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Jennifer Finney Boylan is an American author, professor, and activist. Boylan has written several memoirs and novels and has frequently appeared in the media to discuss trans issues.

Notable work involving gender and media includes:

  • The memoir She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2003)
  • Writing a New York Times opinion column (2007–2022)
  • The memoir Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders (2013)
  • Serving on the GLAAD Board (2013)
  • Collaborating with transbians Parker Molloy and Christina Kahrl on pushing GLAAD to adopt their prescriptivist views on slang and slurs (2014)
  • Unsuccessfully lobbying behind the scenes to boycott/cancel RuPaul’s Drag Race (2014)
  • Mentoring and promoting writer Parker Molloy during and after abuse allegations against Molloy
  • Being a consultant for Jeffrey Tambor on the dramedy Transparent (2014) during and after abuse allegations against Tambor
  • Appearing as Caitlyn Jenner’s friend on I Am Cait (2015)
  • Giving the thumbs up to an anti-trans article by Lisa Selin Davis (2017)
  • Signing the Harper’s letter with J.K. Rowling and dozens of other anti-trans activists, later withdrawn (2020)
  • Writing opinion pieces for the Washington Post

Background

Jennifer Finney “Jenny” Boylan was born June 22, 1958 in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. Boylan earned a bachelor’s degree from Wesleyan University in 1980, then earned a master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in 1986. Boylan was a professor at Colby College from 1988 to 2014, then took an appointment at Barnard College. Several of Boylan’s early books were published prior to beginning transition in 2000. Boylan wrote an opinion column for the New York Times from 2007 to 2022 among other writing. Boylan has published opinion pieces in the Washington Post since 2014, increasing the frequency after leaving the New York Times.

In 1988 Boylan married Deirdre Finney Boylan (born 1960). They have two children, Sean (born 1996), and Zaira (born 1994), who is also trans.

Boylan served on the board of GLAAD and has held other roles at organizations benefiting sex and gender minorities. Boylan has appeared on Oprah and the Caitlyn Jenner reality show I Am Cait.

In 2023, Boylan was named President of PEN America.

Anti-drag factionalism

Boylan was a key figure with Christina Kahrl in the 2014 transbian attacks led by Parker Molloy that were critical of drag artists and the offensive language some of them use. This strain of respectability politics reached a boiling point when the three of them combined their ongoing anti-drag and anti-slur crusades to extract an apology from RuPaul and RuPaul’s Drag Race for a transphobic segment that was ultimately pulled. They bragged about taking over GLAAD, an organization built by the entire community that had previously helped settle intra-community disputes out of the public eye. In a mutually beneficial piece of logrolling, Boylan told Molloy:

“This is, to coin a phrase, not your father’s GLAAD, and this is not the work that was being done a decade ago. One reason why I think we’ve been able to make a little progress is that GLAAD is now largely run by trans people. We occupy positions from staff to volunteers to the board of directors, including its national co-chair, which is me. These are our lives we are talking about; the people demeaned by incidents like this one are the men and women who work here. And other cis staff members have been working for trans rights for years and years now. I am proud of the board and staff for their passion.”

Even after being presented with extensive evidence of Parker Molloy’s abuse and slurs toward other trans people, Boylan remained one of Molloy’s staunchest supporters. In exchange, Molloy would write publicity pieces for Boylan and launder them through Advocate.com until being suspended and ultimately resigning.

2020 Harper’s Letter

Boylan was a signatory on the 2020 “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate” in Harper’s Magazine. That open letter was criticized for the high percentage of “gender critical” people in the media, most notably anti-trans extremist J.K. Rowling. Boylan had been in awe of Rowling to the point that in 2010 Boylan created a children’s fantasy series called Falcon Quinn that shared remarkable similarities with Rowling’s Harry Potter franchise.

Boylan asked to be taken off the Harper’s Letter, claiming ignorance of the other signatories, while trans economist Deirdre McCloskey remained a signatory.

Books

  • Remind Me to Murder You Later (1988)
  • The Planets (1991)
  • The Constellations: A Novel (1994)
  • Getting In (1998)
  • She’s Not There: A Life in Two Genders (2003)
  • I’m Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir (2008)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror (2010)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Crimson Vapor (2011)
  • Stuck in the Middle with You: A Memoir of Parenting in Three Genders (2013)
  • Foreword fo Trans Bodies, Trans Selves: A Resource for the Transgender Community (2014)
  • You Are You (2015)
  • Falcon Quinn and the Bullies of Greenblud (2016)
  • Long Black Veil (2017)
  • Good Boy: My Life in Seven Dogs (2020)
  • Mad Honey: A Novel (2022) [with Jodi Picoult]
  • Cleavage: Men, Women, and the Space Between Us (2025)

References

Tagen-Dye, Carly (February 5, 2025). Jennifer Finney Boylan Doesn’t Speak for All Trans People. And with Cleavage, She’s Ready to Cede the Floor to New Voices. People https://people.com/jennifer-finney-boylan-new-book-cleavage-trans-experience-8786585

Harris, Elizabeth A. (December 11, 2023). Jennifer Finney Boylan to Lead PEN America. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/11/books/jennifer-finney-boylan-pen-america.html

Bull, Chris (July 11, 2020). These queer media stars are helping save America from itself. Queerty https://www.queerty.com/queer-media-stars-helping-save-america-20200711/4/

Nolan, Emma (July 8, 2020). Trans Author Jennifer Finney Boylan Recants ‘Cancel Culture’ Letter Signed by J.K. Rowling. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/author-jennifer-finney-boylan-recants-cancel-cultureletter-jk-rowling-1516235

Crane, Emily (July 8, 2020). Trans writer Jennifer Finney Boylan distances herself from free speech letter she signed calling out cancel culture after realizing JK Rowling had also endorsed it – but is immediately called out by the Harry Potter author. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8503571/Trans-writer-Jennifer-Finney-Boylan-distances-free-speech-letter.html

Masters, Jeffrey (March 20, 2019). Jennifer Finney Boylan Looks Back on Her Infamous Interview With Oprah. The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2019/3/20/jennifer-finney-boylan-looks-back-infamous-interview-oprah

Molloy, Parker Marie (May 2, 2014). Trans Bodies, Trans Selves Aims to Educate the Trans Masses. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/05/02/trans-bodies-trans-selves-aims-educate-trans-masses

Molloy, Parker Marie (May 1, 2014). GLAAD Cochair Jennifer Finney Boylan Joins Barnard College. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/05/01/glaad-cochair-jennifer-finney-boylan-joins-barnard-college

James, Andrea (July 24, 2014). The GLAAD Board’s “Tranny” Trouble: How Its Trans Takeover Is Reshaping LGBT Politics. Queerty https://www.queerty.com/the-glaad-boards-tranny-trouble-how-its-trans-takeover-is-reshaping-lgbt-politics-20140724 [archive]

