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medicine and transgender people

Richard Byng is a British general practitioner of medicine and anti-transgender activist.

Byng is involved with anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM).

Background

  • 2009 GP with Special Interest in Mental Health accreditation
  • 2004 PhD, University of London, Health Services Research
  • 1996 Masters in Public Health (MPH), University of Birmingham
  • 1992-1993 MRCGP, Oxford (Banbury) Vocational Training Scheme
  • 1985-1988 M.B. B.Ch. (Cambridge), The Royal London Hospital Medical College,
  • 1982-1985 B.A. (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree (2:1), Queens’ College, Cambridge University

2018 Guardian letter

Byng was a signatory on a letter in The Guardian critical of the Gender Recognition Act. The open letter included many other key anti-transgender extremists. 

2019 Standing For Women anti-transgender event

In 2019 Byng spoke at an anti-trans event organized by Standing for Women titled First Do No Harm – the ethics of transgender healthcare

Also present was James Caspian, David Davies, Julia Long, Heather Brunskell-Evans, Posie Parker, Maya Forstater, Sue Evans, and Sonia Poulton.

2022 US Health and Human Service meeting

On April 25, 2022, anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM) arranged a meeting with US government officials on healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth. Byng was listed as a participant.

2024 CAN-SG anti-transgender event

The Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (CAN-SG) is an anti-transgender front group that promotes restrictions on healthcare. According to program notes: “Richard will talk about how current care for 17-25 year olds could be changed to reflect evidence and professional standards of practice.”

References

Written evidence submitted by Professor Richard Byng [GRA1913] https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/18099/pdf/

Written submission from Dr Richard Byng, et al (HSC0091) -https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/103342/html/

  • Susan Bewley
  • Richard Byng
  • Damian Clifford
  • Katie Clyde
  • David Curtis
  • Lucy Griffin
  • Tessa Katz
  • Julie Maxwell
  • Margaret McCartney

Resources

University of Plymouth (plymouth.ac.uk)

Some transgender and gender diverse people choose medical options as part of a gender transition. The following medical specialties can be involved in trans and gender diverse healthcare.

Related specialties

  • Anesthesiology
  • Dermatology
  • Endocrinology
  • Infectious disease
  • Neurology
  • Obstetrics and gynecology
  • Pediatrics
  • Psychiatry
  • Reproductive medicine
  • Surgery
    • General surgery
    • Craniofacial Surgery
    • Oral and maxillofacial surgery
    • Plastic surgery
  • Urology

Medical professionals who are trans

Trans and gender diverse physicians, surgeons, and healthcare professionals have been documented throughout recorded history. This list is incomplete and focuses on physicians and surgeons the past 150 years.

  • Robert Allen (radiology) British, born 1914
  • Rebecca Allison (cardiology) American, born 1946
  • Janis Ashley (pediatrician) American, born 1951, retransitioned 1989
  • Ben Barres (neurology) American, 1954–2017
  • James Barry (surgeon) British, 1789–1865
  • Sara Kristine Becker (primary care) American, born 1951
  • Deborah Bershel (primary care) American, born 1953 deborahbershel.com
  • Dana Beyer (primary care) American, born 1952
  • Marci Bowers (gynecology, surgery) American, born 1958
  • Camille Cabral (dermatologist) French-Brazilian, born 1944
  • Richard Curtis (primary care) Polish-British, born 1967
  • Eleno de CĂ©spedes (1545-died after 1588)
  • Madeline Brianna “Maddie” Deutsch (primary care) born September 1, 1972
  • Ewan Forbes (primary care) British, 1912–1991
  • Alan L. Hart (radiologist) American, 1890–1962
  • Gloria Hemingway (primary care) American, 1931–2001
  • Sheila Kirk (gynecology, surgery) American, born 1930
  • Jamie Koufman (plastic surgeon) American, born 1947
  • Anne Lawrence (anesthesiology) American, born 1950
  • Ellie Zara Ley (plastic surgery), Mexican-American, born 1974
  • Robertina Manganaro (primary care) Italian, born 1958
  • Carys Massarella (emergency medicine) Canadian, born 1965
  • Christine McGinn (plastic surgeon) American, born 1969
  • Sarah Muirhead-Allwood (orthopedic surgeon) British, born 1947
  • Alice Novic (psychiatrist) American, born 1963
  • Madeleine Pelletier (psychiatrist) French, 1874–1939
  • Eugene Perkins (primary care) American, 1869–1936
  • RenĂ©e Richards (ophthalmology) American, born 1934
  • Joy Shaffer (primary care) American, born 1955
  • Georgina Somerset (dentist) [DSD] British, 1923–2013
  • Mary Edwards Walker (surgeon) American, 1832–1919

