Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a Somali-born Dutch-American activist and former politician. Ali is an anti-Islam and anti-transgender activist. Ali is often associated with the intellectual dark web, a gateway to the far right.
Background
Ayaan Hirsi Magan was born November 13, 1969 in Mogadishu. Ali’s parent Hirsi Magan Isse was a political prisoner who escaped Somalia in 1977, eventually settling the family in Kenya.
In 1992 Ali sought asylum in The Netherlands to avoid an arranged marriage. Ali worked as a translator while earning a master’s degree in 2000 from Leiden University. Ali became a Muslim apostate around that time. Ali’s 2004 film “Submission” with Theo Van Gogh criticized Islam and led to Van Gogh’s murder. Ali faced threats and went into hiding. In 2006 an exposĂ© revealed Ali lied on the Dutch asylum application. Ali resigned from Parliament and was ultimately allowed to retain Dutch citizenship. Ali took a position at the American Enterprise Institute in the US, getting her green card in 2007.
In 2016, the Southern Poverty Law Center listed Ali as an anti-Muslim extremist, though they later removed the whole list.
Ali created the AHA Foundation and has worked for conservative organizations like the Hoover Institution.
Anti-transgender activism
Ali wrote for anti-trans publication UnHerd:
Those who would divorce âwomanâ from its biological implications often present their ideas as innocuous. They are, we are told, simply champions of âinclusionâ. But their ideology is hardly uncontroversial, and surrendering to it is not harmless. The past year has seen reports of transgender women attacking women in female-only spaces and unfairly winning trophies in womenâs sports. The spirit of these failures was perhaps best-distilled in the words of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who in March was unable to define what being a woman entailed during her Senate confirmation hearing. âIâm not a biologist,â she said, as if one needed to be a professional scientist to know basic biological facts.
A word of clarification. I am immensely sympathetic to the plight of transgender people and believe they ought to have the same moral and legal rights as everyone else. To be against militant trans activistsâ gender ideology is not to be transphobic. Rather, it is simply to agree, as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie succinctly put it, that âtrans women are trans womenâ. Adichie was savaged for this and other statements evincing wrongthink, but acknowledging that trans women are distinct from women, that there are potential conflicts between their rights, and that gender ideology opens the door to abusive men masquerading as women, should not be controversial. Standing up for the rights of transgender people should not mean pretending sex does not exist altogether.
Podcast
Ali’s podcast logrolls for other anti-trans activists, including:
References
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi (December 27, 2022). The year the West erased women. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/12/the-year-the-west-erased-women/
Ali, Ayaan Hirsi (March 25, 2022). Do we need a Trans Olympics? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/03/do-we-need-a-trans-olympics/
Resources
Ayaan Hirsi Ali (ayaanhirsiali.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
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Facebook (facebook.com)
Hoover Institution (hoover.org)
Aaron Sibarium is an American opinion writer and anti-transgender activist.
Background
Aaron Julian Sibarium was born January 9, 1996. Sibarium’s parents are Michael Sibarium, a lawyer, and Laura Govoni-Sibarium, a nursing consultant and synagogue volunteer. Sibarium and sibling Ely (born January 24, 1999) both attended St. Andrew’s Episcopal School and Yale. Ely Sibarium has published work about gender diversity and neurodiversity with John Strang and Scott Leibowitz.
Sibarium earned a bachelor’s degree from Yale University in 2018. Sibarium interned at the center-right American Enterprise Institute and was an editor at The American Interest prior to its closure. Sibarium is an associate editor at the Washington Free Beacon.
Anti-transgender activism
While working as an opinion columnist at the Yale Daily News in 2017, Sibarium was triggered by Yale’s move to the term first-years vs. freshmen.
Sibarium has published anti-trans work in the New York Post, the Free Beacon, and in the Bari Weiss anti-trans publication Common Sense (now Free Press).