Molloy, Parker Marie (March 29, 2014). Logo, RuPaul’s Drag Race Respond to Antitrans Slurs. Advocate.com https://www.advocate.com/politics/transgender/2014/03/29/logo-rupauls-drag-race-respond-antitrans-slurs

Davis, Brendan (November 8, 2013). Meet GLAAD’s new board co-chairs! https://glaad.org/blog/meet-glaads-new-board-co-chairs [archive]

Leung, Rebecca (February 23, 2004 ). Trapped: Jenny Boylan. CBS News https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trapped-jenny-boylan/

Selected writing by Boylan

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (July 13, 2025). Superman’s father taught me how to write. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/07/13/superman-fd-christopher-reeve-father-jor-el/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (May 8, 2025). What two packs of weed gummies taught me about America. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/05/08/weed-trans-lgbtq-illegal-moral/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (March 19, 2025). What is a trans woman, really? The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/03/19/misgendering-sarah-mcbride/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (February 5, 2025). On cleavage: Mind the gap. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2025/02/05/cleavage-men-women-transgender-marriage-love/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (October 30, 2024). Donald Trump wants you to be afraid of me. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/10/30/trump-trans-ads-strategy-fear/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (September 25, 2024). Will Ferrell’s new film showcases a richer, riskier kind of humor. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/09/25/will-harper-netflix-movie-humor-transgender-road-trip/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (October 30, 2023). After the Maine shooting, trying to say no to fear. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/10/30/maine-fear-before-halloween/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (May 1, 2023). To understand biological sex, look at the brain, not the body. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/01/transgender-biology-brain-science-freedom/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (July 29, 2022). Trans people shouldn’t have to hide to help Democrats win. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/07/29/trans-people-shouldnt-have-hide-help-democrats-win/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (June 1, 2021). A Scottish political party treated trans people like the Loch Ness monster. It won’t be the last time. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/06/01/scottish-political-party-treated-trans-people-like-loch-ness-monster-it-wont-be-last-time/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (July 2, 2021). Remember the Bicentennial? Celebrating might be even harder for America’s 250th birthday. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/07/02/remember-bicentennial-celebrating-might-be-even-harder-americas-250th-birthday/

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (August 22, 2013). Longing for the day when Chelsea Manning and I both seem boring. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/longing-for-the-day-when-chelsea-manning-and-i-both-seem-boring/2013/08/22/7bf52c42-0b5d-11e3-b87c-476db8ac34cd_story.html

Boylan, Jennifer Finney (February 7, 2014). The Beatles. JFK. Even Julia Child. Help! I need a break from 50th anniversaries. The Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/the-beatles-jfk-even-julia-child-help-i-need-a-break-from-50th-anniversaries/2014/02/07/c1eb6666-8e76-11e3-84e1-27626c5ef5fb_story.html

Media

NPR Podcasts with Robin Young and Jenny Boylan (March 13, 2025). Jennifer Finney Boylan’s latest memoir ‘Cleavage’ is a reflection on transgender life. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruhO55D3CB4

NEWS CENTER Maine (February 24, 2025). America’s best-known trans writer, Jennifer Finney Boylan, has a few things to get off her chest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUNzYbRbOF4

Politics and Prose (February 18, 2025). Jennifer Finney Boylan — Cleavage – with Congresswoman Sarah McBride. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUI0J2ClDd0

PEN America (May 20, 2025). Jennifer Finney Boylan’s Opening Remarks at the 2025 PEN America Literary Gala. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQZKflMzVNA

sia_thebestsinger (April 21, 2020). Sia live with Jennifer Finney Boylan on Zoom (04.21.2020). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqRBmur30lA

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss and Jenny Boylan (December 2, 2019). Jenny Boylan – The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss – FULL VIDEO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycn6NqZiUAE

E! Entertainment (March 11, 2016). I Am Cait | Kate Bornstein & Jennifer Finney Boylan Discuss “Tranny” | E! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0i9k-V51QfY

TEDx Talks (September 30, 2015). A transgender path home | Jennifer Finney Boylan | TEDxMet. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I0h7LFvlVwk

JennyBoylan (January 10, 2013). We Happy Trans, with Jennifer Finney Boylan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pulsg9QTyNc

GLAAD (November 14, 2012). I AM: Trans People Speak – Jennifer Finney Boylan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMxPdZt7Tso

Chicago Humanities (November 30, 2010). Jennifer Finney Boylan: A Life in Two Genders. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tqQbhDhiVo

nodumbquestions (October 7, 2008). Jennifer Boylan: No Dumb Questions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIbDz7lyGyc

Resources

Jennifer Finney Boylan (jenniferboylan.net)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

Harvard University, Hollis Archives (hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Bluesky (bsky.app)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Substack (substack.com)

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Colby College (colby.edu)

Barnard College (barnard.edu)

  • Jennifer Boylan
  • english.barnard.edu/profiles/jennifer-boylan
  • barnard.edu/profiles/jennifer-boylan

GLAAD (glaad.org)

  • Professor Jennifer Finney Boylan (Maine) May 2011–Present
  • glaad.org/about/board/jenniferboylan [archive]

PEN America (pen.org/)

Gender Rights Maryland (genderrightsmaryland.org)

  • Policy Advisory Board
  • genderrightsmaryland.org/joomla/about-us/policy-advisory-board [archive]

Michael Shermer is an American writer and anti-transgender activist. Shermer has devoted considerable space for anti-trans views in the publication Skeptic and on the podcast The Michael Shermer Show.

Background

Michael Brant Shermer was born September 8, 1954 in Los Angeles, California. Shermer earned a bachelor’s degree form Pepperdine in 1976 and a master’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton in 1978. Shermer got involved in competitive cycling during this time.

Shermer earned a doctorate from Claremont Graduate University in 1991. Shermer helped found the Skeptics Society in 1991. Shermer has taught at Glendale Community College, Occidental College, and Chapman University.

For 18 years Shermer was a monthly columnist for Scientific American. Shermer has been dogged by accusations of sexual misconduct since 2013. Shermer has produced and appeared in a number of television shows about science and pseudoscience.

Anti-transgender activism

Shermer is especially angry about transgender athletes, trans and gender diverse youth, WPATH, and how Scientific American has gone “woke” due to their coverage of trans issues.