Resources

A Gender Variance Who’s Who (zagria.blogspot.com)

The American Medical Association (AMA) is a national professional organization of over 270,000 medical professionals.

Founded in 1847, their goals are scientific advancement, standards for medical education, launching a program of medical ethics, and improved public health.

Trans and gender diverse people

AMA has published several positions and policies supporting transgender and gender diverse populations.

H-65.964

  • Access to Basic Human Services for Transgender Individuals H-65.964
  • Our AMA: (1) opposes policies preventing transgender individuals from accessing basic human services and public facilities in line with one’s gender identity, including, but not limited to, the use of restrooms; and (2) will advocate for the creation of policies that promote social equality and safe access to basic human services and public facilities for transgender individuals according to one’s gender identity.

H-185.950

  • Removing Financial Barriers to Care for Transgender Patients
  • Our AMA supports public and private health insurance coverage for treatment of gender dysphoria as recommended by the patient’s physician. (2016)

H-460.893

  • Patient-Reported Outcomes in Gender Confirmation Surgery
  • Our AMA supports: (1) initiatives and research developed by specialty societies and other relevant stakeholders to establish standardized protocols for patient selection, surgical management, and preoperative and postoperative care for transgender patients undergoing gender confirmation surgeries; and (2) implementation of standardized tools, such as questionnaires, developed by specialty societies and other relevant stakeholders to evaluate outcomes of gender confirmation surgeries. (2018)

H-65.956

  • Right for Gamete Preservation Therapies
  • 1. Fertility preservation services are recognized by our AMA as an option for the members of the transgender and non-binary community who wish to preserve future fertility through gamete preservation prior to undergoing gender affirming medical or surgical therapies.2. Our AMA supports the right of transgender or non-binary individuals to seek gamete preservation therapies.

H-430.982

  • Appropriate Placement of Transgender Prisoners
  • 1. Our AMA supports the ability of transgender prisoners to be placed in facilities, if they so choose, that are reflective of their affirmed gender status, regardless of the prisoner’s genitalia, chromosomal make-up, hormonal treatment, or non-, pre-, or post-operative status.
  • 2. Our AMA supports that the facilities housing transgender prisoners shall not be a form of administrative segregation or solitary confinement. (2018)

H-40.966

  • Military Medical Policies Affecting Transgender Individuals
  • Our American Medical Association affirms that there is no medically valid reason to exclude transgender individuals from service in the US military and affirms transgender service members be provided care as determined by patient and physician according to the same medical standards that apply to non-transgender personnel.

H-60.927

  • Reducing Suicide Risk Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Through Collaboration with Allied Organizations
  • Our AMA will partner with public and private organizations dedicated to public health and public policy to reduce lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth suicide and improve health among LGBTQ youth. (2012)

H-460.907

  • Encouraging Research Into the Impact of Long-Term Administration of Hormone Replacement Therapy in Transgender Patients
  • Our AMA encourages research into the impact of long-term administration of hormone replacement therapy in transgender patients.

H-65.957

  • Preventing Anti-Transgender Violence
  • Our AMA will: (1) partner with other medical organizations and stakeholders to immediately increase efforts to educate the general public, legislators, and members of law enforcement using verified data related to the hate crimes against transgender individuals highlighting the disproportionate number of Black transgender women who have succumbed to violent deaths: (2) advocate for federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to consistently collect and report data on hate crimes, including victim demographics, to the FBI; for the federal government to provide incentives for such reporting; and for demographic data on an individual’s birth sex and gender identity be incorporated into the National Crime Victimization Survey and the National Violent Death Reporting System, in order to quickly identify positive and negative trends so resources may be appropriately disseminated; (3) advocate for a central law enforcement database to collect data about reported hate crimes that correctly identifies an individual’s birth sex and gender identity, in order to quickly identify positive and negative trends so resources may be appropriately disseminated; (4) advocate for stronger law enforcement policies regarding interactions with transgender individuals to prevent bias and mistreatment and increase community trust; and (5) advocate for local, state, and federal efforts that will increase access to mental health treatment and that will develop models designed to address the health disparities that LGBTQ individuals experience.

