transgender-trend-stickers/
WPATH Global Board of Directors (4 September 2018). WPATH Position on “Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD).” (PDF) https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/Public%20Policies/2018/9_Sept/WPATH%20Position%20on%20Rapid-Onset%20Gender%20Dysphoria_9-4-2018.pdf
Page, Morgan M. (9 July 2018). Why Are Some Feminists In The UK Freaking Out About Trans Rights?. BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/morganmpage/why-are-some-feminists-in-the-uk-freaking-out-about-trans
Glass, Jess (25 April 2018). Exclusive: Anti-trans meeting sparks mass criticism and counter-protests from university groups. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2018/04/25/university-of-oxford-protest-transgender-feminism-womans-place/
Whittaker, Freddie (15 February 2018). Schools urged to ignore ‘dangerous’ gender guidance. schoolsweek.co.uk https://schoolsweek.co.uk/schools-urged-to-ignore-dangerous-gender-guidance/
Resources
Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)
Transgender Trend (transgendertrend.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Scott Newgent is a conservative American transgender activist critical of healthcare protocols for trans and gender diverse youth. Newgent also has regret about personal surgical outcomes and complications. Newgent is best known for appearing in the transphobic Matt Walsh project What Is a Woman? and has been affiliated with extremist group Gays Against Groomers.
Background
According to self-reports, Thomas Scott Newgent was born in Tucson on November 6, 1972 to Scott and Cindy King (other sources give November 10). In several recent interviews, Newgent referred to previously living under the name Kellie Ellen King. Newgent attended Missouri State University before earning a bachelor’s degree from Middle Tennessee State University in 1994. Newgent worked in sales. Newgent is reportedly a parent to three, including giving birth to a set of twins; their names are Joshua, Julia, and Justice. Newgent has listed over 30 different places in eight states as residences:
- Indiana: Kendallville, South Bend, Fort Wayne
- Texas: Rockwall, Ben Wheeler, Fort Worth, Dallas, Denton
- Kansas: Olathe, Overland Park
- Washington: Spokane, Port Angeles
- Idaho: Post Falls
- Oregon: Deadwood
- Tennessee: Murfreesboro, Antioch
- California: San Diego, Jamul, El Cajon
As is common with people who move this frequently, Newgent has a criminal history that includes serving a sentence relating to a court order in 2019.
Gender transition
Newgent reportedly began transition in 2016 but applied for a legal name and gender change in Texas in 2015. This took longer than usual because the court needed Newgent’s certification of criminal history record information, which Newgent’s lawyer supplied on November 2, 2015.
Newgent is dissatisfied with the reported seven surgeries, claiming that medical complications include:
- a massive pulmonary embolism
- a helicopter life-flight ride
- an emergency ambulance ride
- a stress-induced heart attack
- sepsis
- a 17-month recurring infection due to “using the wrong skin during a (failed) phalloplasty”
- 16 rounds of antibiotics
- three weeks of daily IV antibiotics
- the loss of all my hair
- (only partially successful) arm reconstructive surgery
- permanent lung and heart damage
- a cut bladder
- insomnia-induced hallucinations
- frequent loss of consciousness “due to pain from the hair on the inside of my urethra” (“six inches” of it)
- a form of PTSD “that made me a prisoner in my apartment for a year”
Newgent would transition again, but differently. Newgent says transition came with many costs, including “home, car, savings, career, wife, medical insurance, and most importantly his faith within himself and God.”
TReVoices
During the COVID pandemic in 2020, Newgent founded Indiana for-profit company TRans Educational Voices (TReVoices), a group that opposes “radical gender activism.” Newgent claims the medical and pharmaceutical industries are pushing children to transition medically.
Newgent has appeared on or been featured by many conservative outlets, including Ben Shapiro, Matt Walsh, Preston Sprinkle, GBNews, Plebity, Indie Thinker, Benjamin Boyce, Candace Owens, Madeleine Kearns, National Review, UpperhandMARS, and The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network (Jennifer Lahl).
In 2023, Newgent briefly claimed to be done with anti-transgender activism and deleted some online presence. In 2024, Newgent self-published an autobiography titled THE LESBIAN DEVIL TO THE STRAIGHT MAN SAINT: – A trip through trans HELL & back!
