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Daniel “Dan” Seligman (1924–2009) was a Forbes columnist and member of the neo-eugenics group the Human Biodiversity Institute founded by Steve Sailer. As with other members, he praised J. Michael Bailey‘s anti-transgender book The Man Who Would Be Queen in Forbes in 2003.

Transsexuals and the Law (2003)

The legal uncertainties reflect widespread puzzlement about the basic science. What is transsexualism’s connection to homosexuality? Does it signify mental illness? The American Psychiatric Association long ago (1973) eliminated homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, but its fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) still lists “gender identity disorder,” also mystifying to many people. Why does it cause thousands of Americans to powerfully desire membership in the opposite sex, leading some subset of this population to undergo transformative genital surgery? 

A good recently published guide to all these questions is The Man Who Would Be Queen: The Science of Gender-Bending and Transsexualism, by J. Michael Bailey, 46, a professor of psychology at Northwestern University who teaches an undergraduate course in human sexuality. The book is mostly about effeminate boys and men and how they got that way, but its concluding chapters zero in on the world of transsexuals–not all of whom were effeminate. The book has ignited a firestorm of protest from some transsexuals. 

This despite the fact that Bailey, himself a standard-model male heterosexual, is warmly sympathetic to gays and transsexuals and argues persuasively that for the great majority of individuals taking the male-to-female route, the decision is rational.

The size of the transsexual population is itself a matter of controversy, and their propagandists endlessly seek to inflate the numbers. DSM-IV estimates that 1 in 30,000 males (and 1 in 100,000 females) opts for the surgery. Bailey’s estimate is 1 in 12,000 males, implying 8,000 gender-crossers now living in the country.

Transsexual Lynn Conway–who has been a computer scientist at IBM and is a professor emeritus at the University of Michigan–is now an activist for the cause. She says the figure is 30,000 to 40,000.

But the transsexuals’ attack on the Bailey book is not based on his population estimates. The main point of the protests is Bailey’s explanation of the roots of gender-crossing. Relying heavily on the work of Ray Blanchard, who heads the clinical sexology program at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry in Toronto, Bailey tells us that there are two different, quite distinct types of male-to-female transsexuals.

First is the “classic” homosexual type: the effeminate boy who, from early childhood, is profoundly convinced that he was meant to be a woman. A likely but still unproven interpretation of this feeling is that it traces back to an inadequate dose of male hormones six or seven weeks after conception. The result could be a young man sexually attracted to other men and gravitating toward a transsexual solution. 

The second type bears the label “autogynephilia,” a clunky term invented by Blanchard, who coined it to describe that sizable fraction (perhaps half) of male-to-female transsexuals that he found to have a different version of gender identity disorder. They are erotically stimulated not by other men, and not primarily by women, but by the image of themselves as women. Except for their cross-dressing propensities, these transsexuals tend to lead rather ordinary heterosexual lives.

I spoke recently with an eminent transsexual who Bailey believes to be autogynephilic. Deirdre McCloskey, 61, is distinguished professor of the liberal arts and sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She is a quantitatively oriented Chicago-school economist, a huge fan of Milton Friedman, and a dazzling writer, who is also a professor in the university’s English and history departments. Until she underwent the sex change in the mid-1990s, her name was Donald McCloskey, and she was a cross-dresser with a wife and two grown kids.

It is Bailey’s impression that the first type–the homosexual gender-crossers–are relatively indifferent to his book and that the protest emanates mainly from the autogynephiles. It is possible to understand their rage. The Blanchard diagnosis is hard to live with: Cross-dressing strikes most Americans as ridiculous, and its specified erotic role only makes matters worse. McCloskey, for one, is furious about the book and told the Northwestern newspaper: “He’s saying ‘Look, they’re driven by sex, sex, sex. They’re men, men, men.'”

The Bailey book sheds some much-needed light on the topic of transsexualism. But it is not destined to end the debate, or the lawsuits. Expect this difficult topic to keep judges and equal-opportunity commissions busy for a long while to come.

References

Seligman, Dan (October 13, 2003). Transsexuals And the Law. Forbes http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2003/1013/068.html

Jeremy W. Peters is an American author and New York Times employee who contributes to and vigorously defends their anti-transgender coverage.

Peters and Adam Nagourney also claim there is a “medical disagreement” about trans healthcare. In actuality, there is clear medical consensus on best practices which is opposed by a conservative fringe minority.

Background

Jeremy Warren Peters was born on January 25, 1980. Peters earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan in 2002, then worked as a freelance writer. Peters wrote for The Virgin Islands Daily News before joining the Times Detroit bureau, followed by the Albany bureau. While at Albany, Peters helped cover the Eliot Spitzer sex scandal.

In 2010 Bruce Headlam announced Peters would take over the publishing beat, covering both newspapers and magazines.

Peters’ book Insurgency came out in 2017. Peters also appears in the 2018 documentary series The Fourth Estate.

Peters is in a relationship with dermatologist Brendan Camp.

2023 attack on News Guild of New York 

After the union representing Times journalists noted the profound anti-trans discrimination and hostile workplace created by Carolyn Ryan, Peters attacked union leadership, drafting the letter below and gathering signatures from colleagues.

Dear Susan,

We are writing to you privately in response to your February 17th letter, which we were surprised to see.

Like you, we support the right to a non-hostile workplace where everyone is respected and supported. We believe The New York Times should never engage in biased or discriminatory practices of any kind. We all strive to be part of a truly diverse news organization where everyone is treated fairly. We welcome robust and respectful critical feedback from colleagues, either in direct conversation or through internal Times channels.

But your letter appears to suggest a fundamental misunderstanding of our responsibilities as journalists. Regretfully, our own union leadership now seems determined to undermine the ethical and professional protections that we depend on to guard the independence and integrity of our journalism.

Factual, accurate journalism that is written, edited, and published in accordance with Times standards does not create a hostile workplace.

Every day, partisan actors seek to influence, attack, or discredit our work. We accept that. But what we don’t accept is what the Guild appears to be endorsing: A workplace in which any opinion or disagreement about Times coverage can be recast as a matter of “workplace conditions.”
Our duty is to be independent. We pursue the facts wherever they may lead. We are journalists, not activists. That line should be clear.

Debates over fairness and accuracy are perfectly reasonable. We understand and respect that the Guild has an absolute duty to offer representation to members when they are subject to discipline by management. But we do not think it is the role of our union to be engaged in – and taking sides in – public debates over internal editorial decisions.

Our hope is that the coming days will bring more constructive internal dialogue among Times employees and with Guild leadership that can help unify and improve our news organization. And we ask that our union work to advance, not erode, our journalistic independence.