References
Sibarium, Aaron (December 7, 2022). Opinion: Pediatric group says kids should talk to their parents about tattoos â but not puberty blockers. New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/12/07/pediatric-group-says-kids-should-not-talk-to-parents-about-puberty-blockers/
Sibarium, Aaron (May 15, 2023). How A Left-Wing Activist Group Teamed Up With Big Pharma To Push Radical Gender Ideology on American Hospitals. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/latest-news/how-left-wing-activist-group-teamed-up-with-big-pharma-to-push-radical-gender-ideology-on-american-hospitals/
Sibarium, Aaron (December 7, 2022). The Hijacking of Pediatric Medicine. Washington Free Beacon https://freebeacon.com/coronavirus/the-hijacking-of-pediatric-medicine/
- Simultaneously published on Common Sense (now The Free Press) https://www.thefp.com/p/the-hijacking-of-pediatric-medicine
Sibarium, Aaron (March 30, 2017). SIBARIUM: Humyn resources. Yale Daily News https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2017/03/30/sibarium-humyn-resources/
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School (March 1, 2017). Sibarium ’17 to join brother at Yale -https://www.saes.org/news-detail?pk=915177
Resources
Twitter (twitter.com)
Washington Free Beacon (freebeacon.com)
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Yale Daily News (yaledailynews.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”
- âa large number of atypical perceptual experiencesâ
- “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 detransitionersâstories 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:
Iâm 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.
Iâve already begun receiving inquiries from left-wing publications to see if Iâll 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 Iâve felt there has been a distinct increase in inflammatory rhetoric from some of The Daily Wireâs personalities that make it more difficult to accomplish that.
Why? I didnât 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. Thatâs why I expend so much energy trying to inform people on why âgender identityâ has no biological basis. Furthermore, âeradicatingâ 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 âgender identityâ 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 âOvertly Partisanâ 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 Trumpâs 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 Iâm 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 Theyâre Being Targeted By âUnprecedentedâ 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]
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]
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Substack (substack.com)
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Manhattan Institute (manhattan.institute)
City Journal (city-journal.org)
Patrik Vankrunkelsven is a Belgian physician, politician, and anti-transgender activist.
Vankrunkelsven is affiliated with the Belgian Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine (CEBAM). Vankrunkelsven was an invited speaker at a 2023 conference organized by anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.
Background
Patrik Jules Maria Vankrunkelsven was born on May 2, 1957. Vankrunkelsven earned a doctorate in 1982 and had been associated with Catholic research university Katholieke Universiteit Leuven [KU Leuven] ever since.
Vankrunkelsven was mayor of Laakdal from 1994 to 2006. During that time, Vankrunkelsven was president of the Volksunie [People’s Union] from 1998 until shortly before it was dissolved in 2001. After briefly aligning with Sociaal-Liberale Partijl [SPIRIT], Vankrunkelsven served as a senator from Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten [VLD] from 2007 until 2011.
Vankrunkelsven then left politics to focus on academia.
Anti-trans activism
Vankrunkelsven and spouse Marleen Finoulst are the driving force behind CEBAM, founded in 2013.
Vankrunkelsven is a prominent Belgian critic of gender affirming care for minors.
Vankrunkelsven believes that “Puberty blockers are a trap that traps children, preventing them from having a chance to change their minds.”