Trans Regretters
In 2024 Newgent redirected the site TReVoices to a new site called Trans Regretters. The site listed several people with regret about aspects of their medical transitions:
References
Myers, Ashlyn (March 21, 2023). Emotions stir the House before committeeâs approval of bill banning gender-affirming care. TheStatehouseFile.com https://www.thestatehousefile.com/politics/emotions-stir-the-house-before-committee-s-approval-of-bill-banning-gender-affirming-care/article_067d462c-c820-11ed-b589-0beadfab96ae.html
Markowicz, Karol (June 12, 2022). âWhat is a woman?â exposes the lunacy of pro-trans extremism. The New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/06/12/what-is-a-woman-exposes-the-lunacy-of-pro-trans-extremism/
[uncredited] (Dec 18, 2021). Meet Scott Newgent. Gender Dysphoria Alliance https://www.genderdysphoriaalliance.com/post/meet-scott-newgent
Kearns, Madeleine (January 28, 2021). A Trans Person Speaks Out against Bidenâs Transgender Activism. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/2021/01/a-trans-person-speaks-out-against-bidens-transgender-activism/ [alt title: A Trans Campaigner Speaks Out against Bidenâs Transgender Activism]
Kearns, Madeleine (February 13, 2020). The Cowardly Republicans of South Dakota. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/2020/02/transgender-politics-south-dakota-senate-republicans-cowardly/
Publications by Newgent
Newgent, Scott (2024), THE LESBIAN DEVIL TO THE STRAIGHT MAN SAINT: – A trip through trans HELL & back! â#SCREAMLouder Publishing, ISBN â979-8895463376
Newgent, Scott (December 16, 2023). Opinion: Iâm working to save children from my deepest regret: gender-affirming medical transition. Dallas Morning News https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/12/16/transgender-regretter-scott-newgent/
Newgent Scott (May 12, 2023). Scott Newgent, TReVoices [2023 Maine LD1735Â (Summary) An Act to Safeguard Gender-affirming Health Care.] https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getTestimonyDoc.asp?id=10023409
Newgent, Scott (April 19, 2021). Bill C-6 needs more nuance: Conversion therapy is wrong, but pushing kids to transition medically is
worse. [Testimony to Canada Senate] https://sencanada.ca/content/sen/committee/432/LCJC/Briefs/2021-04-19_LCJC_C-6_ScottNewgent_e.pdf
Newgent, Scott (February 9, 2021). Opinion: We Need Balance When It Comes To Gender Dysphoric Kids. I Would Know. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/we-need-balance-when-it-comes-gender-dysphoric-kids-i-would-know-opinion-1567277
Newgent, Scott (October 20, 2020). Opinon | Trans activist: Serious concern over child re-assignment surgery. The Catholic Weekly https://catholicweekly.com.au/trans-activist-serious-concern-over-child-re-assignment-surgery/
Media
Tammi Faraday (December 11, 2023). Scott Newgent – The Truth About Transitioning Children from a Transman (S06E03). Brave Journeys https://podcasts.apple.com/it/podcast/scott-newgent-the-truth-about-transitioning-children/id1536041978?i=1000638104941
Tamara Ugolini (October 23, 2023). Transman Scott Newgent fights to save children from the harms of medical transition. Rebel News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5tKn6Ap0mH4
(October 16, 2023). Transition Tensions: Scott Newgent’s Stand on Childhood Choices. Become your own Superhero podcast
Robert Scott Bell (August 3, 2023). Special Guest Scott Newgent The Robert Scott Bell Podcast Network
Matt Walsh (June 10, 2023). What is a Woman? Reunion. The Matt Walsh Show https://www.dailywire.com/clips/what-is-a-woman-reunion
Jay Fantom (April 24, 2023). Scott Newgent Unboxing | Becoming Trans Ruined My Life. The Story Box https://shows.acast.com/thestorybox/episodes/scott-newgent-unboxing-becoming-trans-ruined-my-life
Jen Hardy (July 6, 2022). “What is a Woman” star Scott Newgent tells about the side-effects from medically transitioning, and their affect on kids. Fabulous Over 50 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-a-woman-star-scott-newgent-tells-about-the/id1353195153?i=1000568967275
Bryce Eddy (October 13, 2022). Scott Newgent | Stop Mutilating Children | Liberty Station Ep 141. Godspeak Calvary Chapel https://rumble.com/v1nq8yc-scott-newgent-stop-mutilating-children-liberty-station-ep-141.html?e9s=src_v1_ucp
Allie Beth Stuckey (October 4, 2023). Ep 884 | Sex Change Regret: Why the Surgeries Never Work | Guest: Scott Newgent. Relatable with Allie Beth Stuckey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vY5_LI8Gbc
Andrew Doyle (April 30, 2023). Trans man who says he REGRETS his transition says medically transitioning is just cosmetic surgery. Free Speech Nation / GBNews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_o2Q2EgeLY