Shermer has also promoted and published anti-trans writings of other “gender critical” activists:

References

Tavris, Carol (April 17, 2023). Behind the Rhetoric: The Untold Story of “Gender-Affirming” Clinics. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/behind-rhetoric-untold-story-of-gender-affirming-clinics/

McCaffree K, Saide A (March 7, 2023). Trans, Identity and Institutional Controversies. Research Report: PADS-002 https://www.skeptic.com/research-center/reports/Research-Report-PADS-002.pdf

Hall, Harriett (June 9, 2022). A transgender controversy. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-controversy/

Davis, Lisa Selin (May 25, 2022). Trans Matters: An Overview of the Debate, Research, and Policies. Skeptic Volume 27 Number 1 https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/trans-matters-overview-debate-research-policies/

Tavris, Carol (January 25, 2022). Trans Reality: “I Didn’t Know There Was Another Side.” Skeptic https://www.skeptic.com/reading_room/transgender-reality-i-didnt-know-there-was-another-side/

Selected anti-trans writing by Shermer

Shermer, Michael (November 14, 2024). Postmortem 2024. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/postmortem-2024

Shermer, Michael (March 14, 2024). Death by Theory. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/death-by-theory

Shermer, Michael (June 11, 2024). What’s It Like to Be Trans? [letter from a conservative transmedicalist] Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/whats-it-like-to-be-trans

Shermer, Michael (July 8, 2022). What is a Woman, Anyway? Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/what-is-a-woman-anyway

Shermer, Michael (March 7, 2024). Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds, Redux—WPATH Edition. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/extraordinary-popular-delusions-and

Shermer, Michael (December 9, 2021). Trans Athletes and Conflicting Rights. Skeptic https://michaelshermer.substack.com/p/trans-athletes-and-conflicting-rights

Media

Michael Shermer (). EPISODE # 160 Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/abigail-shrier-irreversible-damage-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters/

Michael Shermer (August 27, 2024). Are We Confused About Social Justice? (Helen Pluckrose). The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer (May 14). Nellie Bowles — Reporting From the Frontlines of the Culture Wars The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer (September 21). Colin Wright – Biology vs. Gender Ideology: The Science Behind the Debate. The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer (September 15). Matt Ridley, Steven Pinker, and Michael Shermer Challenge Conventional Narratives. The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer (August 17). Bones, Bias, and Backlash: Elizabeth Weiss on the Politicization of Anthropology. The Michael Shermer Show https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/elizabeth-weiss-politicization-of-anthropology/

Michael Shermer (August 6). Richard Dawkins on Genetic Insights Into the History of Life. The Michael Shermer Show

Michael Shermer (). 461: Helen Pluckrose — Principled Strategies for Surviving and Defeating Critical Social Justice. https://www.skeptic.com/michael-shermer-show/helen-pluckrose-principled-strategies-for-surviving-defeating-critical-social-justice/

Michael Shermer (). Aella — From a Christian Upbringing to Sex Work

Michael Shermer (). Bradley Campbell — How to Think About Social Justice

Katherine Brodsky — How to Find and Free Your Voice in the Age of Outrage

Michael Shellenberger Explains Government Censorship of Social Media

Ayaan Hirsi Ali Converted to Christianity

Yascha Mounk — Identity Politics and its Discontents

Greg Lukianoff & Rikki Schlott — Cancel Culture and What to Do About It

Gad Saad — The Saad Truth About Happiness

Christopher Rufo Decodes Cultural Shifts in America

Umut Özkirimli — How the Left Can Make Its Way Back From Woke

Jean Twenge — Differences Between Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, Boomers, and Silents, and What They Mean for America’s Future

Bethany Mandel — How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence & Indoctrinating a Generation

Valerie Fridland — Like, Literally, Dude: Arguing for the Good in Bad English

Gerald & Patricia Posner on Evil

Louise Perry — The Case Against the Sexual Revolution: A New Guide to Sex in the 21st Century

Meghan Daum — The Problem With Everything: My Journey Through the New Culture Wars

Marty Klein — Sex Matters

Andrew Doyle — How the Religion of Social Justice Captured the Western World

Sabine Hossenfelder — Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions

Konstantin Kisin — An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the West

Helen Joyce — Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality

Frans De Waal on Sex and Gender Across the Primate Spectrum

Douglas Murray on The War on the West: Race, Politics, and Culture

Cathy Young — The Russian Riddle Wrapped in a Ukrainian Mystery Inside an American Enigma

Jesse Singal on Why Fad Psychology Can’t Cure Our Social Ills 

Dave Rubin — Left, Right, and Woke, based on his book Don’t Burn This Country: Surviving and Thriving in Our Woke Dystopia

Elizabeth Weiss on Woke Archaeology and Erasing the Past

Batya Ungar-Sargon — Bad News: How Woke Media Is Undermining Democracy

Sally Satel on Addiction, the Opioid Crisis, Deaths of Despair, and How Psychiatry Has Gone Woke

Heather Heying and Bret Weinstein on evolution and the challenges of modern life, based on their new book A Hunter-Gatherer’s Guide to the 21st Century

Steven Pinker on Rationality: What it is, Why it Seems Scarce, Why it Matters

Richard Dawkins on evangelizing for evolution, science, skepticism, philosophy, reason, and rationality, based on his new book Books Do Furnish a Life: Reading and Writing Science

Carole Hooven on T: The Story of Testosterone, the Hormone that Dominates and Divides Us

Bari Weiss & Bion Bartning on Their New Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism

David Buss — When Men Behave Badly: The Hidden Roots of Sexual Deception, Harassment, and Assault

Jordan Peterson & Michael Shermer on Science, Myth, Truth, and the Architecture of Archetypes

Niall Ferguson — Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe

John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America

John McWhorter — The Elect: Neoracists Posing as Antiracists and their Threat to a Progressive America

Abigail Shrier — Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters

Greg Lukianoff — How Free is Free Speech?

Debra Soh — The End of Gender: Debunking the Myths About Sex and Identity in Our Society

Gad Saad — The Parasitic Mind: How Infectious Ideas Are Killing Common Sense

Scott Barry Kaufman — Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization

Dave Rubin — Don’t Burn This Book: Thinking for Yourself in an Age of Unreason

Douglas Murray — The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity

Geoffrey Miller — Virtue Signaling: Essays on Darwinian Politics and Free Speech

Peter Boghossian — How to Have Impossible Conversations: A Very Practical Guide

Ben Shapiro — The Right Side of History: How Reason and Moral Purpose Made the West Great

Dr. Gad Saad — Doing Gad’s Work

Dr. Jonathan Haidt — The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting Up a Generation for Failure

Amy Alkon — Unf*ckology: A Field Guide to Living with Guts and Confidence

Dr. Jonathan Haidt — Coming Apart

Resources

Michael Shermer (michaelshermer.com)

Substack (https://substack.com/)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Travis D. Brown is an American anti-progressive and anti-transgender propagandist. Brown produced the 2023 anti-trans series Uncomfortable Truths: The Reality of Gender Identity Ideology.

note: for the trans-supportive programmer, see Travis Brown.

Background

Travis David Brown is “a skeptic and free-thinker” who lives in Portland, Oregon and has been a videographer since 2009. Brown claims to explore themes of “dogma, faith and credulity.”

Brown was a camera operator and cinematographer on several small projects. Brown co-directed the 2018 film All Too Human with Mandy Stockholm.