References
Verlooy R (2024). Anti-Gender Mobilizations and Transgender Rights. Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies, 27(4), 351â374. https://doi.org/10.5117/tvgn2024.4.004.verl
“Ashton, Mia” (April 6, 2023). WPATH’s trans health guidelines allow for medical experiments on children ‘without any scientific evidence’ says Belgian health expert. Human Events https://humanevents.com/2023/04/06/wpaths-trans-health-guidelines-allow-for-medical-experiments-on-children-without-any-scientific-evidence-says-belgian-health-expert#google_vignette
Walker, Corey (April 1, 2023). âA Pure Experiment On Childrenâ: Belgian Doctor Says To Toss WPATH Guidelines Out. Daily Caller https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/01/belgium-doctor-toss-wpath-guidelines-out/
Vandendriessche, Lauwke (March 29, 2023 ). Fel debat over puberteitsremmers en mannelijke/vrouwelijke hormonen: “Wat jullie doen, is een experiment op kinderen.” VRT https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2023/03/26/puberteitsremmers-en-mannelijke-vrouwelijke-hormonen-wat-jullie/
Selectred publications by Vankrunkelsven
Vankrunkelsven P, Casteels K, De Vleminck J (2025). Opinion: How to Provide the Best Care for Young People with Gender Dysphoria [Hoe kunnen we de beste zorg geven aan jongeren die te maken hebben met genderincongruentie?]. Belgian Journal of Paediatrics, 27(1), 35â38. https://www.belgjpaediatrics.com/index.php/bjp/article/view/340
Smids J, Vankrunkelsven P (2023). Uncertainties surrounding current gender care: five problems with the clinical lesson ‘Youth with gender incongruence’. [Onzekerheden rond de huidige genderzorg]. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 167, 1-3. Article D7941. https://www-ntvg-nl.eur.idm.oclc.org/artikelen/onzekerheden-rond-de-huidige-genderzorg
Resources
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
CEBAM (cebam.be)
X/Twitter (x.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Patrick Healy is an American journalist involved in anti-transgender coverage at the New York Times. Healy served as Deputy Editor of the Opinion section during its anti-transgender coverage crisis of the 2020s.
No transgender journalist has appeared on the New York Times masthead since its founding in 1851. As of 2023 there were no trans journalists on staff, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. At the same time, Healy helped beef up anti-trans staff, including bringing in David French.
Background
Patrick Durham Healy was born on August 31, 1971 to Carol Ann Higginbotham Healy (1936â2023) and Gerald T. Healy, Jr. (1934â2021). Healy has an older sibling and grew up gay in a conservative Catholic household. Healy earned a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1990, and a second bachelor’s degree from Tufts University in 1993.
After reporting in local New Hampshire papers, Healy wrote for the transphobic Chronicle of Higher Education from 1994 to 2000. From 2000 to 2004, Healy wrote for the Boston Globe, then joined the New York Times in 2005.
After about ten years as a political correspondent, Healy held editor roles in the Culture, Politics, and Opinion sections. Healy reports to anti-trans ringleader Kathleen Kingsbury as well as to Charlotte Greensit.
Healy has made television appearances as guest host of The New York Times Close Up with Sam Roberts on NY1 News and as an analyst on CNN.
Healy married physician assistant Raymond Alejandro “Ray” Delgado on October 1, 2022.
References
Staff report (April 3, 2023). Carol Higginbotham Healy. The Coastal Mariner https://www.wickedlocal.com/obituaries/pneo0460196
Bolies, Corbin (March 7, 2023). The New York Timesâ Trans Coverage Debacle Was Years in the Making. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-the-new-york-times-trans-coverage-debacle-was-years-in-the-making
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
Bolies, Corbin; Cartwright, Lachlan (February 16, 2023). New York Times blasts staffers who condemned paperâs trans coverage. The Daily Beast https://www.thedailybeast.com/new-york-times-blast-staffers-who-condemned-papers-trans-coverage
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
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/
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/
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/
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/
Reilly, Patrick (February 15, 2023). New York Times accused of âeditorial biasâ in coverage of transgender issues. New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/02/15/new-york-times-blasted-for-editorial-bias-in-transgender-coverage/
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 (February 15, 2023). 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
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