Sincerely,

Reed Abelson
Maria Abi-Habib
Peter Baker
Emily Bazelon
Brooks Barnes
Julian Barnes
Susan Beachy
Jack Begg
Ginia Bellafante
Walt Bogdanich
Alan Blinder
Kellan Browning
Russ Buettner
David Chen
Nicholas Confessore
Rob Copeland
Reid Epstein
Elizabeth Dias
Harvey Dickson
Susan Dominus
Joe Drape
Jesse Drucker
Sydney Ember
Maureen Farrell
Matt Flegenheimer
Ellen Gabler
Trip Gabriel
Robert Gebeloff
Adam Goldman
Ruth Graham
Michael Grynbaum
Danny Hakim
Anemona Hartocollis
Virginia Hughes
Sharon LaFraniere
Joshua Katz
Clifford Krauss
Nicholas Kulish
Steven Lee Myers
Lisa Lerer
Sarah Lyall
Veronica Majerol
Jonathan Mahler
Sapna Maheshwari
Apoorva Mandavilli
Mark Mazzetti
Mike McIntire
Jennifer Medina
Phyllis Messinger
Rebecca O’Brien
Dennis Overbye
Ken Paul
Michael Paulson
Ivan Penn
Jeremy Peters
Michael Powell
William Rashbaum
Rebecca Robbins
Matthew Rosenberg
Katie Rosman
Michael Rothfeld
Jim Rutenberg
Margot Sanger-Katz
Charlie Savage
Stephanie Saul
Jennifer Schuessler
Kim Severson
Jessica Silver-Greenberg
Jeff Sommer
Nicole Sperling
Emily Steel
Katie Thomas
Marcela Valdes
Ken Vogel
Nancy Wartik
Mark Walker
Ben Weiser
Elizabeth Williamson
Michael Wilson
Michael Wines
David Yaffe-Bellany
Kate Zernike

References

Reed, Erin (November 26, 2024). New York Times Journalist Says Solution For Trans Rights Is To Be Nicer To JK Rowling. Erin in the Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/new-york-times-journalist-says-solution

Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Times’ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making

Klein, Charlotte (February 21, 2023). Dozens of New York Times journalists hit staff union for its defense of trans coverage criticism. Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-journalists-letter-guild

Koenig, Melissa (February 22, 2023). Gray lady at war! Top New York Times journalists attack paper’s union for backing woke staff who signed open letter denouncing its coverage of trans issues. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11781669/New-York-Times-journalists-attack-papers-union-backing-woke-staff-trans-stories.html

Klein, Charlotte (February 27, 2023). Inside the New York Times blowup over transgender coverage. Vanity Fair https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage-debate

Romenesko, Jim (May 24, 2010). Peters to cover newspapers, magazines for NYT. Poynter https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2010/peters-to-cover-newspapers-magazines-for-nyt/

Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of ‘editorial bias’ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/

Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paper’s trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage

Eckert, AJ. What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/

USPATH and WPATH respond to NY Times article “They Paused Puberty, But Is There a Cost? published on November 14, 2022 (PDF). https://www.wpath.org/media/cms/Documents/Public%20Policies/2022/USPATHWPATH%20Statement%20re%20Nov%2014%202022%20NYT%20Article%20Nov%2022%202022.pdf

Urquhart, Evan (November 17, 2022). The NYT’s big piece on puberty blockers mucked up the most important point about them. Slate https://slate.com/technology/2022/11/puberty-blockers-side-effects-controversy.html

Oladipo, Gloria (February 18, 2023). Nearly 1,000 contributors protest New York Times’ coverage of trans people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/17/new-york-times-contributors-open-letter-protest-anti-trans-coverage

Migdon, Brooke (February 15, 2023). NYT contributors blast paper’s coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/media/3859501-nyt-contributors-blast-papers-coverage-of-transgender-people/

Yurcaba, Jo (February 16, 2023). N.Y. Times contributors and LGBTQ advocates send open letters criticizing paper’s trans coverage. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/ny-contributors-lgbtq-advocates-send-open-letters-criticizing-papers-t-rcna70800

Paul, Larisha (February 15, 2023). Gabrielle Union, Tommy Dorfman, more accuse NYT of ‘Harmful’ coverage of trans people. Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/new-york-times-coverage-of-trans-people-open-letter-1234680299/

Kalish, Lil. These New York Times contributors say the paper’s coverage of gender issues is hurting trans people. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/lilkalish/trans-writers-open-letter-nyt-biased-coverage

Hays, Gabriel (February 15, 2023). Celebs rip into New York Times for ‘irresponsible’ transgender coverage: Demand end to ‘both sides’ focus. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/celebs-rip-new-york-times-irresponsible-transgender-coverage-demand-end-both-sides-focus

Dunlap, David W. (June 19, 2017). How The Times gave ‘gay’ its own voice (again). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.

Klein, Charlotte (February 15, 2023). Nearly 200 New York Times contributors are denouncing the paper’s anti-trans coverage. Vanity Fair. https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2023/02/new-york-times-trans-coverage

Davies, Rachel (February 16, 2023). The NYT knew what it was doing with its ‘Defense of J.K. Rowling’. The Mary Sue. https://www.themarysue.com/the-nyt-knew-what-it-was-doing-with-its-defense-of-j-k-rowling/

Warrington, James (February 16, 2023). How the New York Times was engulfed by a trans culture war. The Telegraph. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2023/02/15/new-york-times-accused-writers-anti-trans-bigotry/

Mastrangelo, Dominick (February 16, 2023). NYT editors: Paper ‘will not tolerate’ its journalists protesting coverage of transgender people. The Hill. https://thehill.com/homenews/3862101-nyt-editors-paper-will-not-tolerate-its-journalists-protesting-coverage-of-transgender-people/amp/

Smith, Ben (October 18, 2022). Inside the identity crisis at The New York Times. Semafor https://www.semafor.com/article/10/18/2022/inside-the-identity-crisis-at-the-new-york-times

Remnick, David (December 22, 2017). A conversation with A.G. Sulzberger, the new leader of the New York Times. New York https://www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/a-conversation-with-a-g-sulzberger-the-new-leader-of-the-new-york-times

Ember, Sydney (December 14, 2017). A.G. Sulzberger, 37, to Take Over as New York Times Publisher. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/14/business/media/a-g-sulzberger-new-york-times-publisher.html

Barron, James (October 20, 2016). A.G. Sulzberger: leading change at The New York Times as journalism evolves. The New York Times. http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2018/02/ag_sulzberger_new_york_times_p.html

Rogoway, Mike (February 9, 2018). A.G. Sulzberger, New York Times’ publisher and former Oregonian reporter, talks journalism in the digital age. The Oregonian.