D-460.966

  • Endorsing the Creation of a Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) Research IRB Training
  • Our AMA will work with appropriate stakeholders to support the creation of model training for Institutional Review Boards to use and/or modify for their unique institutional needs as it relates to research collecting data on Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Transgender and Queer populations.

H-60.927

  • Reducing Suicide Risk Among Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth Through Collaboration with Allied Organizations
  • Our AMA will partner with public and private organizations dedicated to public health and public policy to reduce lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (LGBTQ) youth suicide and improve health among LGBTQ youth.

H-160.991

  • Health Care Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Populations
  • 1. Our AMA: (a) believes that the physician’s nonjudgmental recognition of patients’ sexual orientations, sexual behaviors, and gender identities enhances the ability to render optimal patient care in health as well as in illness. In the case of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning, and other (LGBTQ) patients, this recognition is especially important to address the specific health care needs of people who are or may be LGBTQ; (b) is committed to taking a leadership role in: (i) educating physicians on the current state of research in and knowledge of LGBTQ Health and the need to elicit relevant gender and sexuality information from our patients; these efforts should start in medical school, but must also be a part of continuing medical education; (ii) educating physicians to recognize the physical and psychological needs of LGBTQ patients; (iii) encouraging the development of educational programs in LGBTQ Health; (iv) encouraging physicians to seek out local or national experts in the health care needs of LGBTQ people so that all physicians will achieve a better understanding of the medical needs of these populations; and (v) working with LGBTQ communities to offer physicians the opportunity to better understand the medical needs of LGBTQ patients; and (c) opposes, the use of “reparative” or “conversion” therapy for sexual orientation or gender identity.
  • 2. Our AMA will collaborate with our partner organizations to educate physicians regarding: (i) the need for sexual and gender minority individuals to undergo regular cancer and sexually transmitted infection screenings based on anatomy due to their comparable or elevated risk for these conditions; and (ii) the need for comprehensive screening for sexually transmitted diseases in men who have sex with men; (iii) appropriate safe sex techniques to avoid the risk for sexually transmitted diseases; and (iv) that individuals who identify as a sexual and/or gender minority (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning individuals) experience intimate partner violence, and how sexual and gender minorities present with intimate partner violence differs from their cisgender, heterosexual peers and may have unique complicating factors.
  • 3. Our AMA will continue to work alongside our partner organizations, including GLMA, to increase physician competency on LGBTQ health issues.
  • 4. Our AMA will continue to explore opportunities to collaborate with other organizations, focusing on issues of mutual concern in order to provide the most comprehensive and up-to-date education and information to enable the provision of high quality and culturally competent care to LGBTQ people.

H-460.893

  • Patient-Reported Outcomes in Gender Confirmation Surgery
  • Our AMA supports: (1) initiatives and research developed by specialty societies and other relevant stakeholders to establish standardized protocols for patient selection, surgical management, and preoperative and postoperative care for transgender patients undergoing gender confirmation surgeries; and (2) implementation of standardized tools, such as questionnaires, developed by specialty societies and other relevant stakeholders to evaluate outcomes of gender confirmation surgeries.

References

AMA Advocating for the LGBTQ community. https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/population-care/advocating-lgbtq-community

AMA/GLMA (September 2018). Transgender individuals’ access to public facilities. 18-281734:9/17 https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2019-03/transgender-public-facilities-issue-brief.pdf

AMA/GLMA (February 2019). Health insurance coverage for gender- affirming care of transgender patients. 19-321820:2/19 https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/2019-03/transgender-coverage-issue-brief.pdf

AMA/GLMA (April 2022). Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts (so-called “conversion therapy”). 22-676341:04/22 https://www.ama-assn.org/system/files/conversion-therapy-issue-brief.pdf

AMA (June 12, 2020). AMA opposes effort to allow discrimination against patients. https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-opposes-effort-allow-discrimination-against-patients

Resources

American Medical Association (ama-assn.org)

Pediatrics is a medical specialty focusing on healthcare for infants, children, adolescents, and in some cases, young adults. 