Anti-transgender activism

Brown is closely associated with anti-trans extremists at Genspect. Brown raised $450 on a $29,500 goal to travel to Ireland to film a 2023 Genspect conference:

Hello. My name is Travis Brown, and I am a documentary filmmaker out of Oregon. For a few years now I’ve been covering topics around woke ideology and how to improve dialogue between people who have diametrically opposed views.

In my upcoming documentary, I’ll be tackling the very important and sensitive topic of gender ideology. There’s so much confusion and frustration when it comes to discussing trans issues, but I hope to help paint a clear picture of what is going on, why, and what can be done about it to protect young people, keep families intact, and keep women’s spaces from being overtaken by men.

If you’ve been following the trans debate, you’ll know why it’s crucial to have clear and concise explanations and advice on this topic without hyperbole. With the spread of gender ideology, we have so many young people, and even some adults who are fooled into thinking that the only solution to their distress is to take hormones or get life-altering surgeries. But this often just makes their problems much worse and can increase suicidal ideation. And that’s just the tip of this problematic iceberg.

In my docuseries called The Woke Reformation, I’ve covered topics of critical race theory, woke capitalism, the roots of this ideology, in neo-Marxism and postmodernism, and more. I’ve been lucky enough to work with Peter Boghossian, who has produced this series, and to have interviewed Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Douglas Murray, Vivek Ramaswamy, Niall Ferguson, [onscreen: Mark Pellegrino, Benjamin Boyce] and so many more incredible people.

For this documentary, I’ll have more amazing guests like Helen Joyce, the author of TRANS, and some pediatricians, counselors, detransitioners, and other important voices. In order to make this my best documentary so far, I need your help. I have a great opportunity to fly to the UK for some exciting interviews and to film an important conference put on by Genspect. Most of the costs are covered, but I’m still about $6,000 short.

I don’t do interviews over Zoom because I’m committed to creating very high-quality content, and filming in person is always much better than recording virtual interviews. I’m really concerned about what’s happening in our society, and I believe we have to be honest about biology, the differences between men and women, the importance of single-sex spaces, and the safety of our children.

So I could really use your help. If you can contribute any amount, it would be very grateful. Or if you can share this video and GiveSendGo link around, that would be awesome. Please help me bring some sanity to the discourse around gender ideology. Thanks for watching. 

Media

Brown, Travis (September 23, 2022). Combating Woke Myths – Trans women are women. The Signal Productions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jEUW_wg0d0

Brown, Travis (2023). Fundraising video. https://vimeo.com/815741130 [removed]

Resources

The Signal Productions (thesignalproductions.com)

SEP: Signal Education Project (signaleducationproject.org)

All Too Human (alltoohuman.film) [archive]

When in Doubt (whenindoubtfilm.com) [archive]

Twitter (twitter.com)

Locals (locals.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Vimeo (vimeo.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

IMDb (imdb.com)

Indiegogo (indiegogo.com)

  • projects/all-too-human [archive]
  • raised ~$7,300 on $35,500 goal

FilmFreeway (filmfreeway.com)

GiveSendGo (givesendgo.com)

Oregon Secretary of State (egov.sos.state.or.us)

Tim Ferriss is an American podcaster and lifestyle influencer. Although Ferriss is sometimes considered part of the intellectual dark web for having a few guests who are part of that movement, Ferriss has not engaged in anti-transgender activism.

Selected podcast guests

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Tim Ferriss (tim.blog)

Four Hour Workweek (fourhourworkweek.com)

.

“Christina Buttons” is the pen name of Christina Berry, an American writer, former sex worker, illustrator, and anti-transgender activist who wrote articles for anti-trans publication The Daily Wire until 2023. Berry joined the anti-trans Manhattan Institute in 2024.

Background

Christina “Tina” Berry is reportedly “from a small town in Alabama” and grew up in the San Diego area.

Berry stated, “I received many diagnoses throughout my life, the most recent being Asperger’s syndrome at age 30.” Starting in middle school, Berry felt ostracized and reported the following problems that required therapy:

  • body dysmorphia
  • dermatillomania
  • insomnia
  • obsessive-compulsive habits
  • self-cutting
  • anorexia
  • major depressive disorder
  • trips to “emergency rooms, psychiatric hospitals, outpatient programs, and group homes”
  • monotone voice
  • “limited eye contact”
  • “flat affect”
  • “stumbling while walking and almost falling”
  • “a large number of atypical perceptual experiences”
  • “social immaturity”
  • “significant inflexibility in her thinking”
  • “difficulty identifying feelings”
  • “tendency to express emotions indirectly and impulsively” 
  • “emotionally disturbed”
  • drug and alcohol use
  • groomed and raped at age 15 by a 47 year old

“After running away from two lower-security residential treatment facilities, flunking out of a wilderness program in Idaho, and several more psychiatric hospital stays, I arrived at my final destination: a lockdown psychiatric residential treatment center in Utah called Provo Canyon School, where I would live for a year.”

After returning home and getting a GED, Berry moved in with a romantic partner and began doing sex work. As a young adult, Berry appeared in pornography as “Rita Lovely” and “Cute Courtney.”

Berry worked at Moonbow Publishing as a contract illustrator, which began a turning point away from some of these earlier self-destructive behaviors.

Anti-transgender activism

Berry stated, “I became a journalist after discovering the stories of detransitioners—stories that deeply resonated with my own struggles with mental health and identity.”

After working for anti-diversity organization Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism, Berry worked at The Post Millennial in 2022 before joining The Daily Wire.

Berry plans to continue this anti-trans work with a book titled The Parent’s Survival Guide to Gender Ideology and a website genderdebunked.com.

In 2024, Berry joined the Manhattan Institute, which led to revelations about Berry’s work in hardcore pornography.

Over the course of this activism, Berry began a relationship with anti-trans activist Colin Wright.

2023 Daily Wire resignation

Berry covered transgender issues for The Daily Wire, switching to “Christina Buttons” after starting. In 2023, Berry resigned from The Daily Wire over its increasingly inflammatory anti-trans rhetoric, particularly that of Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles:

I’m leaving The Daily Wire. I work hard getting the facts right and using precise language because of the heated nature of the gender debate, with so much at stake, while their pundits dump gasoline all over it for entertainment and clicks.

As an independent journalist I will continue my commitment to factual and rigorous reporting on gender ideology and pediatric gender medicine, with the goal of reaching people across the political spectrum. You can help support my journalism by donating.

I’ve already begun receiving inquiries from left-wing publications to see if I’ll give them dirt. As a company, The Daily Wire is a fantastic place to work, they treat their employees extremely well, their editorial team is top notch and everyone I have ever interacted with there is wonderful. I am leaving because I want to reach people on the center-left and lately I’ve felt there has been a distinct increase in inflammatory rhetoric from some of The Daily Wire’s personalities that make it more difficult to accomplish that.