Wemple, Erik (December 14, 2017). A.G. Sulzberger to assume publisher role at New York Times on Jan. 1. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2017/12/14/a-g-sulzberger-to-assume-publisher-role-at-new-york-times-on-jan-1/

Benton, Joshua (May 15, 2014). The leaked New York Times innovation report is one of the key documents of this media age. NiemanLab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2014/05/the-leaked-new-york-times-innovation-report-is-one-of-the-key-documents-of-this-media-age/

Snyder, Gabriel (February 12, 2017). The New York Times claws its way into the future. Wired. https://www.wired.com/2017/02/new-york-times-digital-journalism/

Levitz, Eric (October 19, 2016). A.G. Sulzberger Vanquishes His Cousins, Becomes Deputy Publisher of the New York Times. New York. https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2016/10/a-g-sulzberger-becomes-deputy-publisher-of-new-york-times.html

Benton, Joshua. This is The New York Times’ digital path forward. NiemanLab. https://www.niemanlab.org/2017/01/this-is-the-new-york-times-digital-path-forward/

Sulzberger, A. G. (October 7, 2015). Our Path Forward (PDF). The New York Times Company. https://nytco-assets.nytimes.com/m/Our-Path-Forward.pdf

Sulzberger, A. G. (January 1, 2018). A Note from Our New Publisher. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/01/01/opinion/Arthur-Gregg-Sulzberger-The-New-York-Times.html

Selected trans coverage by Peters

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 26, 2024). Transgender Activists Question the Movement’s Confrontational Approach. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/26/us/politics/transgender-activists-rights.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 2, 2024). In Shift From 2020, Identity Politics Loses Its Grip on the Country. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/02/us/politics/election-2024-harris-progressives.html

Goldmacher, Shane [Peters contributed reporting] (October 8, 2024). Trump and Republicans Bet Big on Anti-Trans Ads Across the Country. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/08/us/politics/trump-republican-transgender-ads.html

Nagourney, Adam; Peters, Jeremy W. (April 16, 2023). How a campaign against transgender rights mobilized conservatives. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/16/us/politics/transgender-conservative-campaign.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (March 29, 2021). Why Transgender Girls Are Suddenly the G.O.P.’s Culture-War Focus. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/29/us/politics/transgender-girls-sports.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (November 3, 2019). A Conservative Push to Make Trans Kids and School Sports the Next Battleground in the
Culture War. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/03/us/politics/kentuckytransgender-school-sports.html

Peters, Jeremy W. (December 15, 2009). Transgender State Workers Expected to Gain Bias Protection. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/16/nyregion/16transgender.html

Davis, Julie Hirschfeld; Cooper, Helene [Peters contributed reporting] (December 15, 2009). Trump Says Transgender People Will Not Be Allowed in the Military. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/26/us/politics/trump-transgender-military.html

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

  • @jwpetersNYT [deleted April 2023]

New York Times (nytimes.com)

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Drew Pinsky is an American physician who has covered issues related to trans and gender diverse people.

Background

David Drew Pinsky was born on September 4, 1958 in Pasadena, California to physician Morton Pinsky (1926–2009) and entertainer Helene Stanton (1925–2017).

After graduating from Polytechnic School in 1976, Pinsky earned a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1980 and a medical degree from University of Southern California in 1984.

Pinsky had a longstanding goal of covering medical issues in the media. After about a decade of radio appearances, Pinsky’s radio show Loveline was syndicated in 1995. MTV premiered a television version in 1996, hosted by Pinsky and Adam Carolla. From 2007-2008 Pinsky hosted Dr. Drew Live. From 2015 to 2019, Pinsky co-hosted Dr. Drew Midday Live. Loveline continued until 2016.

Pinsky hosted several other TV programs, including Strictly Sex with Dr. Drew, Strictly Dr. Drew, Sex…with Mom and Dad, Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew, Sex Rehab with Dr. Drew, Dr. Drew On Call . Pinsky has made many cameos and is often sought for comment on medical issues, especially drug and alcohol use.

Pinsky and spouse Susan Sailer married on July 21, 1991 and had triplets Douglas, Jordan, and Paulina in 1992. Pinsky has had treatments for prostate cancer. Pinksy has espoused libertarian and sometimes conservative views.

Transgender coverage

Pinsky hosted the program “Transgender in America” on August 26-27 2015 on HLN. The show included Ian Harvie, Marci Bowers, Bamby Salcedo, and D’Lo.

In 2015, Pinsky invited anti-trans extremist Ben Shapiro and trans journalist Zoey Tur on an episode of Dr. Drew on Call to discuss an award won by Caitlyn Jenner. After Shapiro insulted trans people in general and Tur in particular, Tur told Shapiro “You should cut that out now, or you’ll go home in an ambulance.” Shapiro, visibly shaken, later threatened to file police reports and lawsuits, but nothing came of any of it. Pinsky later apologized to Shapiro.

Pinksky has appeared on numerous podcasts hosted by anti-transgender activists, including Greg Gutfeld, Megyn Kelly, Bill Maher, Bridget Phetasy, Dave Rubin, and Debra Soh.

References

Ennis, Dawn (August 26, 2015). Can Dr. Drew Capture the Trans Experience? The Advocate https://www.advocate.com/transgender/2015/08/26/can-dr-drew-capture-trans-experience

Pinksky, Drew (August 25, 2015). Transgender In America: A Two-Night Event. Dr. Drew https://drdrew.com/2015/transgender-in-america-a-two-night-event/

Robinson, Judah (August 26, 2015). Dr. Drew Says Special On Transgender Issues Was Inspired By Caitlyn Jenner. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dr-drew-special-transgender-caitlyn-jenner_n_55ddb666e4b04ae49705143e

https://www.salon.com/2015/07/17/ben_shapiro_tries_and_spectacularly_fails_to_humiliate_trans_woman_zoey_tur_what_are_your_genetics_sir/

Resources

Dr. Drew (drdrew.com)

Caitlyn Antrim was an American engineer, Navy veteran, and legal expert.

Antrim joined the transgender community in protesting the book The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey.

Background

Caitlyn Lance Antrim was born on August 30, 1949 at Bethesda Naval Hospital in Bethesda, Maryland. Antrim’s parents were Admiral Richard Nott Antrim and Mary Jean (Packard) Antrim.

She earned her SBME from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was commissioned in the U.S. Navy in 1971. On returning to civilian life, she returned to MIT to earn the professional degree of Environmental Engineer in 1977, specializing in ocean mineral development, international law and public policy.

A noted expert on the Law of the Sea, she was Executive Director of the Rule of Law Committee for the Ocean. She died on July 28, 2018 while attending the International Seabed Authority Conference in Kingston, Jamaica.

Letter to book’s publicist

Antrim sent the letter below to Joseph Henry Press publicist Robin Pinnel in August 2003.

Dear Ms. Pinnel,

In the course of some work on the internet I came across your post to ‘Currents of Justice’ in Atlanta. You were promoting the idea of having Professor Michael Bailey appear on the show to promote his recent book.

I believe in social justice. I have worked to promote justice at the national and international levels in the US government, for NGOs and at the United Nations – I have even worked at the National Academy of Sciences. Because of this connection, particularly my involvement with the Academies and friendships with many of the staff, I feel competent to write to you on this subject.

Years ago a feminist author published a book called “The Transsexual Empire.” This book, which put forth the idea that men were trying to take over the women’s movement by becoming ersatz women and supplanting ‘real’ women, was a hurtful, biased book. In spite of its lack of substantive research or analysis, it continued to arise year after year, denying that transsexuals could ever be real women, causing hurt to many and relegating them to a lesser role, or denying them a role at all, in the women’s movement. I hope that you will understand that the lesson of “The Transsexual Empire” has been that such publications, based on bias and pre-conceived opinions, cannot be allowed to stand unchallenged. If you wish to understand the current relevance of this lesson, you may search the internet where you will find that Bailey’s book receives strong support in very conservative web sites where it is used to degrade both gays and transsexuals.