In 2018, the American Academy of Pediatrics released a policy statement called Ensuring Comprehensive Care and Support for Transgender and Gender-Diverse Children and Adolescents (PDF). This document recommends the affirmative model of care.

Transgender pediatricians

Rachel Levine is a transgender pediatrician who became Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services for Planning and Evaluation in 2021. Levine is the first transgender American to hold an office that requires Senate confirmation.

Gender-affirming

Organizations and individuals who support affirming models of care include:

Non-affirming

Organizations and individuals who promote non-affirming models of care include:

Allied health professions are health care professions that provide a range of diagnostic, technical, therapeutic, and support services in connection with health care. 

References

Jecke, L., Zepf, F.D. Delivering transgender-specific knowledge and skills into health and allied health studies and training: a systematic review. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-023-02195-8

Exploring Interactions Between Transgender, Gender-Diverse, and Nonbinary Individuals and Allied Health Professionals in Clinical Practice: A Scoping Review https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2022.0222

Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD is an American pediatrician and government health official. Levine is the first out transgender four-star officer in the US uniformed services. Levine was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Health by the US Senate in 2021.

Background

Levine was born October 28, 1957 and grew up in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Both of Levine’s parents were lawyers. Levine has an older sibling.

After private school, Levine graduated from Harvard College, then Tulane University School of Medicine. Levine did a pediatrics residency and adolescent medicine postdoc at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, then took a position at Penn State College of Medicine as well as Penn State Hershey Medical Center.

Levine married Martha Peaslee Levine in 1988. They have two children. Levine transitioned in 2011, and they divorced in 2013.

Levine was appointed Pennsylvania Physician General in 2015 and Secretary of Health in 2017. In 2020 Levine was responsible for the commonwealth’s COVID response. In 2021, the Senate confirmed Levine as Assistant Secretary for Health following President Joe Biden’s nomination.

Among Levine’s first initiatives were addressing bullying, suicide, discriminatory policies, and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic as pressing issues among LGBTQ youth. Levine has criticized Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and the push in some conservative states to investigate parents who provide gender-affirming care to their children.

Levine became a lightning rod for anti-transgender hatred from anti-trans lawmakers and media figures after taking office.

Support of gender affirming care for youth

Levine supports the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding trans and gender diverse youth. The AAP states that the gender affirming model of care is the current medical consensus.

Levine discussed this in a 2023 keynote at Yale University:

Levine described gender-affirming care — which includes puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormones and surgical procedures, among other interventions —  as “safe,” “effective” and “medically necessary.” 

Levine described how transgender and nonbinary youth are disproportionately burdened by mental health challenges. She noted that gender-affirming interventions are associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Given this, Levine said, gender-affirming care has been life-saving for thousands of young LGBTQI+ people across the country.

Zhang (2023)

References

Zhang, William ( FEB 07, 2023). Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel L. Levine discusses LGBTQI+ health at Yale Law School. Yale Daily News https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/02/07/assistant-secretary-for-health-rachel-l-levine-discusses-lgbtqi-health-at-yale-law-school/

Zezima, Katie (June 1, 2016). Meet Rachel Levine, one of the very few transgender public officials in America. The Washington Post [archive] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/meet-rachel-levine-one-of-the-very-few-transgender-public-officials-in-america/2016/06/01/cf6e2332-2415-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html

Sullivan, Eileen (January 19, 2021). Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services role would be first transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate. The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/rachel-levine-transgender-health-human-services.html

Weissert, Will (January 19, 2021). Biden picks transgender woman as assistant health secretary. AP News https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pandemics-biden-cabinet-health-coronavirus-pandemic-4eee53439e9c2b4c27fcf4e7f572cb0e

Diamond, Dan (October 19, 2021). Rachel Levine, openly transgender health official, to be sworn in as four-star admiral in Public Health Service. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/19/levine-transgender-four-star-admiral-public-health-service/