Why? I didn’t misrepresent their views. They made extremely controversial public statements, doubled down on them, and I left so that I could express my opinions on them. My loyalty is to the people who are trying to improve the situation with gender medicine, not inflame it.

I would never use the word transgenderism to describe gender ideology. It was either a sloppy choice from not having done enough research or it was intentionally meant to inflame. Most people believe that being transgender is the same as being gay. That’s why I expend so much energy trying to inform people on why “gender identity” has no biological basis. Furthermore, “eradicating” gender ideology completely from all aspects of life is not realistic, nor attainable and amounts to conservative virtue signaling. We have to be specific about what “gender identity” ideology is, where it came from, what the tenets are, where it should not be taught (K-12) or accommodated (sports, prisons, etc) otherwise you drive mass hysteria. Most reasonable people would agree with all of these points if they were given the opportunity to have them be explained.

References

Goforth, Claire (March 7, 2023). Matt Walsh lashes out at Daily Wire reporter who quit over his increasing transphobia. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/debug/daily-wire-reporter-christina-buttons-resignation-matt-walsh-transphobia/

Meyer, Ken (March 7, 2023) Reporter Quits The Daily Wire With Scathing Open Letter Decrying ‘Overtly Partisan’ Trans Coverage. Mediaite https://www.mediaite.com/news/reporter-quits-the-daily-wire-with-scathing-open-letter-decrying-overtly-partisan-trans-coverage/

“thunderturdy” (March 7, 2023). Comment: Why I’m leaving the Daily Wire. reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/transgender/comments/11l1vb0/why_im_leaving_the_daily_wire_christina_buttons/ [deleted]

I know her from college. This girl was and very likely still IS seriously troubled. She had a few break downs in front of us all at a classmates’ home, like people saw her do incredibly inappropriate shit that I will not repeat here out of respect for her. She then went on to do porn for a while (not kidding), then decided she wanted to move to Europe and got married to a Swiss dude only to dump him and run back home..THEN she reappeared wanting to be a microbiologist (or some kind of scientist) then moved on to illustration…my point with saying all of this is that she’s a lost grifter, clinging to anything that will get her love, admiration, and attention. I feel bad for her honestly, because she was always so sweet and kind… but not that bad anymore since she decided to align herself with fascists. I thought she was ok up til now. Bummer.

Selected writing by Berry

“Buttons, Christina” (April 14, 2025). The Pseudoscience in the Case Against Trump’s Transgender Military Ban. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/trump-transgender-military-ban-talbott-v-trump-science

Wright, Colin; Stagg, Samuel, “Buttons, Christina” (March 14, 2025). Transgender Brain Studies are Fatally Flawed. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/transgender-brain-sex-studies-flawed

“Buttons, Christina” (March 12, 2025). The Tragedy of Yarden Silveira. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/yarden-silveira-death-transgender-surgery-complications

“Buttons, Christina” (December 10, 2024). Crazy is You or Me, Amplified. Buttons Lives https://www.buttonslives.news/p/crazy-is-you-or-me-amplified

“Buttons, Christina” (March 7, 2023). Why I’m Leaving The Daily Wire. Reality’s Last Stand https://www.realityslaststand.com/p/why-im-leaving-the-daily-wire

Berry, Christina (September 7, 2022). Alabama Nonprofit Fighting Underage Gender Treatments Says They’re Being Targeted By ‘Unprecedented’ DOJ Subpoena. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/alabama-nonprofit-fighting-underage-gender-treatments-says-theyre-being-targeted-by-unprecedented-doj-subpoena [archive]

Berry, Christina (September 6, 2022). Nearly 1 In 4 Democratic Voters Believe Men Can Get Pregnant: Poll. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/nearly-1-in-4-democratic-voters-believe-men-can-get-pregnant-poll [archive]

Media

The Same Drugs with Meghan Murphy and Christina Buttons (July 15, 2025). EARLY ACCESS: The myth of the ‘transgender brain.’ https://www.meghanmurphy.ca/p/early-access-the-myth-of-the-transgender

Unsupervised Learning with Razib Khan and Christina Buttons (October 15, 2024). Christina Buttons: navigating the gender wars. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjTAYKFvFYI

Charlie Kirk with Christina Buttons (October 10, 2024). Christina Buttons What’s Really Going On With the Haitian Migrant Takeover of Small Town America. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fQjdVvcD3eg

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, and Christina Buttons (July 17, 2024). The Truth About Trans Medicine – Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXGz96IQld4

Conversations with Peter Boghossian, Jill Escher, and Christina Buttons (July 9, 2024). A Candid Conversation about Autism with Jill Escher & Christina Buttons, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vjM6Uyr4rQ

Peter Boghossian with Wilfred Reilly and Christina Buttons (June 15, 2024). Lies Our Liberal Society Told You w/ Wilfred Reilly & Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sWMQk8L9BU

Brand Polumbo (April 21, 2024). Trans medicine skeptic on why she QUIT the Daily Wire! (ft. Christina Buttons). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pakH7AHYqtY

Heretics with Andrew Gold and Christina Buttons (June 1, 2024). The SHOCKING Thing De-Trans Victims Told Me – Christina Buttons (4K) | heretics. 60. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gWk8GAZ4UU

Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Christina Buttons (April 19, 2024). A Look at the Overlap Between Autism and Gender Dysphoria, with Christina Buttons | EP 160. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh4bvghOn2o

Adam B. Coleman with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons (Mar ch11, 2024). Breaking Bread with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons in Nashville | 4K. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mo4eTD9zAWQ

Genspect (April 17, 2024). The Detransition Survey – Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pj9zBoeX9UU

Quillette with Jonathan Kay, Colin Wright, and Christina Buttons (September 26, 2023). Chatting with Colin Wright and Christina Buttons in Nashville. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD1pQeaS7Q8

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Christina Buttons (Mar 30, 2023). Autism & Gender Dysphoria in Teen Girls | with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gifk4pHKiWM

Vaush with Christina Buttons (March 12, 2023). ”Why’d you leave?” Talking To Former Daily Wire Columnist Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9msTvxCv410

Sky News Australia with Rita Panahi and Christina Buttons (March 14, 2023). Former Daily Wire journalist speaks out against ‘trans ideology.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWOLcr_udTs

Sara Higdon with Christina Buttons (June 23, 2022). LIVE TRANSFORM To Freedom With Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OteigsYXs

Transparency with Aaron Kimberly, Aaron Terrell, and Christina Buttons (April 2, 2023). EP62 – The Autism Connection – with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYyqYqY0hHA

Karlyn Borysenko (March 9, 2023). Christina Buttons QUITS the Daily Wire, used Matt Walsh and Michael Knowles for publicity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtYkYHZsouk

Deptrogrammed with Keri Smith, Colin Wright, and Christina Buttons (August 12, 2022). LIVE Kerfefe Break: “Gender Affirming Care” with Colin Wright, Christina Buttons & Keri Smith. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6kj9U56bAE