Professor Bailey has proven to be intolerant of disagreement with his book, his ideas and his methods. He has declared that the many people who have transitioned across genders who claim they do not fit into his two categories are lying about their experience. I am insulted by his arrogance, and I am disappointed by the glowing recommendations that the Academy Press has provided, particularly now that Professor Bailey has stated that he did not base his book on original research and that he even fabricated the ending of at least one story to support his personal position.

Most hurtful of all – I find that when I attend meetings in the Academy building and stop in the first floor bookstore, I am met by the cover of “The Man Who Would Be Queen”. At that moment, as I stand in the doorway, I feel that it is the Academy itself that is insulting me by promoting this book that not only presents a view of transsexuals that does not apply to me, but denies that I have the self-understanding or the right to exclude myself from its categorization. It is only when I remember my friends and colleagues throughout the Academy who have supported me in my own transition that I regain my balance.

Ms. Pinnel, if you truly value social justice, I hope you will consider the injustice that Michael Bailey’s presentation does to the many, many transsexuals he never considered in all his study, indeed, that he refused to consider – those of us who work throughout society, who teach at universities, who lead major businesses, who practice compassionate medicine, who work to improve the lot of the oppressed, and who work at the Academy, participate in its committees and are even elected to its membership. We are the people who Michael Bailey never considered; we are those he refused to meet even before the Joseph Henry Press ever heard of his book. We simply seek our deserved recognition as women (and as men for those who transitioned from female to male). Justice cries out for us to be heard! Are you listening? Are you willing to?

In closing, I ask you to try to consider what it would be like for a prominent institution, one that you respect most highly, to publish a book that denied to you recognition of something of great personal importance – your religion, perhaps, or your ethnic heritage — how would you feel? How would you feel toward the people who, perhaps in ignorance, promoted that book and further denied you the understanding that you deserved?

On that question, I will close and ask you to ponder your response. If you would like more understanding, I would welcome your questions and would even be willing to discuss the matter with you and your colleagues to develop ways to redeem the injustice.

Sincerely,
Caitlyn L. Antrim

References

Stimson Center (stimson.org)

Mary Kate Fain is an American publisher and anti-transgender extremist. Fain created gender critical projects Spinster and 4W and is co-host of Identity Crisis with Plebity cofounder Sasha White. Fain also jelped with the initial launch of Ovarit after r/gendercritical was banned from reddit.

Background

Mary Kate Fain was born in October 1992, one of six children born to Karen Marie Fain (1965–2015) and Michael L. Ozlek (born 1954).

Fain graduated from Phoenixville Area High School and earned a bachelor’s degree from Ithaca College in 2013. From 2016 to 2018, Fain founded and ran animal rights organization Liberation Philadelphia.

Fain’s concerns center around maintaining sex segregation in remaining institutions and in creating platforms that allow participants to express anti-trans opinions.

Resources

M. K. Fain (marykatefain.com)

4W (4w.pub)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Spinster (spinster.xyz)

Fediverse (jointhefedi.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

GitHub (github.com)

Meredith Chivers is a Canadian psychologist whose research on women’s sexuality includes harmful beliefs about transgender people.

Over the years, Chivers has distanced herself from her dissertation advisor J. Michael Bailey and some of his anti-transgender views.

Background

Meredith L. Chivers was born December 1, 1972. She was a Northwestern University graduate student of J. Michael Bailey. Bailey is a eugenicist who wrote The Man Who Would Be Queen. Many consider this one of the most transphobic books ever written.

Chivers then took a position at Toronto’s notorious anti-transgender CAMH clinic in 2002. She joined the International Academy of Sex Research and the editorial board at the journal they control, the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Chivers runs the Sex and Gender Lab at Queens University, also styled SAGe Lab and Sagelab. Before he was banned from Wikipedia, anti-transgender troll James Cantor wrote her biography. Chivers is married to sexologist Michael Seto.

Research on trans people

In 2000, Chivers and Bailey published an anti-transgender article in Archives of Sexual Behavior titled “Sexual orientation of female-to-male transsexuals: a comparison of homosexual and nonhomosexual types.”

Homosexual and nonhomosexual (relative to genetic sex) female-to-male transsexuals (FTMs) were compared on a number of theoretically or empirically derived variables. Compared to nonhomosexual FTMs, homosexual FTMs reported greater childhood gender nonconformity, preferred more feminine partners, experienced greater sexual rather than emotional jealousy, were more sexually assertive, had more sexual partners, had a greater desire for phalloplasty, and had more interest in visual sexual stimuli. Homosexual and nonhomosexual FTMs did not differ in their overall desire for masculinizing body modifications, adult gender identity, or importance of partner social status, attractiveness, or youth. These findings indicate that FTMs are not a homogeneous group and vary in ways that may be useful in understanding the relation between sexual orientation and gender identity.

In 2004, Chivers, Bailey, Gerulf Rieger, and Elizabeth Latty published “A Sex Difference in the Specificity of Sexual Arousal” as evidence that trans women have “male” sexual arousal patterns.

We assessed genital and subjective sexual arousal to male and female sexual stimuli in women, men, and postoperative male-to-female transsexuals. […] Transsexuals showed a category-specific pattern, demonstrating that category specificity can be detected in the neovagina using a photoplethysmographic measure of female genital sexual arousal.

In 2005, Chivers, Bailey, and Anne Lawrence published “Measurement of sexual arousal in postoperative male-to-female transsexuals using vaginal photoplethysmography.” The cloncluded that trans women have “male-typical” sexual responses.

We used vaginal photoplethysmography to examine patterns of sexual arousal in 11 male-to-female (MtF) transsexuals following sex reassignment surgery (SRS) and in 72 natal women. […] All transsexual participants displayed category-specific sexual arousal. Five homosexual transsexual participants (attracted exclusively to males before sex reassignment) showed greater genital and subjective responses to male than to female stimuli, while six nonhomosexual transsexual participants showed the opposite pattern. […] We conclude that male-to-female transsexuals display male-typical category-specific sexual arousal following SRS.

International Academy of Sex Research

Chivers joined the International Academy of Sex Research (IASR) and was present at their 2003 conference when her dissertation advisor Bailey was criticize by Kinsey Institute Director John Bancroft. 

Chivers was named President of IASR in 2023. She opened an investigation into the publication of J. Michael Bailey’s questionable 2023 paper on “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” (ROGD).

  • 1/Dear IASR members, In the interest of transparency, we want to communicate to the Membership about recent concerns regarding a publication in our official journal, the Archives of Sexual Behavior. On March 29th, the journal published an article authored by …
  • 2/…Suzanna Diaz & J. Michael Bailey entitled, “Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria: Parent Reports on 1655 Possible Cases.” Since its publication, significant concerns about the ethical conduct and integrity of the editorial process have been raised about this study, by both…
  • 3/…members and nonmembers of the Academy, including Editorial Board members. The IASR recognizes the sensitivity and controversy of the study topic, and we deeply value ethical and scientific integrity.  (…)
  • 4/ While the Archives of Sexual Behavior has editorial independence and IASR is not involved in determining what is published in the journal, Archives is our flagship journal. The IASR Executive is currently learning more about this matter, consulting with both …
  • 5/…the Archives of Sexual Behavior’s Editor and our publisher Springer Nature, and will update the membership appropriately. Kind regards, The IASR Executive Committee

Selected references

See Chivers’ notes and references page for complete list.