Hackney, Suzette (March 13, 2022). ‘Be true to yourself’: A message from the nation’s highest-ranking openly transgender official. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/2022/03/13/rachel-levine-honoree-usa-today-women-of-the-year/6600134001/

Goodin-Smith, Oona (January 19, 2021). What to know about Rachel Levine, the history-making Pa. health official tapped for Biden administration. The Philadelphia Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/news/rachel-levine-joe-biden-assistant-health-secretary-hhs-transgender-pennsylvania-20210119.html

Loveland, Barry (February 6, 2017). LGBT Oral History: Rachel Levine. (PDF). LGBT Center of Central PA History Project Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections. Carlisle, PA, USA. [archive] http://archives.dickinson.edu/sites/all/files/files_lgbt/LGBT-interview-transcription-Levine-Rachel-064.pdf

Resources

US Dept. of Health and Human Services (hhs.gov)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Michelle Forcier is an American pediatrician who specializes in sexual health and gender identity for adolescents.

Background

Michelle Marie Forcier earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University in 1987, followed by a medical degree from University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1992. In 1997 Forcier earned a master’s degree from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health. Forcier did a pediatric residency at University of Utah, followed by fellowships at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Planned Parenthood Central North Carolina, and Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester School of Medicine.

Forcier is or has been licensed in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Illinois, South Carolina, Alabama, and Utah. Forcier has taught at Duke University, University of North Carolina, and Northwestern University. Since 2009 Forcier has taught at Brown University.

Forcier is a member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Forcier married pediatrician Geoffrey Abbott “Geoff” Allen (born 1961). They have one child.

Forcier is known to many from an appearance in the 2022 anti-trans propaganda piece What Is a Woman? In it, Forcier earnestly explains why affirming models of care for minors are the American medical consensus. Many people who enjoy anti-trans extremist Matt Walsh’s bad-faith interview tactics found the exchange entertaining.

Forcier was named in lawsuits filed by ex-trans activists Layton Ulery and Isabelle Ayala.

References

Norton, Amy (January 19, 2023). Hormonal Therapies Are Boosting the Mental Health of Trans Youth. U.S. News & World Report https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2023-01-19/hormonal-therapies-are-boosting-the-mental-health-of-trans-youth

Crandall, Brian (June 7, 2016). RI doctor leads effort on caring for transgender children. WJAR https://turnto10.com/news/local/ri-doctor-leads-effort-on-caring-for-transgender-children

Petrow, Steven (March 7, 2017). Civilities: Taking all your questions about transgender teens with Brown U. expert Dr. Michelle Forcier and Steven Petrow. Washington Post https://live.washingtonpost.com/civilities-with-steven-petrow-20170307.html

Knox, Liam (September 25, 2022). Attack on Vanderbilt Clinic Has Ripple Effects. Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/09/26/trans-health-clinic-weathers-political-firestorm

Samuel E, Forcier M (2015). Acute medical care for the transgender patient. In Sex and Gender in Acute Care Medicine, Ed: McGregor AJ, Choo EK, Becker BM. NY Cambridge University Press, 2015: 216-229, ISBN 9781107668164

Lecture, Pediatric and Adolescent Gender Care, Web Seminar, Fenway Health Center, 2015. Taped lecture, pending pub on line at http://fenwayhealth.org/the-fenwayinstitute/education/transgender-health-conference/

Transgender is a Pediatric Opportunity: Pediatric Endocrine Nursing Society, Orlando FL 2012.

Services for Transgender Youth in Primary Care Settings. Society for Teachers in Family Medicine, US 2014.

Puberty Blockers for Use in Transgender Children, Medical Advisory Meeting, Chicago 2014.

Transgender Health Panel, Gender Spectrum East, Baltimore 2014

Rupp, William (August 20, 2011). ‘This Old House’ Picks ‘Happy Renters.’ Patch https://patch.com/rhode-island/barrington/this-old-house-picks-happy-renters

Media

Brown University (November 27, 2023) Trans Youth Now Series: Michelle Forcier. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onR2ctah3UE

NBC Nightly News (April 21, 2015). One Doctor Explains the Journey for Kids Who Are Transitioning. https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/one-doctor-explains-the-journey-for-kids-who-are-transitioning-431478851632

Healio (October 18, 2019). AAP supports ‘gender-affirming care’ for youth. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4qlSOdu6MI

Note: this profile previously misstated Forcier’s name at birth and spouse. This site regrets the errors.