Deprogrammed with Keri Smith and Christina Buttons (July 28, 2022). Deprogrammed: SJW Meme-Maker Leaves the Fold with Christina Buttons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BybDO15wFXk

Resources

Christina Buttons (buttonslives.com)

Cute Courtney (cutecourtney.com) [archive]

Model Mayhem (modelmayhem.com)

  • Rita Lovely
  • modelmayhem.com/ritalovely
  • modelmayhem.com/798695 [archive]

My Life in LA (mylifeinla.com)

  • Rita Lovely
  • mylifeinla.com/acasting/ritalovely [archive]

One Model Place (onemodelplace.com)

  • Rita Lovely
  • onemodelplace.com/member.cfm?ID=293013 [archive]

X/Twitter (x.com)

Substack (substack.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

TikTok (tiktok.com)

Etsy (etsy.com)

Amazon (amazon.com)

Daily Wire (dailywire.com)

Quillette (quillette.com)

Manhattan Institute (manhattan.institute)

City Journal (city-journal.org)

Zuby is the stage name of Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue, a British rapper and anti-transgender activist.

Background

Nzube Olisaebuka Udezue was born on August 19, 1986. Udezue has four siblings and split time between the UK and Saudi Arabia while growing up. Udezue earned a bachelor’s degree from Oxford in 2007. Between 2006 and 2016, Udezue released several songs and albums while working as a consultant.

Podcast

In 2019, Udezue started a podcast, Real Talk with Zuby. Anti-trans guests include:

  • Scott Adams
  • Mike Cernovich
  • Lauren Chen
  • Belissa Cohen and Carrie Hathorn
  • Dan Crenshaw
  • Hodge Twins
  • James O’Keefe
  • Andrew Tate

Anti-transgender activism

In 2019, Udezue performed an anti-trans stunt involving a women’s deadlifting record. Udezue claimed to have broken it while identifying as a female as a way to mock transgender athletes.

In 2020, Udezue signed a letter supporting anti-trans activist JK Rowling.

References

 Male rapper identifying as female, declares he broke female deadlift recordWQAD. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020.

Urwin, Rosamund (March 3, 2019). Rapper Zuby identifies as female to smash weightlifting recordThe TimesArchived 

Zuby (27 August 2019). ‘Trans women shouldn’t be allowed to compete in women’s sport.’ Sky News https://news.sky.com/story/trans-women-shouldnt-be-allowed-to-compete-in-womens-sport-11795192 [archive]

Gillespie, Nick (August 3, 2022). Zuby on self-control, personal responsibility, and trans athletesReason https://reason.com/video/2022/08/03/u-k-rapper-zuby-when-im-in-the-u-s-my-mind-is-blown-by-the-opportunities-here/

Resources

Zuby Music (zubymusic.com)

Team Zuby (teamzuby.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Patreon (patreon.com)

The Candy Calamity (candycalamity.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Tim Pool is an American right-wing podcaster and anti-transgender extremist.

Background

Timothy Daniel “Tim” Pool was born on March 9, 1986. Pool’s parent Michael D. “Mike” Pool (born 1959) was a Chicago firefighter. Tim Pool’s siblings include:

  • Christopher Michael “Chris” Pool (born 1984): works with Tim, and was known on YouTube as “Reactor”. The two had a dispute over the trademark for Subverse, later renamed SCNR (pronounced “scanner”)
  • Lisa Brady Pool (born 1980): briefly worked for Tim

Pool’s parents divorced. Pool attended a Catholic school until completing the fifth grade and later left school at age 14.

Pool became involved in the Occupy movement and produced media using innovative techniques.

Pool was reportedly dating Alison Neubauer.

Podcast

Timcast IRL is an influential podcast hosted by Pool. It is notable for hosting a disproportionate number of conservative and anti-transgender guests.

The podcast quickly became a key platform for laundering right-wing and anti-transgender extremism into mainstream media. A 2018 report by Data & Society found that the show was part of a network of YouTube channels logrolling alt-right and intellectual dark web extremism: “By connecting to and interacting with one another through YouTube videos, influencers with mainstream audiences lend their credibility to openly white nationalist and other extremist content creators.”

  • Ann Coulter
  • Seth Dillon
  • Wokal Distance
  • Dinesh D’Souza
  • DC Draino
  • Tom Fitton
  • David ‘Viva’ Freihert
  • Nick Freitas
  • Matt Gaetz
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene
  • Tayler Hansen
  • Drew Hernandez
  • Sara Higdon
  • The HodgeTwins
  • Zaid Jilani
  • Benny Johnson
  • Alex Jones
  • Michael Malice
  • Bethany Mandel
  • Jaimee Michell
  • Chadwick Moore
  • Jack Murphy
  • Enrique Tarrio
  • Connor Tomlinson
  • Andrew Torba
  • Donald Trump Jr.
  • Batya Ungar-Sargon
  • Chloe Valdary
  • Vaush

On a YouTube channel, Mike Pool has apologized for the division and hate Tim Pool displays toward trans people.

References

Captain, Sean (January 6, 2012). Threat Level: Livestreaming Journalists Want to Occupy the Skies With Cheap DronesWired https://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/01/occupy-drones/

Dredge, Stuart (July 30, 2013). How Vice’s Tim Pool used Google Glass to cover Istanbul protestsThe Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/jul/30/google-glass-istanbul-protests-vice

Marantz, Andrew (December 4, 2017). The Live-Streamers Who Are Challenging Traditional JournalismThe New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/12/11/the-live-streamers-who-are-challenging-traditional-journalism

Lewis, Rebecca (September 18, 2018). Alternative Influence: Broadcasting the Reactionary Right on YouTube.Data & Society https://datasociety.net/library/alternative-influence/ [PDF]

Makuch, Ben (July 10, 2019). Trump Invites Fringe Social Media Company Popular With Nazis to the White HouseVice https://www.vice.com/en/article/qv7q87/trump-invites-fringe-social-media-company-popular-with-nazis-to-the-white-house

Pool, Christopher (February 5, 2020). I need help with legal fees. GoFundMe https://www.gofundme.com/f/txe8r-i-need-help-with-legal-fees

Basko, Susan (April 2020). Tim Pool, Chris Pool, and the Subverse Trademark. https://suebasko.blogspot.com/2020/04/tim-pool-chris-pool-and-subverse.html

Paul, Kari (March 5, 2021). A few rightwing ‘super-spreaders’ fueled bulk of election falsehoods, study saysThe Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/mar/05/election-misinformation-trump-rightwing-super-spreader-study

Sommer, Will (March 11, 2021). YouTube Star Tim Pool’s News Site Collapses Amid Allegations He Took a Cat Hostage. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/youtube-star-tim-pools-news-site-collapses-amid-allegations-he-took-a-cat-hostage