Burns, Katelyn (January 11, 2023). The NYTâs trans âdebateâ isnât actually a debate. Xtra* https://xtramagazine.com/culture/david-french-new-york-times-243766
Molloy, Parker (January 5, 2023). The New York Times Declares War on LGBTQ People With Hire of Anti-Trans Columnist. The Present Age https://www.readtpa.com/p/david-french-nyt-anti-lgbtq
Staff report (January 4, 2023). GLAAD responds to New York Times hiring anti-LGBTQ attorney as opinion columnist. GLAAD https://glaad.org/releases/glaad-responds-new-york-times-hiring-anti-lgbtq-attorney-opinion-columnist/
Kingsbury, Kathleen; Healy, Patrick (January 3, 2023). David French Joins The Times as an Opinion Columnist. New York Times https://www.nytco.com/press/david-french-joins-the-times-as-an-opinion-columnist/
Eckert, AJ; McLamore, Quinnehtukqut (December 4, 2022). What the New York Times gets wrong about puberty blockers for transgender youth. Science-Based Medicine https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-new-york-times-gets-wrong-about-puberty-blockers-for-transgender-youth/
WPATH/USPATH (November 2022). 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
Kingsbury, Kathleen (April 29, 2021). Patrick Healy Named Deputy Editor of Opinion. New York Times Company https://www.nytco.com/press/patrick-healy-named-deputy-editor-of-opinion/
Obituary (March 20, 2021). Gerald T. Healy (1934â1921). Boston Globe https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/bostonglobe/name/gerald-healy-obituary?id=6923933
Dunlap, David W. (June 19, 2017). How The Times gave ‘gay’ its own voice (again). The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
Schindler, Paul (July 26, 2006). That Darn New York Times. Gay City News https://gaycitynews.com/that-darn-new-york-times/
Staff report (April 8, 2005). The Mayor Gets Sound Advice,
But Will He Pay Attention to It? The Quotidian / New York Civic http://www.nycivic.org/QLIST/050408.html [archive]
Scocca, Tom (January 24, 2005). Off the Record. New York Observer https://observer.com/2005/01/off-the-record-75/
Selected writing by Healy
Healy, Patrick; Gessen M. (October 28, 2024). The Real Reasons the G.O.P. Is Spending Millions on Anti-Trans Ads. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/28/opinion/gop-anti-trans-advertising-harris.html
Healy, Patrick (December 22, 2023). I Know My Mother Loved Me. The Church Could Have Helped Her Accept Me. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/22/opinion/same-sex-blessing-catholic-church.html
Healy, Patrick; Rivera, Adrian J. (February 9, 2023). Opinion: These 12 Transgender Americans Would Love You to Mind Your Own Business. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/02/09/opinion/transgender-americans-focus-group.html
Shanker, Thom; Healy, Patrick (November 30, 2007). A New Push to Roll Back âDonât Ask, Donât Tell.’ New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/30/us/30military.html
Healy, Patrick (July 7, 2006) For Gay Rights Movement, a Key Setback. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/07/nyregion/07gays.html
Resources
SourceWatch (sourcewatch.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
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Kathleen Goonan is an American physician and anti-transgender activist.
Goonan was an invited speaker at a 2023 conference organized by anti-transgender hate group Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine.
Background
Kathleen Jennison “Kate” Goonan is Director of Medical Support for ex-transgender organization Resilience Health Network.
References
Maryland House Bill 722. Statement of Kathleen Jennison Goonan, M.D. https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/cmte_testimony/2024/hgo/1vjoQqY54RkBw86DZa1AvSEmXfubUPF3-.pdf
- “I speak in support of legislation to limit access to so-called âgender affirmativeâ medical and surgical treatments which are unproven to reduce mental suffering in minors experiencing gender discordance.”
Jones, Zinnia (October 23, 2023). Mask off, mask on: Kathleen Goonan, advisor to SEGM and Genspect, taught Moms for Liberty to âplay a dual gameâ and pretend to support parents who accept their trans kids. Medium https://zinniajones.medium.com/mask-off-mask-on-kathleen-goonan-advisor-to-segm-and-genspect-taught-moms-for-liberty-to-play-a609a6f36860
Media
Gender: A Wider Lens (July 7, 2023). EP 121 – Practical Advice for Managing Gender Identity in Schools with Dr. Kate Goonan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpAlk1FWLr0
Resources
Atomic Gender (atomicgender.com)
Commonwealth Fund (commonwealthfund.org)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Christopher Rufo is an American professional anti-transgender activist. Attacking trans rights is part of Rufo’s conservative activism at the Manhattan Institute and elsewhere.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has described Rufo as a “far-right propagandist.”