Nana Akua (Apr 1, 2023). Transgender man says he REGRETS his transition | ‘It’s cosmetic surgery, it doesn’t fix anything.’ GBNews https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZtwom8_J6o
Ben Shapiro (December 10, 2022). Transgender Male Exposes the Horrors of Gender Reassignment Surgery. The Ben Shapiro Show Daily Wire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auzWtjHirh0
Candace Owens (Sep 24, 2022). Perez Hilton and Candace Owens Discuss Parenting and Gender Dysphoria in Children. [Scott Newgent guest]. Taboo with Candace Owens Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1Kkw3zMRMo
Sandra Currie, Rose Medina (June 29, 2022) Scott Newgent Founder of TRevoices. An American Conversation Podcastâą https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQMQ4VDiRZg
Michael Brown (March 22, 2022). A Female-to-Male Transgender Shouts a Warning About Transitioning Children. The Line of Fire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsNmvH9Alh4
Aaron Kimberly and Aaron Terrell (August 26, 2021). Measuring Medical Transition Outcomes with Kenneth Pirie and Scott Newgent. Transparency https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14TIEgAVmow
Aaron Kimberly and Aaron Terrell (August 26, 2021). Autogynephilia with Kenneth Pirie and Scott Newgent. Transparency https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4qBxYbvhl8
Laval, Mary (13th July 2021). Scott Newgent of TReVoices in conversation with Stella OâMalley. Genspect https://genspect.org/scott-newgent-of-trevoices-in-conversation-with-stella-omalley/
Reed Uberman (August 16, 2021). Ep. 31- The Truth About Medically Transitioning Kids | Guest Scott Newgent. Indie Thinker with Reed Uberman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2aucvGX-E
Jennifer Lahl (August 8, 2021). Scott Newgent on his permanent ban from Twitter. The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziBc6HYHVUM
Preston Sprinkle (July 1, 2021). #880 – A Transmanâs Unexpected Thoughts on Trans* Related Issues: Scott Newgent. Theology in the Raw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zazsZ_HO3LM
Dan Crenshaw (March 5, 2021). Let’s Talk About Transgenderism, with Scott Newgent. Hold These Truths with Dan Crenshaw https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDXAKXPlsdg
Mars Fernandez (September 8, 2020). BROmance with Buck Angel & Scott. UpperhandMARS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntSfUas924U [deleted]
Benjamin Boyce (July 27, 2020). 257 | Children’s Rights, Trans Realities with Scott Newgent. Calmversations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lly1prUzksI
Jennifer Lahl (March 31, 2020). Podcast #015: Scott Newgent. Venus Rising https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/venusrising/episodes/2020-03-31T16_07_52-07_00
Mars Fernandez (August 30, 2019). Phalloplasty gone wrong with Scott Newgent. UpperhandMARS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y72zb-cJi8k [deleted]
Resources
Trans Regretters (transregretters.com) [archive]
TRans Educational Voices: TReVoices (trevoices.org) [archive]
- trevoices.org/drcurtiscranecranets (deleted) [archive]
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
X.Twitter (x.com)
- scottnewgent [suspended]
- NotScottNewgent [deleted]
TikTok (tiktok.com)
Reddit (reddit.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Sarah Pedersen is professor of communications and media at Robert Gordon University. Pedersen has researched the rise of the “gender critical” movement and has espoused “gender critical” views.
Background
Sarah Pedersen was born in October 1965. Pedersen attended University of York, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1987 and a master’s degree in 1989. Pedersen has been affiliated with Robert Gordon University since 2008.
Gender critical activism
Pedersen has researched toxic online community Mumsnet, a key forum for anti-trans extremism.
The June 2019 event “Women’s Sex-Based Rights: What Does (& Should) the Future Hold?” featured a panel of “gender critical” speakers including Pedersen, Julie Bindel, Rosa Freedman, Louise Moody, Lucy Hunter Blackburn, and Claire Heuchan. There, Pedersen acknowledged a recent move into gender critical activism:
“I am often asked at these talks whether I would have been a militant suffragette or a constitutional suffragist. I have always answered that I saw myself very much as a suffragist, quietly writing letters and signing petitions, only dipping a toe in the public sphere of the day, and probably rather disapproving of the militant actions of the suffragettes. However, by coming here today and speaking so publicly, I think I am beginning to embrace my inner suffragette.”