Silverman, Robert (August 1, 2021). How ‘Coward and Phony’ Tim Pool Became One of the Biggest Political YouTubers on the Planet. Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-coward-and-phony-tim-pool-became-one-of-the-biggest-political-youtubers-on-the-planet

Edison Hayden, Michael (July 7, 2021). ‘We Make Mistakes’: Twitter’s Embrace of the Extreme Far RightSouthern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2021/07/07/we-make-mistakes-twitters-embrace-extreme-far-right

Pool, Tim (July 13, 2022). The January 6 Committee Misrepresented MeNewsweek https://www.newsweek.com/january-6-committee-misrepresented-me-opinion-1724357

Media

Mike Pool (February 17, 2023). Tim Pool’s Dad sends a message. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQajMrkCzRc

Resources

Tim Pool (timcast.com)

Subverse (subverse.net)

SCNR (scnr.com)

Wikitubia (youtube.fandom.com)

  • Tim Pool
  • youtube.fandom.com/wiki/Tim_Pool

Wikpedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Facebook (facebook.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

  • Timcast
  • https://www.youtube.com/subversenews

Minds (minds.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Anna Hutchinson is a British psychologist and anti-transgender activist involved in the “ex-transgender” movement. Similar to the ex-gay movement, it is a group of people who believe they have been cured of being trans, either through “desistance” or “detransition.” Hutchinson is also a proponent of the disputed diagnosis “rapid onset gender dysphoria.”

Hutchinson cofounded Integrated Psychology Clinic. All trans and gender diverse people should avoid this clinic, especially minors.

Background

Anna Hutchinson was born in November 1977. Hutchinson earned a bachelor’s degree from Cardiff University, a master’s degree from University College London, and a doctorate from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Hutchinson has held roles at Great Ormond Street Hospital, King’s College Hospital, and the infamous “gender clinic” at The Tavistock Centre.

Hutchinson and Netali Riddell Levi operate The Integrated Psychology Clinic, the trading name for Netali Hutchinson LLP.

Anti-transgender activism

Hutchinson was a founding member of the International Association of Therapists for Desisters and Detransitioners (IATDD), an anti-transgender front group. Its members are key figures in “gender critical” anti-transgender activism. Hutchinson was a founding member of the website Detrans Foundation but was taken off in the first two months.

IATDD supported the “ex-transgender” movement, people who describe themselves as “desisters” and “detransitioners.” They sell their services to parents who do not want their children to make a gender transition, known as the “parental rights” movement.

Hutchinson also supports the disputed diagnosis “rapid onset gender dysphoria” and urged more research in the anti-trans publication Archives of Sexual Behavior. That journal’s stated goal since its founding has been “the prevention of transsexualism.”

In 2025, Hutchinson coined a new term for anti-trans conversion therapy: “Cass informed psychotherapy.” That paper thanks anti-trans activist Richard Stephens.

References

United Nations Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity – IESOGI (May 1, 2020). Report on Conversion Therapy. https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/Documents/Issues/SexualOrientation/ConversionTherapyReport.pdf

Gilligan, Andrew (July 20, 2019). Children ‘misled’ at gender clinic. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/news/children-misled-at-gender-clinic-ccdpghgx5

Ashley F (2022). Interrogating Gender-Exploratory Therapy. Perspectives on Psychological Science, Volume 18, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1177/17456916221102325

Selected anti-trans writing by Hutchinson

Hutchinson, A. (2025). Cass informed psychotherapy for gender distressed youth. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/17405629.2025.2540809

Butler C, Hutchinson A (2020). Debate: The pressing need for research and services for gender desisters/detransitioners. Child Adolesc Ment Health 2020 Feb;25(1):45-47. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12361

Hutchinson A, Migden M, Spiliadis A (2020). In Support of Research Into Rapid-Onset Gender Dysphoria. Archives of Sexual Behavior 2020 Jan;49(1):79-80. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-019-01517-9

Larcher, V., & Hutchinson, A. (2009). How should paediatricians assess Gillick competence? Archives of Disease in Childhood. https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.2008.148676

Media

Informed Dissent with Ben Appel, Cori Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen,” Jamie Reed, and Anna Hutchinson (June 14, 2025). Episode 29: A conversation with GIDS whistleblower Dr. Anna Hutchinson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZWfZQUI_RU

David Jones (November 27, 2024). Dr Anna Hutchinson (Video); The Challenges of Gender Identity Services. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEEeRkCfEx8

Labour Women’s Declaration (October 11, 2024). Dr Anna Hutchinson – Labour Women’s Declaration, Where Next? – Labour Conference 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMFSjnndN-w

Fair for All with Lisa Selin Davis, Jamie Reed, Bernard Lane, Nikki Johnson, and Anna Hutchinson (Jul 5, 2024). AFTER CASS: The State of Gender Reform in the US, the UK, Australia and Beyond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG0szF3lKxE

Just One Thing for Parents with Dr Bettina Hohnen (Mar 21, 2024). Crafting Identity: Navigating the Teenage Journey with Dr. Anna Hutchinson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLGc3p4V3kI

Transparency with Aaron Kimberly, Aaron Terrell, Anastassis Spiliadis and Anna Hutchinson (September 24, 2023). EP74 – Taking Stock at Tavistock – With Anastassis Spiliadis & Dr Anna Hutchinson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIxY4AaO7Rs

Resources

The Integrated Psychology Clinic (integrated-psychology-clinic.com)

International Association of Therapists for Desisters and Detransitioners (iatdd.com)

  • Dr Anna Hutchinson
  • iatdd.com/dr-anna-hutchinson/ [archive]

Bill Maher is an American comedian and anti-transgender activist. Maher is a key historical figure in the “reactionary centrist” faction of anti-trans extremists.

Background

William “Bill” Maher was born on January 20, 1956 in New York City. Maher earned a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University in 1978 and began a comedy career in 1979.

Maher hosted the panel show Politically Incorrect with Bill Maher on Comedy Central from 1993 to 1997 and on ABC from 1997 to 2002. In 2003 Maher began hosting the weekly show Real Time with Bill Maher on HBO.

Anti-trans activism

Maher hosts Real Time with Bill Maher, a political talk show on HBO that has platformed many anti-trans figures over the course of the series. Maher has had a far smaller number of trans-supportive guests and only a few trans and gender diverse guests.

Maher also hosts Club Random with Bill Maher, a podcast that has also consistently platformed anti-trans guests.