Background
Christopher Ferguson “Chris” Rufo was born August 26, 1984 and grew up in Sacramento, California. Both parents are attorneys.
Rufo earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in 2006 and a master’s degree from Harvard Extension School in 2022. Rufo has worked at The Heritage Foundation, Claremont Institute, and Discovery Institute.
Rufo has produced documentaries and has run for public office in Seattle.
Rufo is best known for conservative activism around critical race theory, intersectionality, diversity, equity, inclusion (DEI), and homelessness.
Rufo and spouse Suphatra “Kip” Paravichai live in Gig Harbor, Washington with their three children.
Intellectual dark web
Rufo was considered part of the intellectual dark web (IDW), a loose alliance described as a âgateway to the far right.â Many people involved are prominent opponents of transgender rights. IDW members typically get money and attention by claiming to be âcanceledâ or silenced by the minorities and progressive movements they criticize (called DARVO in general; see also the Dregerian Narrative in relation to trans issues, named after IDW inaugural member Alice Dreger).
The coalition did not hold together long, and Rufo chalked up the collapse to these events that splintered the IDW:
- The presidency of Donald Trump
- COVID and response to it
- The George Floyd protests
Rufo also correctly noted that the alliance collapsed because it was a reactionary movement with no political will. They stood against many things, but as a group, they did not stand for anything.
Most IDW members craved money and/or attention, and once that became more elusive, the alliance began to dissipate.
Anti-transgender activism
As part of a push to end public libraries and public education, Rufo has heavily promoted the idea that LGBTQ people are “groomers,” echoing similar efforts in the 1970s. As part of these “save the children” initiatives, Rufo seeks to stop schools from discussing LGBTQ people and their role in American history and culture (so-called “Don’t Say Gay” activism). Rufo is a major force behind threats and protests at Drag Queen Story Hour events.
In 2023, Florida’s anti-trans governor Ron DeSantis named Rufo to the board of trustees of New College of Florida, part of an attempt to turn the school conservative.
In May 2023, Rufo published an article about gender affirming care at Texas Childrenâs Hospital. In May 2024, surgeon Eithan Haim was charged with illegally obtaining the private medical records of pediatric patients receiving gender transition care at Texas Childrenâs Hospital and providing them to Rufo. In 2025, the Trump administration dropped the charges against Haim.
References
Dreher, Rod (October 25, 2022). Chris Rufo Vs Drag Queen Story Hour Groomers. The American Conservative https://www.theamericanconservative.com/chris-rufo-vs-drag-queen-story-hour-groomers/
Drennen, Ari (June 30, 2022). Outlets like The New Yorker keep giving Chris Rufo a platform to spread dangerous propaganda about LGBTQ people. Media Matters https://www.mediamatters.org/accuracy-media/outlets-new-yorker-keep-giving-chris-rufo-platform-spread-dangerous-propaganda-about
Kugle, Andrew (May 18, 2022 ) Chris Rufo uncovers jarring details of trans conference that Philadelphia teachers were encouraged to attend. Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/chris-rufo-trans-conference-philadelphia-teachers
Bond-Theriault, Candace (April 19, 2022). The Right Targets Queer Theory. The Nation https://www.thenation.com/article/society/christopher-rufo-queer-theory/
Wallace-Wells, Benjamin (June 18, 2021). How a conservative activist invented conflict over critical race theory. The New Yorker https://www.newyorker.com/news/annals-of-inquiry/how-a-conservative-activist-invented-the-conflict-over-critical-race-theory
Selected anti-trans writing by Rufo
Rufo, Christopher F. (October 16, 2023). Inside the Transgender Empire. https://christopherrufo.com/p/inside-the-transgender-empire
Rufo, Christopher F. (May 16. 2023). Sex-Change Procedures at Texas Childrenâs Hospital. City Journal https://www.city-journal.org/article/sex-change-procedures-at-texas-childrens-hospital
Media
Hillsdale College (February 6, 2024). The Business of Transgenderism | Christopher F. Rufo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prSE_hiOADE
Christopher F. Rufo (July 11, 2023). How the Trans Movement Conquered American Life | The Transgender Empire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xwsekb5QReo