Chivers ML, Bailey JM (2000). Sexual orientation of female-to-male transsexuals: A comparison of homosexual and non-homosexual types Archives of Sexual Behavior 29 (3): 259–278. doi:10.1023/A:1001915530479

Chivers ML, Rieger G, Latty E, Bailey JM (2004). A sex difference in the specificity of sexual arousal. Psychol Sci. 2004 Nov;15(11):736-44. doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0956-7976.2004.00750.x

Lawrence AA, Latty, EM, Chivers, ML, Bailey JM (2005). Measurement of Sexual Arousal in Postoperative Male-to-Female Transsexuals Using Vaginal Photoplethysmography. Archives of Sexual Behavior 34, 135–145 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-005-1792-z

Smith YLS, Van Goozen S, Kupier AJ, Cohen-Kettenis PT (2005). Transsexual subtypes: Clinical and theoretical significance. Psychiatry Research 137 (3): 151–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2005.01.008

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Queen’s University (queensu.ca)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.

Nathaniel Sharon is an American psychiatrist practicing in New Mexico. Sharon claims the ex-trans movement’s concept of “desistance” is “not a myth.”

Background

Nathaniel Grant “Nate” Sharon was born August 13, 1976. After being constantly bullied in school, Sharon was reportedly kicked out of the house after coming out as transgender. Sharon and family later reconciled.

Sharon earned a medical degree from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine in 2009. Sharon completed a Psychiatry Residency at University of California, San Francisco in 2013. During that time, Sharon was affiliated with practices in Napa and San Jose, California.

Sharon then completed a Fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University of New Mexico. Sharon has been licensed in California and New Mexico and has been a member of WPATH.

Media coverage

After being quoted in the 2018 Atlantic article “When a Child Say’s She’s Trans” by Jesse Singal, Sharon has been cited in gender critical and conservative outlets including Gender Health Query, The American Conservative, and Breitbart.

Below are some selected passages from the Atlantic that quote Sharon:

“Some kids don’t waver” in their gender identity, Nate Sharon, a psychiatrist who oversaw a gender clinic in New Mexico for two and a half years, and who is himself trans, told me when we spoke in 2016. “I’m seeing an 11 year old who at age 2 went up to his mom and said, “When am I going to start growing my penis? Where’s my penis? At 2.”

[…]

“You’ve got the onset of puberty right around the age where they develop the concept of abstract thinking,” said Nate Sharon, the New Mexico psychiatrist. “So they may start to conceptualize gender concepts in a much richer, broader manner than previously—and then maybe puberty blockers or cross-sex hormones aren’t for them.”

[…]

Within a subset of trans advocacy, however, desistance isn’t viewed as a phenomenon we’ve yet to fully understand and quantify but rather as a myth to be dispelled. Those who raise the subject of desistance are often believed to have nefarious motives—the liberal outlet ThinkProgress, for example, referred to desistance research as “the pernicious junk science stalking trans kids,” and a subgenre of articles and blog posts attempts to debunk “the desistance myth.” But the evidence that desistance occurs is overwhelming. The American Psychological Association, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, the Endocrine Society, and WPATH all recognize that desistance occurs. I didn’t speak with a single clinician who believes otherwise. “I’ve seen it clinically happen,” Nate Sharon said. “It’s not a myth.”

[…]

But progressive-minded parents can sometimes be a problem for their kids as well. Several of the clinicians I spoke with, including Nate Sharon, Laura Edwards-Leeper, and Scott Leibowitz, recounted new patients’ arriving at their clinics, their parents having already developed detailed plans for them to transition. “I’ve actually had patients with parents pressuring me to recommend their kids start hormones,” Sharon said.

In these cases, the child might be capably navigating a liminal period of gender exploration; it’s the parents who are having trouble not knowing whether their kid is a boy or a girl. As Sharon put it: “Everything’s going great, but Mom’s like, ‘My transgender kid is going to commit suicide as soon as he starts puberty, and we need to start the hormones now.’ And I’m like, ‘Actually, your kid’s just fine right now. And we want to leave it open to him, for him to decide that.’ Don’t put that in stone for this kid, you know?”

References

Munro, Neil (October 30, 2019). Left embraces ‘science denialism’ to bolster transgender claims, says science writer. Breitbart. https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2019/10/30/left-embraces-science-denialism-bolster-transgender-claims-says-science-editor/

Anonymous [~July 2019] 14) Problems with a politicized climate of harassment & censorship. Gender Health Query. https://www.genderhq.org/trans-activism-identity-politics-harassment-censorship

Peterson, Matt and Kitchener, Caroline (June 22, 2018). What Do the Parents of Trans Kids Have to Say? Parents of trans children respond to Jesse Singal. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/membership/archive/2018/06/what-do-the-parents-of-trans-kids-have-to-say/563507/

Dreher, Rod (June 20, 2018). What Trans Hysterics Reveal. The American Conservative. https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/what-trans-hysterics-reveal/

Cruz, Megan (July 16, 2015). Doctor calls birth certificate law discriminatory. KOAT https://www.koat.com/article/doctor-calls-birth-certificate-law-discriminatory/5065377

Chu, Louise (July 30, 2012). SF General Hospital Joins ‘It Gets Better’ Campaign Supporting LGBT Youth https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2012/07/12447/sf-general-hospital-joins-it-gets-better-campaign-supporting-lgbt-youth

Publications

Sharon N (2020). 33.1 Ethical considerations in working with transgender youth. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Clinical Perspectives 33 Vol 59, Issue 10, S50. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.07.214

Sharon N (2019). 57.3 Medical Decision-Making for Transgender Youth: Ethical Challenges and Frontiers. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Clinical Perspectives Vol 58, Issue 10, S81-S82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.07.473

Bass M, Gonzalez LJ, Colip L, Sharon N, Conklin J (2018). Rethinking gender: The nonbinary approach. American Journal of Health-system Pharmacy. 2018 Nov 15 https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp180236

Hopkinson RA, Sharon N (2018). Gender Dysphoria and Multiple Co-occurring Psychiatric Issues: Compare and Contrast. In book: Affirmative Mental Health Care for Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth (pp.189-207) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-78307-9_13

Cohen JA, Mannarino A, Sharon N (2017). 1.0 Trauma-Focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Interpersonal Violence: Practical Strategies for Child Psychiatrists. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 56(10):S128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2017.07.497

Newsome C, Colip L, Sharon N, Conklin J (2017). Incorporating a pharmacist into an interprofessional team providing transgender care under a medical home model. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy 74(3):135-139 https://doi.org/10.2146/ajhp160322

Sharon N, Cullen C, Martinez K (2016). A Complex Presentation of Pediatric Neuroleptic Malignant Syndrome Related to Polypharmacy in a 12-Year-Old Male J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2016 Aug 1; 26(6): 571–573. https://doi.org/10.1089/cap.2014.0125

Sharon N (2016). Psychiatry’s Role in Supporting Healthy Development in Gender Diverse Children. Psychiatric Annals, Vol. 46, No. 6
https://doi.org/10.3928/00485713-20160418-02