Resources

Brown University (brown.edu)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Lifespan (lifespan.org) [archive]

Catherine Williamson is a British occupational therapist who is active in the “gender critical” movement.

Williamson is involved with anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM).

Background

Williamson worked as Multi-Disciplinary Team Leader/Senior Practitioner at the Sheffield Gender Identity Clinic, an adult service in the UK. Williamson resigned in 2019 amid “clinical concerns” about the rapidly-changing demographics and increasing complexity of the patient population, and over the assessment process in NHS gender services.

Williams’ resignation stated in part:

Over the last eighteen months, I have repeatedly discussed my clinical concerns about the inadequacy of the assessment pathways at the clinic. I have also regularly highlighted the increasing vulnerability and complexity of people referred to the clinic. That is, that although a minority of people have gender identity concerns, for a majority, medical transition is the solution to difficulties separate from gender. This is supported by audits I have undertaken. These patients may meet the diagnostic criteria for gender dysphoria and transsexualism, but their primary difficulties are not about gender. These include autism, past trauma, significant childhood and adolescent bullying, personality disorder, mental illness, body dysmorphia and eating disorders. The clinic is wedded to a medically-focused pathway which does not adequately explore this context. The service fails to fully consider the psychological and social factors which might influence a person’s decision to transition. Wider political pressures and the demands of a lengthy waiting list have led to a focus on streamlining the service which has eclipsed clinical robustness. Similar concerns have been raised by clinicians working in gender services in other NHS Trusts.

References

Williamson C (2019). Resignation Letter to Senior Operational Manager Covering Sheffield Gender. Identity Service, Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS. cited in https://doi.org/10.1177/263440412110107

Avi Ring was a Scandinavian physiologist and anti-transgender activist.

Ring founded Gender Identity Challenge (GENID) and was involved with anti-trans organizations Genspect and Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM). Ring was a major proponent of the disputed disease “rapid-onset gender dysphoria.”

Background

Ring earned a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from the University of Uppsala, Sweden. Ring then taught there as an associate professor and worked in cellular electrophysiology. At the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Ring was a chief scientist, working on countermeasures to chemical warfare.

Ring and spouse Eva lived in the Lofthus borough of Oslo and had a transgender child named Jennifer (1985–2017). The family had a complicated relationship with Jennifer.

Anti-transgender activism

Ring’s child Jennifer transitioned at age 28. Jennifer dealt with a number of problems in living beyond trans issues, and committed suicide four years after transition, in 2017.

At the same time, Filter magazine profiled the case of Jennifer Ring, a 32-year-old trans woman who hanged herself four years after her surgery. An expert on psychosis who was shown her medical journal by her father, Avi Ring, was quoted as saying that she had shown clear signs of psychosis at the time she first sought treatment for gender dysphoria.

Indeed, the first clinic she approached refused to treat her, citing signs of schizotypal symptoms and lack of a history of gender dysphoria. But the team at Karolinska went ahead. “Karolinska don’t stop anyone; virtually 100% get sex reassignment,” says Ring.

Orange (2020)

Ring founded GENID: Gender Identity Challenge and began connecting with other parents skeptical of trans healthcare:

Gender Identity Challenge Scandinavia (GICS) are behind the push to change the public debate. Set up by retired neurophysiologist Ring, toxicologist Karin Svens and Norwegian teacher Marit Rþnstad, they label themselves as a group of concerned parents. Other actors are psychiatrist Christopher Gillberg whose article in newspaper Svenska Dagbladet decried hormone treatment and surgery for young people. An investigative TV programme also attacked a hospital providing gender-affirming care. The campaign against securing access to gender-affirming healthcare for trans people along with media transphobia led to the Swedish government halting plans to change the age for young people to access gender-affirming care. In February 2022, the National Board of Health and Welfare issued new guidelines preventing young trans people accessing puberty blockers, arguing incorrectly that ‘costs outweigh the benefits’ and in disagreement with guidance from the World Professional Association of Transgender Health. This was in response to seeing a rise in people assigned female at birth accessing services.