References

Eckstein, Griffin (February 8, 2025). “Stay the f**k out of trans kids’ business”: Hayes pushes back against Maher’s anti-trans rhetoric. Salon https://www.salon.com/2025/02/08/stay-the-fk-out-of-trans-kids-business-hayes-pushes-back-against-mahers-anti-trans-rhetoric/

Taheri, Mandy (October 28, 2024). Megyn Kelly’s Remarks to Bill Maher About Transgender Kids Go Viral. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/megyn-kellys-remarks-bill-maher-about-transgender-kids-go-viral-1975402

Berry, Susan (November 26, 2024). Bill Maher rebukes Democrats for losing election over anti-science trans ideology. Read Lion https://readlion.com/bill-maher-rebukes-democrats-for-losing-election-over-anti-science-trans-ideology/

Berlinerblau, Jacques (January 12, 2025). Opinion: Bill Maher serves up old, warmed-over beefs in new special. MSNBC https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/bill-maher-special-is-anybody-else-seeing-this-rcna187017

Russell, Lia (April 2, 2025). Gavin Newsom calls Democratic brand ‘toxic’ on Bill Maher show. Sacramento Bee https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article303144894.html

Smith, Ryan (January 7, 2025). Bill Maher, Jon Cryer Clash During Awkward Podcast Moment. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/bill-maher-jon-cryer-club-random-transgender-debatea-2010873

Suter, Tara (February 25, 2025). Maher: Democrats will ‘lose every election’ without shift on trans issues. The Hill https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/5163583-maher-criticizes-democrats-on-transgender-issues/

Gabriel Hays (September 4, 2023) Bill Maher tells Joe Rogan gender surgeries are harmful, claims kids turn trans to say ‘f— you’ to parents. Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/bill-maher-tells-joe-rogan-gender-surgeries-harmful-claims-kids-turn-trans-say-f-you-parents

Staff (August 6, 2023). Bill Maher interviews Riley Gaines to discuss the Transgender movement in sports, including penis sizes. Marca https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/tv-shows/2023/08/06/64ceeb79e2704e1ea48b460f.html

Tapper, Jake (March 1, 2023). Maher: ‘Woke’ community wants to ‘shut down debate’ around transgender issues. CNN https://www.cnn.com/videos/media/2023/03/01/bill-maher-transgender-community-debate-tapper-intv-sot-vpx.cnn

Joseph A. Wulfsohn (January 21, 2023). Bill Maher says Biden admin ‘all-in’ on trans indoctrination of kids https://nypost.com/2023/01/21/bill-maher-biden-all-in-on-trans-indoctrination-of-kids/

Jong-Fast, Molly (May 26, 2022). Bill Maher Isn’t a Liberal Anymore. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/05/bill-maher-anti-lgbtq-transgender-comments/676673/

Molly Jong-Fast (May 26, 2022). Bill Maher Isn’t a Liberal Anymore. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/05/bill-maher-anti-lgbtq-transgender-comments/676673/

GLAAD (May 21, 2022). GLAAD Responds to ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ Segment ‘Along for the Pride.’ https://glaad.org/glaad-responds-real-time-bill-maher-segment-along-pride-1/

Vakil, Caroline (May 21, 2022). Maher says increase in those identifying as LGBT partly attributed to being ‘trendy’The Hill

Haring, Bruce (May 20, 2022). ‘Real Time’s’ Bill Maher Claims Rise Of LGBTQ May Be Sparked By Need To Be Trendy. Deadline https://deadline.com/2022/05/bill-maher-real-time-claims-rise-lgbtq-trans-people-may-be-sparked-by-need-to-be-trendy-1235029488/

Wakefield, Lily (May 21, 2022). Bill Maher says US is ‘experimenting on kids’ and ‘everyone will be gay by 2054’PinkNews

GLAAD (April 19, 2021). Medical Association Statements Supporting Trans Youth Healthcare and Against Discriminatory Bills. https://www.glaad.org/blog/medical-association-statements-supporting-trans-youth-healthcare-and-against-discriminatory

Media

Big Joel (August 5, 2025). Bill Maher: An autopsy (Part 4: Trans people). https://youtu.be/8THCFfg2BY8?si=vpHbeGIObnpobDmn&t=2649

Rising with Briahna Joy Gray and Robby Soave (November 7, 2023). Bill Maher takes on Trans kids in sports, gender affirming surgery in debate with Neil Degrasse Tyson. The Hill https://thehill.com/video/bill-maher-takes-on-trans-kids-in-sports-gender-affirming-surgery-in-debate-with-neil-degrasse-tyson/9151163/

Maher, Bill (May 20, 2022). New Rule: Along for the Pride. Real Time with Bill Maher (HBO). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMBzfUj5zsg

Resources

Bill Maher (billmaher.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Tumblr (tumblr.com)

TikTok (tiktok.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Club Random with Bill Maher (clubrandom.com)

Abel Garcia is an American ex-transgender activist. Garcia gets money and attention by making it more difficult for others to get trans healthcare.

Background

Garcia was born in 1997. According to Garcia, this is the timeline:

  • 2009 (age 12) began thinking about transition
  • 2015 (age 18) began looking for help to transition and found a therapist, attending sessions for over a year
  • 2016 (age 19) moved out of the family home and began transition
  • 2017 (age 20) legal name and gender change
  • 2018 (age 21)
    • got breast implants; was initially happy, had regrets a few months later
    • turned away from that “lifestyle” following a “salvation from God”
    • began looking for help to “detransition”
  • 2019 (age 22) found a new therapist
  • 2020 (age 23) had implants removed and began socially “detransitioning”
  • 2021 (age 24) planned follow-up surgery to remove unwanted breast tissue

Ex-transgender activism

Since embracing religious conservatism, Garcia is featured in a number of anti-trans projects, including the 2023 film No Way Back.

Garcia has been interviewed by gender critical activists including

  • Erin Brewer
  • Kellie Fell
  • Drew Hernandez
  • Brittany Ortiz

Garcia has been interviewed by other ex-trans activists including:

Garcia has been interviewed anti-trans-front groups including:

Garcia appears in the 2023 anti-trans media piece DETRANS by PragerU.

References

Astor, Maggie (May 16, 2023) How a Few Stories of Regret Fuel the Push to Restrict Gender Transition Care. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/us/politics/transgender-care-detransitioners.html

Fell, Kelly (Nov 8, 2022). Venus Rising With Detransitioner Abel Garcia. Venus Rising / The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwytvt5bPsA

Cole, Chloe (April 20, 2023). Detransitioner Abel Garcia speaks in ATX on detransitioning as a male. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK_gad4nR0Y

Hernandez, Drew (Nov 2, 2022). DETRANSITIONED: The Abel Garcia Story. FRONTLINES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXxQ48XbNvE Part Two https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW0XNJPnZ9s

Partners for Ethical Care (Oct 26, 2022). First Do No Harm Unity Rally- Detransitioner Abel Garcia Speaks Out. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnkOn0i8LuI

Ortiz, Brittany (January 18, 2022). Abel Garcia: Conversion Therapy and Medical Detransition with Detrans Man. A Slightly Twisted Female https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gROhaA9uHeo

Brewer, Erin (Jul 11, 2022). Transjacked: Abel Garcia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thEXWfLOg5U

PragerU (October 25, 2023). DETRANS: The Dangers of Gender-Affirming Care. https://www.prageru.com/video/detrans

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

Twitter (twitter.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)