Sharon N (September 22, 2015). Gender nonconforming and transgender youth: Understanding the basics when caring for your gender diverse children. University of New Mexico. https://hscmediasite.unm.edu/mediasite/Play/d0d76ce741e342eb819a2981d842b4d71d?catalog=251f90e48ed14118a3863d4b53dab16321

Sharon N (2014). Gender Nonconforming and Dysphoric Youth in Rural Settings: Clinical Perspectives on Current Disparities With Unique Solutions. Conference: 61st Meeting of American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

Media

Wilgus, Courtney (May 14, 2021). Interview with pediatric psychiatrist Dr. Nate Sharon. Presbyterian Healthcare Services https://www.facebook.com/preshealth/videos/interview-with-pediatric-psychiatrist-dr-nate-sharon/885223688999794/

Muir, Owen Scott (January 27, 2023). Self-Disclosure: Living as Your Authentic Self is Lifesaving Gift.
The Frontier Psychiatrists https://thefrontierpsychiatrists.substack.com/p/self-disclosure-living-as-your-authentic

Resources

Twitter (twitter.com)

Traditions Behavioral Health (tbhcare.com)

San Jose Behavioral Health (sanjosebh.com)

Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico (tgrcnm.org)

University of New Mexico Health (unmhealth.org)

VIVO (vivo.health.unm.edu)

Note: In 2025, this site phased out AI illustrations after artist feedback. The previous illustration is here.

Magdalen Berns was a British anti-transgender activist.

Background

Berns was born May 8, 1983 in London to parents who were involved in communist activism. They split up soon after Berns was born.

Berns attended Hampstead School in Camden, London. After working as a sound engineer and computer programmer as a young adult, Berns returned to college, making early forays into anti-drag and anti-trans activism. Berns earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Edinburgh in 2016.

Berns died from brain cancer on September 13, 2019 at age 36 in Edinburgh.

Anti-transgender activism

Berns was a sex segregationist and a trans-exclusionary lesbian. Berns was opposed to the idea that a lesbian can date a trans woman who had not had bottom surgery, saying “There is no such thing as a lesbian with a penis.” Berns also opposed gender self-identification and worked to change Scotland’s laws around it. Berns also opposed value neutral terms like sex assigned at birth:

“You don’t get ‘assigned’ reproductive organs … males are defined by their biological sex organs. Likewise, homosexuals are people who are attracted to the same biological sex.”

Berns compared trans women to “blackface actors.” Berns often said, “Trans women are men” and described trans activism as a “men’s rights movement.”

Berns attacked a number of trans inclusive organizations, including LGBT charity Stonewall.

Berns co-founded the non-profit organization For Women Scotland in 2018. Their goal was to advocate for sex-based rights, maintaining the remaining sex-segregated institutions like bathrooms, sports, children’s organizations, and prisons.

In 2019, British author and anti-trans activist J.K. Rowling helped raise Berns’ profile. After Berns died, Rowling revealed that they had spoken directly. Rowling called Berns “an immensely brave young feminist and lesbian” and “a great believer in the importance of biological sex [who] didn’t believe lesbians should be called bigots for not dating trans women with penises.”

Media

Caelan Conrad and Amanda Hootman (30 July 2024). Magdalen Berns: Your Favorite TERF’s Favorite TERF. Respect The Dead https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Bc9jkJU96Q

Kathleen Stock and Julie Bindel (2 February 2024). Episode 12 FREE: being a young gender-critical feminist. The Lesbian Project Podcast https://www.thelesbianprojectpod.com/p/episode-12-free-being-a-young-gender

“E” and “M” (1 March 2021). Ep12: A Magdalen Berns Night Supper- Transphobia in Scotland. Blood and Terf Podcast

Graham Linehan (13 September 2020). Remembering Magdalen with Elizabeth Berns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrrsxbwyvdU

Nicole Jones, Kathleen Stock, Julie Bindel (10 September 2020). Gender Ideology. The State Media https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Zkc4P0rpI4

(25 September 2020). 9. Well, what a week – Dedicated to Magdalen Berns The Speak Up For Women Podcast

Julia Long (21 September 2016) Thinking Differently – 09 Magdalen Berns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWSjAFYiF9U

References

Carr, Stewart (21 January 2023). The lesbian who launched 1,000 feminists: Story of same sex rights campaigner whose work inspired JK Rowling’s activism. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11568569/Tragic-story-feminist-campaigner-work-inspired-JK-Rowlings-activism.html

McGowan, Michael (14 April 2022). NSW Liberal candidate likens anti-trans activism to opposing the Holocaust. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/14/nsw-liberal-candidate-likens-anti-trans-activism-to-opposing-the-holocaust

Bindel, Julie (2021). Feminism for Women: The Real Route to Liberation. Hachette UK. p. 177. ISBN 978-1-4721-3260-4. https://books.google.com/books?id=py6cDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT177

Mos-Shogbamimu, Shola (2021). This is Why I Resist: Don’t Define My Black Identity. Headline Publishing Group. pp. 140–141. ISBN 978-1-4722-8079-4.

Joaquina (2 January 2021). Transphobia and Antisemitism. The Social Review https://www.thesocialreview.co.uk/2021/01/02/transphobia-and-antisemitism/

Andrews, Penny (20 November 2020). Choose your fighter: Loyalty and fandom in the free speech culture wars. Manchester University Press. p. 259. ISBN 978-1-5261-5255-8 â€“

Hyland, Jennifer (6 September 2020). Women’s rights campaigners ‘living in fear of trans attack’ after vile abuse directed at group. Daily Record https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/womens-rights-campaigners-living-fear-22635235

Staff report (3 July 2020). Permanently suspended: How Father Ted co-creator Graham Linehan has become the ‘most hated man’ on the internet. Irish Independent. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/permanently-suspended-how-father-ted-co-creator-graham-linehan-has-become-the-most-hated-man-on-the-internet-39336272.html

Fordy, Tom (29 June 2020). How did Graham Linehan, the creator of Father Ted, become the most hated man on the internet? The Daily Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/did-father-ted-creator-graham-linehan-become-hated-man-internet/

Rowling, J.K. (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling writes about her reasons for speaking out on sex and gender issues. JKRowling.com https://www.jkrowling.com/opinions/j-k-rowling-writes-about-her-reasons-for-speaking-out-on-sex-and-gender-issues/

Jack, Malvern (11 June 2020). JK Rowling details ‘scars of abuse’ in heartfelt riposte to activists. The Times https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/jk-rowling-details-scars-of-abuse-in-heartfelt-riposte-to-activists-lcrp96q6j

Yasharoff, Hannah (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling reveals she’s a sexual assault survivor; Emma Watson reacts to trans comments. USA Today. [archive] https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2020/06/07/j-k-rowling-harry-potter-author-slammed-transphobic-comments/3169833001/

Licea, Melkorka (10 June 2020). J.K. Rowling defends controversial trans comments in lengthy essay. New York Post https://nypost.com/2020/06/10/j-k-rowling-defends-her-controversial-trans-comments-in-lengthy-essay/amp/