Anti-trans actors tend to verge on social media, particularly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. They place themselves outside the pro-feminist and pro-LGBTI+ rights discourse in Sweden, which they see as undermining the state’s ability to protect people during the pandemic.

It is argued that this approach is not yet having the same impact as ‘gender critical’ groups in the UK or Spain because feminism is a less politically charged idea in Sweden than other European countries. Barring one, all political parties include feminism in their policies. However, this appears to be shifting and concerningly, the HOPE not Hate Charitable Trust found the Swedish general public expressed more anti-feminist sentiment than Poland (30%), the UK (28%), France (26%), Hungary (22%), Germany (19%) and the Netherlands (15%).

Rowlands (2023)

Ring served on a panel with the Norwegian Directory of Health during development of new trans treatment guidelines and lectured at both the Norwegian and Swedish Parliament seminars.

In 2020 Ring and William Malone published a letter criticizing a 2019 study by Richard BrĂ€nström and John E. Pachankis. In the first total population study of transgender people, BrĂ€nström and Pachankis found that for the 2,679 trans people on Sweden’s national patient register diagnosed with gender incongruence, “the longitudinal association between gender-affirming surgery and reduced likelihood of mental health treatment lends support to the decision to provide gender-affirming surgeries to transgender individuals who seek them.”

On September 25, 2023, anti-trans group Genspect announced Ring’s death. This was confirmed in a posthumous piece Ring wrote for Subjekt. Ring asked relatives to publish a piece arguing against banning conversion therapy in Norway under paragraph 270.

References

Madelene Pollnow, Mattias Göransson, Oskar Sonn Lindell (November, 18 2019). [Speed-blind] Fartblinda. Filter https://magasinetfilter.se/granskning/fartblinda/

Orange, Richard (February 22, 2020). Teenage transgender row splits Sweden as dysphoria diagnoses soar by 1,500%. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2020/feb/22/ssweden-teenage-transgender-row-dysphoria-diagnoses-soar

BrĂ€nström R, Pachankis JE: Reduction in mental health treatment utilization among transgender individuals after gender-affirming surgeries: a total population study. Am J Psychiatry 2020; 177:727–734 https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111169

Ring A, Malone WJ (2020). Letter: Confounding Effects on Mental Health Observations After Sex Reassignment Surgery. Am J Psychiatry 177:8, August 2020 https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2020.19111169

Ring, Avi (October 14, 2023) [The Storting should not approve the ban on conversion therapy.] Stortinget bĂžr ikke godkjenne forbudet mot konverteringsterapi. Subjekt https://subjekt.no/2023/10/14/stortinget-bor-ikke-godkjenne-forbudet-mot-konverteringsterapi/

Rowlands, Sebastian (2023) Landscape analysis: What we know on anti-gender movement measures and actors targeting trans people across Europe and Central Asia. TGEU https://tgeu.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/tgeu-agm-landscape-analysis-2023.pdf

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

Twitter (twitter.com)

GENID Gender Identity Challenge Skandinavia (genderchallenge.no)

GENID Gender Identity Challenge Sweden (genid.se)

Jacob Edward “Ed” Les is a Canadian pediatrician who has written inflammatory materials about trans and gender diverse people.

Les is involved with anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM).

Les maintained a blog called Ruminations on a personal site, later moved to Substack.

In 2023, Les began hosting a podcast called Cloudy with a Risk of Children.

References

Siobhan (January 30, 2019). Calgary Physician Calls Transgender People “Demented, Distorted.” Freethought Blogs https://freethoughtblogs.com/atg/2019/01/30/calgary-physician-calls-transgender-people-demented-distorted/ [archive]

“Dr Sarah” (February 1, 2019). The Transphobic Comments Of Dr Jacob Edward Les. Geeky Humanist / Freethought Blogs https://freethoughtblogs.com/geekyhumanist/2019/02/01/the-transphobic-comments-of-dr-jacob-edward-les/ [archive]

Resources

Ed Les (dredles.com) [site active 2018–2021: archive]

Twitter (/twitter.com)

Substack (substack.com)