Christopher F. Rufo (March 16, 2023) âTrans Kidsâ Are the New Totem of the American Left. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39IiYHDp3KI
Christopher F. Rufo (March 6, 2023). Why the IDW Fell Apart. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCzxYjqVDvU
Christopher F. Rufo (February 7, 2023). New Hampshire Schools Push Biological Males in Girlsâ Locker Rooms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHei5pLCWNY
Christopher F. Rufo (January 20, 2023). Church of England Announces First âNon-Binaryâ Priest. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAGs-ayVUHo
Christopher F. Rufo (January 3, 2023). UConn Professor: âEveryone Is A Little Trans.â https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7B0moIpnaE
Christopher F. Rufo (December 5, 2022). Animated Film Teaches Kids that “Mama Has a Mustache.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5n1m2eXUDw
Resources
Substack (substack.com)
X/Twitter (x.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Manhattan Institute (manhattan.institute)
Lynn Meagher is an American anti-transgender extremist and unsupportive parent to two adult transgender children, both of whom are estranged from Meagher.
Meagher also uses the alias “Lynn Chadwick.” As Chadwick, Meagher is associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and the affiliated Themis Resource Fund.
Background
Lynn Frances Meagher was born on January 26, 1962. Meagher worked in nursing in Washington State from 1985 to 2021.
According to a social media account, in 2022 Chadwick was in a relationship with biology professor Arla Hile (born 1962).
Anti-transgender activism
Meagher has appeared on religious and conservative programs. Meagher reportedly lost both children to the “transgender cult.”
Meagher’s children disagree:
âShe didnât lose me to a cult,â her eldest daughter said, clarifying that she is estranged from her mum because Meagher is âracistâ, âabusiveâ, âtransphobicâ, âgreedyâ, âcruelâ and âreligiously intolerantâ.
âShe lost me because sheâs a piece of s**t,â she added. âItâs true, we wonât speak to her, although her TERF-ness was only the tip of the iceberg. She was extremely emotionally and physically abusive growing up.â
Parsons (2020)
Meagher frequently appears at anti-trans events and was part of the group blog Compassion Coalition. On that blog, Meagher’s self-written bio states:
Lynn works as an advocate for parents of Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria (ROGD) kids and as a spokesperson for the Kelsey Coalition. She feels honored to work with many gifted and talented women through the Hands Across the Aisle coalition.
Lynn has recently become involved in activism against Drag Queen Story Hours at public libraries and helped to start Ask Moms on Facebook to inform and equip ordinary people everywhere to stand against the sexualization of children. She worked as a nurse in Neonatal Intensive Care for 28 years.
Compassion Coalition (2020)
In November 2022 “Chadwick” appeared at a Sovereign Women Speak event with Kara Dansky, Lierre Keith, Exulansic, Meghan Ventura, and April Morrow.
References
Parsons, Vic (February 6, 2020). Christian mum who said she âlost her kids to the trans cultâ spectacularly called out by her own children. PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/02/06/lynn-meagher-called-out-children-trans-cult-proud-boys-posie-parker-christian-post/
Showalter, Brandon (April 27, 2019). ‘I’ve lost two kids to the trans cult, I want them back’: An anguished mom shares her journey. Christian Post https://www.christianpost.com/news/ive-lost-two-kids-trans-cult-i-want-them-back-anguished-mom-shares-her-journey.html
Selected anti-trans writing by Meagher
Meagher, Lynn (March 19, 2021) When Transgenderism Discards My Daughter, I Will Still Be Here For Her. The Federalist https://thefederalist.com/2021/03/19/when-transgenderism-discards-my-daughter-i-will-still-be-here-for-her/
Resources
Substack (substack.com)
Washington State Department of Health (wa.gov/doh)
- RN00101182 (1990â2021)
- LP00033026 (1985â1990)
Facebook (facebook.com)
X/Twitter (twitter.com)
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:
- Mike Cernovich
- Lauren Chen
- Belissa Cohen and Carrie Hathorn
- Dan Crenshaw
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 record. WQAD. 11 March 2019. Archived from the original on 29 September 2020.