Ahsan, Sadaf (19 December 2019). J.K. Rowling sparks major backlash by supporting a researcher fired for transphobic tweets. The Guardian (Charlottetown). P.E.I. Canada. [archived] https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/lifestyles/entertainment/jk-rowling-sparks-major-backlash-by-supporting-a-researcher-fired-for-transphobic-tweets-390185/

Robertson, Julia Diana (13 October 2019). Mourning the loss of lesbian feminist leader Magdalen Berns. The Velvet Chronicle https://thevelvetchronicle.com/mourning-loss-of-lesbian-feminist-magdalen-berns/

McCarty, Meghan (13 September 2019). What’s Current: Lesbian feminist shero Magdalen Berns passes away at 36. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2019/09/13/whats-current-lesbian-feminist-shero-magdalen-berns-passes-away-at-36/

Linehan, Graham (13 September 2019). Magdalen Berns 1983–2019. Women Are Important. https://glinner.co.uk/stunning-and-brave-magdalen-berns-1983-2019/

Kearns, Madeleine (4 September 2019). Magdalen Berns, a ‘shero’ among women. National Review. https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/magdalen-berns-a-shero-among-women/

Flaherty, Colleen (3 September 2019). College supports trans scholar under fire. Inside Higher Ed https://www.insidehighered.com/quicktakes/2019/09/03/college-supports-trans-scholar-under-fire

Davidson, Gina (1 September 2019). Mixed sex loos in Scottish schools break regulations, warn campaigners. The Scotsman. [archive] https://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/mixed-sex-loos-in-scottish-schools-break-regulations-warn-campaigners-1-4995254

Staff report (1 September 2019). Transgender professor defends celebrating deaths of those deemed ‘transphobic’. The College Fix. [archive] https://www.thecollegefix.com/transgender-professor-defends-celebrating-the-death-of-those-deemed-transphobic/

Schiferl, Jenna (29 August 2019). The tweet heard ’round the world: Charleston professor sparks global Twitter debate. The Post and Courier https://www.postandcourier.com/news/the-tweet-heard-round-the-world-charleston-professor-sparks-global/article_4a462cda-c9c7-11e9-8134-d32dc721835d.html

Rhodes, Mandy (26 August 2019). The Scottish Government’s clumsy attempts to reform the Gender Recognition Act have inadvertently opened a hornet’s nest. Holyrood https://www.holyrood.com/editors-column/view,the-scottish-governments-clumsy-attempts-to-reform-the-gender-recognition-a_10717.htm

Smith-Engelhardt, Joe (28 June 2019). J.K. Rowling faces backlash for allegedly displaying transphobic behaviour. Alternative Press https://www.altpress.com/news/j-k-rowling-transphobic-behavior/

Maurice, Emma (25 June 2019). JK Rowling under fire for following a ‘proud transphobe’ on Twitter. PinkNews https://www.pinknews.co.uk/2019/06/25/jk-rowling-under-fire-following-transphobe-twitter/

Aberle, Connor (15 November 2018). YouTube loves to hate me. The Wesleyan Argus. http://wesleyanargus.com/2018/11/15/youtube-loves-to-hate-me/

Mitchell, Hilary (5 October 2018). “Hateful” anti-trans stickers have been spotted in toilets and in public spaces around Edinburgh. Edinburgh Live [archive] https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/edinburgh-news/hateful-anti-trans-stickers-been-15242299

Berns, Magdalen; et al. (15 April 2018). Allowing boys to be Guides is wrong. The Times. [archive] https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/allowing-boys-to-be-guides-is-wrong-v0dngnvjp

Murphy, Meghan (27 September 2016). ‘We need to be braver’ — women challenge ‘gender identity’ and the silencing of feminist discourse. Feminist Current. https://www.feministcurrent.com/2016/09/27/need-braver-feminists-challenge-silencing/

Singleton, Mary Lou (25 July 2016). Thinking Differently conference. Women’s Liberation Front http://womensliberationfront.org/thinking-differently-conference/

Blunden, Mark (15 July 2016). ‘Medical threat’ to transgender children on puberty-blocking drugs. Evening Standard. [archive] https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/medical-threat-to-transgender-children-on-pubertyblocking-drugs-a3296471.html

Berns, Magdalen (9 January 2016). Let them call me whorephobic. Butterflies and Wheels. [archive] http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2016/guest-post-let-them-call-me-whorephobic/

Benson, Ophelia (12 October 2015). How to know what is “whorephobic”. Butterflies and Wheels. [archive] http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2015/how-to-know-what-is-whorephobic/

Resources

For Women Scotland (forwomen.scot)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

YouTube (youtube.com)

X/Twitter] (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Patreon (patreon.com)

  • patreon.com/Magdalen [removed]

Paypal (paypal.com)

Minds (minds.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Patrick K. Hunter is an American pediatrician and anti-transgender activist.

Hunter is affiliated with anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine (SEGM).

Background

Patrick Kyran Hunter was born in May 1966. Hunter served in the US Army. Hunter earned a bachelor’s degree from Miami University, a master’s degree from the University of Mary, and a medical degree from University of Louisville School of Medicine.

Hunter has served as a general pediatrician with Pensacola Pediatrics and a Clinical Professor at Florida State University’s College of Medicine.

Anti-transgender activism

2022 HHS meeting

On April 25, 2022 Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine arranged a meeting with US government officials on healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth. Hunter was listed as an attendee.

AAP Resolution 27 (2022)

In 2022, Hunter was a signatory on American Academy of Pediatrics Resolution 27, that year’s attempt to protest consensus on care for gender diverse youth. Hunter and four other pediatricians drafted Resolution 27 critical of AAP’s consensus on best practices for gender diverse youth. The authors are:

  • Julia W. Mason (Gresham, Oregon)
  • Sarah B. Palmer (Carmel, Indiana)
  • Paula Brinkley (Berkeley, California – Stanford Children’s)
  • Debra Hendrickson (Reno, Nevada – Northern Nevada Pediatrics)
  • Patrick K. Hunter (Milton, Florida – Pensacola Pediatrics)

In 2022, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed Hunter, Amy Derick, David Diamond, and Nicole Justice to the Florida Board of Medicine.

Hunter’s anti-trans writings have appeared on the Our Duty website, among others.

References

Staff report (June 17, 2022). Governor Ron DeSantis Appoints Four to the Board of Medicine. https://www.flgov.com/2022/06/17/governor-ron-desantis-appoints-four-to-the-board-of-medicine/

Hunter PK (2022). Political Issues Surrounding Gender-Affirming Care for Transgender Youth. JAMA Pediatr. 2022 Mar 1;176(3):322-323. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.5348

Jones, Zinnia (Jul 21, 2022). IDENTIFIED: The 5 redacted-signature pediatricians who signed the Genspect-promoted Resolution #27 to the American Academy of Pediatrics Julia W. Mason (SEGM) Sarah B. Palmer Paula Brinkley (Stanford Children’s Health) Debra Hendrickson Patrick Hunter (Florida Board of Medicine) https://x.com/ZJemptv/status/1550042000246067201

US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (April 25, 2022). EO 12866 Meeting 0945-AA17. Nondiscrimination in Health Programs and Activities https://mobile.reginfo.gov/public/do/viewEO12866Meeting?viewRule=true&rin=0945-AA17&meetingId=131923&acronym=0945-HHS/OCR

Media

Our Duty (November 10, 2022). Patrick K Hunter on treatments for gender dysphoria in minors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AS5GNP9ocHo

Resources

NPI DB (npidb.org)

  • Patrick K. Hunter NPI #1952384810
  • https://npidb.org/doctors/allopathic_osteopathic_physicians/pediatrics_208000000x/1952384810.aspx

Julia W. Mason is an American pediatrician active in the anti-transgender “gender critical” movement. Mason is affiliated with anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine

If you are the parent or guardian of a gender diverse young person, do not take your family member to Mason for care. If you are a minor being forced to see Mason by unsupportive adults, do what you can to end treatment with Mason and seek out supportive local resources instead.