Pedersen drew comparisons between suffragette protests against Scotland’s 1911 census and efforts by “gender critical” groups like For Women Scotland to confound sex data in the 2022 Scottish census.
Pedersen gave a blurb for the 2023 anti-trans book Sex and Gender: A Contemporary Reader:
‘Debates on sex and gender go back a long way, but recently theyâve become more contentiousâand for many people, more confusingâthan ever. This collection, covering a range of subjects from biology and neuroscience to law and public policy, is a welcome attempt to clarify whatâs at stake in current disputes about the significance of sex and gender both in theory and in everyday life. I hope the book will be read by the confused and the undecided as well as by those who are already inclined to agree with it.’
References
Baker, Katie J. M. (January 2021). The Road to Terfdom. Lux https://lux-magazine.com/article/the-road-to-terfdom/
Davidson, Gina (May 8, 2019). University debate on women’s rights branded ‘transphobic.’ The Scotsman https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/university-debate-on-womens-rights-branded-transphobic-1418085
Reisz, Matthew (September 28, 2020). Books interview: Sarah Pedersen. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/books/books-interview-sarah-pedersen
Livingston, Eve (December 6, 2018). How an Online Forum for Moms Became a Toxic Hotbed of Transphobia. VICE https://www.vice.com/en/article/a3mn9k/mumsnet-uk-mom-forum-terf-transphobia-feminism
Selected writing by Pedersen
Pedersen S (2022). âItâs what the suffragettes would have wantedâ: the construction of the suffragists and suffragettes on Mumsnet. Feminist Media Studies https://doi.org/10.1080/14680777.2022.2032788
Pedersen, Sarah (February 18, 2022). The SNP wonât silence women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/02/scotlands-women-wont-be-erased/
Pedersen, Sarah (2020). The Politicization of Mumsnet. Emerald Publishing, ISBN â9781839094712
Pedersen, Sarah (June 5, 2019). [speech at Women’s Sex-Based Rights panel] https://forwomen.scot/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Sarah-Pedersen-Edinburgh-Uni-speech.pdf
Media
Moray House School of Education and Sport (July 25, 2019). Women’s Sex-Based Rights: What Does (& Should) the Future Hold? panel event, 5 June 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IjHn1Bj5It8
Resources
X/Twitter (x.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Virginia Hughes is an American writer and anti-transgender activist who is responsible for much of the transgender coverage in the New York Times science section since 2020.
Background
Virginia Cooper “Ginny” Hughes (born 1984) grew up in Marshall, Michigan. Hughes’ family ran a local business. Hughes graduated from the Battle Creek Area Mathematics and Science Center. Hughes then earned a bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Brown University in 2005, then a master’s degree in science writing from Johns Hopkins in 2006. Hughes interned at NPR and Discover during that time.
Hughes then began freelancing and took a role at ScienceBlogs/Seed Media Group. Hughes married Randal “Randy” Vegter in 2012.
Hughes joined BuzzFeed in 2015, rising to Deputy Editor in Chief in 2019. Hughes joined the science desk at the New York Times in 2020 and soon helped bring over Azeen Ghorayshi and Katie J.M. Baker to write slanted pieces about gender diverse youth.
Hughes has served as an adjunct professor at NYUâs journalism school.
References
Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Timesâ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making
Warrington, James (February 16, 2023). How the New York Times was engulfed by a trans culture war. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/02/15/new-york-times-accused-writers-anti-trans-bigotry/
Oladipo, Gloria (February 18, 2023). Nearly 1,000 contributors protest New York Timesâ coverage of trans people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/new-york-times-contributors-open-letter-protest-anti-trans-coverage
Yurcaba, Jo (February 16, 2023). N.Y. Times contributors and LGBTQ advocates send open letters criticizing paperâs trans coverage. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ny-contributors-lgbtq-advocates-send-open-letters-criticizing-papers-t-rcna70800
Kalish, Lil (February 15, 2023). These New York Times contributors say the paperâs coverage of gender issues is hurting trans people. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/trans-writers-open-letter-nyt-biased-coverage
Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paperâs anti-trans coverage. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage
Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paperâs trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage
Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of âeditorial biasâ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/
Eckert, AJ (December 4, 2022). What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/
Urquhart, Evan (November 17, 2022). The NYTâs big piece on puberty blockers mucked up the most important point about them. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/puberty-blockers-side-effects-controversy.html
Resources
Virginia Hughes (virginiahughes.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
NYU Journalism (journalism.nyu.edu)
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.