Urwin, Rosamund (March 3, 2019). Rapper Zuby identifies as female to smash weightlifting record. The Times. Archived
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 athletes. Reason 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)
Margaret Nichols is an American psychologist and sex therapist who specializes in LGBTQ+ clients, “including kink and consensual nonmonogamy (swinging, polyamory, etc.).”
Background
Margaret E. “Margie” Nichols Jacobson was born in 1947. Nichols attended Radcliffe College before earning a bachelor’s degree from New York University in 1970. Nichols earned a doctorate from Columbia University in 1981 and is a licensed therapist in New Jersey. h did post-doctoral work in sex therapy at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, now part of Rutgers School of Biomedical and Health Sciences.
In 1983 Nichols founded the Institute for Personal Growth. In 1985, Nichols was a founder and the first director of the Hyacinth AIDS Foundation. Nichols became a diplomate of the American Board of Sexology in 1985.
In 2003 Nichols became and AASECT Certified Sex Therapist and became a Certified Sex Therapy Supervisor in 2011.
Review of Alice Dreger
In 2008, Nichols published a scathing commentary on a paper by Alice Dreger that attacked trans critics of The Man Who Would Be Queen. Nichols’ review describes and contextualizes Dreger’s activism within the history of disease models of gender identity and expression.
Review of Anne Lawrence
In 2013, Nichols published a review of Men Trapped in Men’s Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism, a book by Anne Lawrence. The review describes and contextualizes Lawrence’s “autogynephilia” activism within the history of disease models of gender identity and expression.
References
Nichols, Margaret (2016). The Great Escape: Welcome to the World of Gender Fluidity. Psychotherapy Networker, March/April 2016. http://ipgcounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/The-Great-Escape-Welcome-to-the-World-of-Gender-Fluidity-By-Margaret-Nichols.pdf
Nichols ME, Fedor JP (2015). Sex Therapy with Clients Who Practice “Kink.” https://ipgcounseling.com/wp-content/uploads/SexTherapyWithClientsWhoPracticeKink.pdf
Nichols, Margaret (2014). Therapy with LGBTQ Clients: Working with Sex and Gender Variance from a Queer Theory Model. published in Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, Fifth Edition, edited by Yitzchak M. Binik and Kathryn Hall, Guilford Press, ISBN 978-1462513673
Nichols M (2013). A Review of âMen Trapped in Men’s Bodies: Narratives of Autogynephilic Transsexualism.â Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 40:1:71-73. https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2013.854559
Nichols M (2008). Dreger on the Bailey Controversy: Lost in the Drama, Missing the Big Picture. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2008 Jun;37(3):476-80; discussion 505-10. [PDF] https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-008-9329-x
Nichols M (2006). Psychotherapeutic Issues with âKinkyâ Clients. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2â3), 281â300. https://doi.org/10.1300/j082v50n02_14
Nichols, Margaret; Shernoff, Michael (2006). Therapy with Sexual Minorities: Queering Practice. In In S. R. Leiblum (Ed.), Principles and practice of sex therapy (4th ed., pp. 379â415). The Guilford Press, ISBN 978-1593853495
Nichols ME (2000). Sex Therapy with Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgendered and âKinkyâ Clients. published in Principles and Practice of Sex Therapy, Third Edition, edited by Sandra Leiblum and Ray Rosen, Guilford Press, ISBN 978-1572305748
Media
TEDx Talks (March 30, 2015). Beyond the Gender Binary | Dr. Margaret Nichols | TEDxJerseyCity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MUIYlaWVUk
Resources
Institute for Personal Growth (ipgcounseling.com)
Hyacinth (hyacinth.org)
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