Background

Julia Robin Winter was born on March 19, 1966. Mason married Eliot C. Mason (born 1967).

Mason attended University of Illinois, earning a master’s degree and a medical degree in 1994. Mason did residency training in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles from 1994 to 1997. Mason is licensed in Oregon, California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Mason is a board-certified pediatrician, a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and currently practices at Calcagno Pediatrics in Gresham, Oregon.

Anti-transgender activism

Mason is involved with anti-trans organization Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (SEGM). According to Mason, most gender diverse youth seen at Mason’s practice have “neurodevelopmental challenges or psychiatric comorbidities.”

AAP Resolution 33 (2021)

Introduced at the AAP Annual Leadership Forum 2021, this resolution “registered concern about the low quality of evidence underpinning treatment of minors with hormones and surgeries.”

AAP booth cancellation (2021)

SEGM tried to register a booth at the AAP conference in 2021, but it was rejected. Mason wrote the letter protesting the decision.

AAP Resolution 27 (2022)

Mason and four other pediatricians drafted Resolution 27 critical of AAP’s consensus on best practices for gender diverse youth. The authors are:

  • Julia W. Mason (Gresham, Oregon)
  • Sarah B. Palmer (Carmel, Indiana)
  • Paula Brinkley (Berkeley, California – Stanford Children’s)
  • Debra Hendrickson (Reno, Nevada – Northern Nevada Pediatrics)
  • Patrick K. Hunter (Milton, Florida – Pensacola Pediatrics)

AAP Resolution 37 (2023)

Mason again attempted to draft a resolution in 2023, which Mason claims is sponsored by 23 FAAP coauthors.

Wall Street Journal opinion and AAP response

Mason joined fellow anti-trans activist Leor Sapir in attacking mainstream pediatric organization American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for supporting gender affirming care for youth. In response, AAP President Moira Szilagyi stated:

Gender-affirming care can be lifesaving. It doesn’t push medical treatments or surgery; for the vast majority of children, it recommends the opposite.

This isn’t the story that is being told by anti-transgender activists. No European country has categorically banned gender-affirming care when medically appropriate. Contrary to what Dr. Mason and Mr. Sapir claim, the U.K. isn’t moving away from gender-affirming care. It is moving toward a more regional, multidisciplinary approach, similar to what is practiced in the U.S.

Mason frequently appears with other conservative and anti-trans activists, including:

References

Szilagyi, Moira (Aug. 21, 2022 ). Academy of Pediatrics Responds on Trans Treatment for Kids. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/trans-gender-pediatric-aap-kids-children-care-surgery-affirm-treatment-11660942086

D’Ambrosio, Amanda (August 23, 2022). AAP Stands by Policy on Gender-Affirming Care for Trans Youth — Small group of pediatricians who called for evidence review charge they’re being sidelined. Medpage Today https://www.medpagetoday.com/special-reports/features/100352

O’Malley, Stella (August 23, 2022). At the American Academy of Pediatrics, ‘Affirmation’-Based Gender Dogma Is Finally Being Challenged. Quillette https://quillette.com/2022/08/23/challenge-to-affirmation-based-gender-dogma-at-american-academy-pediatrics/

Reinl, James (August 11, 2022). Leaked files expose how U.S. pediatricians accuse their own professional body of pushing a ‘harmful’ drugs-first approach on trans teens — and of deliberately BLOCKING moves to change the rules. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11099561/Leaked-internal-files-pediatricians-angry-professional-bodys-transgender-policy.html

“Buttons, Christina” (July 9, 2023). The American Academy of Pediatrics sidelines formal proposal to revise Pediatric Medical Transition policy for the 4th consecutive year. buttonslives https://www.buttonslives.news/p/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics

Publications by Mason

Mason, JW (October 7, 2019). A physician is worried about gender transition in pediatrics. KevinMD https://www.kevinmd.com/2019/10/a-physician-is-worried-about-gender-transition-in-pediatrics.html

Pine, Elyse D.; Mason. Julia W. (April 28, 2021). Ban Hormones for Transgender Kids? Point-Counterpoint. Medscape https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/950019

Mason, JW (August 3, 2021). [Letter to AAP protesting cancellation of SEGM booth]. SEGM https://segm.org/sites/default/files/AAP%20NCE%202021.pdf

Mason JW + 4 anonymous authors (March 31, 2022). Resolution 27 (2022): In Support of a Rigorous Systematic Review of Evidence and Policy 3 Update for Management of Pediatric Gender Dysphoria. https://transgender.agency/files/r27.pdf

Mason, Julia; Sapir, Leor (August 17, 2022). Opinion: The American Academy of Pediatrics’ Dubious Transgender Science. Wall Street Journal https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-american-academy-of-pediatrics-dubious-transgender-science-jack-turban-research-social-contagion-gender-dysphoria-puberty-blockers-uk-11660732791

Abbruzzese E, Levine SB, Mason JW (2023). The Myth of “Reliable Research” in Pediatric Gender Medicine: A critical evaluation of the Dutch Studies-and research that has followed. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023 Jan 2:1-27. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2150346

Levine SB, Abbruzzese E, Mason JW (2023). What Are We Doing to These Children? Response to Drescher, Clayton, and Balon Commentaries on Levine et al., 2022. J Sex Marital Ther. 2023;49(1):115-125. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2136117

Levine SB, Abbruzzese E, Mason JW (2022). Reconsidering Informed Consent for Trans-Identified Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. J Sex Marital Ther. 2022;48(7):706-727. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2022.2046221

Malone WJ, Hruz PW, Mason JW, Beck S (2021). Letter to the Editor from William J. Malone et al: “Proper Care of Transgender and Gender-diverse Persons in the Setting of Proposed Discrimination: A Policy Perspective.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Volume 106, Issue 8, August 2021, Pages e3287–e3288 https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab205

Media

Dumont, Joey (December 19, 2022). “Should we medicalize children?” with Dr. Julia Mason. True Thirty https://truethirty.substack.com/p/should-we-medicalize-children-with#details

Boyce, Benjamin (October 3, 2022). Saving Child Medicine from Gender Ideology | with Julia Mason. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iAd6tSzSYE

Kelly, Megyn (Aug 4, 2022). The Truth About Puberty Blockers for Young Children, with Dr. Julia Mason and Dr. Erica Anderson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUjqO-u7X6c

Resources

Calcagno Pediatrics (calcagnopediatrics.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Note: this profile originally misstated Mason’s birthday.