Skip to content

people

Richard Hanania is an American political scientist, right-wing eugenicist, and anti-transgender extremist. Hanania claims that “trans ideology is closer to a religion than it is to most political beliefs.” Hanania has been a guest on many anti-trans podcasts, including Blocked and Reported, TRIGGERnometry, “YOUR WELCOME,” and Viva Frei. Hanania hosts a pocast that has featured other anti-trans activists, including Chris Rufo, Aaron Sibarium, Eric Kaufmann, Michael Shellenberger, Razib Khan, Steven Pinker, and Jesse Singal.

Hanania is closely linked with the “human biodiversity,” “rationalist,” and “effective altruism” movements.

In 2023, Hanania was revealed to be the author of misogynistic and pro-genocidal posts on white nationalist sites under the pseudonym “Richard Hoste.”

Background

Richard Anton Hanania was born on August 28, 1985 and grew up in Oak Lawn, Illinois. After completing high school early, Hanania attended Moraine Valley Community College, then earned a bachelor’s degree at the University of Colorado. Hanania then earned a law degree from University of Chicago and a doctorate from UCLA.

“Richard Hoste” and “human biodiversity”

In 2010, Hanania published a blog on eugenics titled HBD: Human Biodiversity as “Richard Hoste” on the group blog Alternative Right. Hanania’s profile stated:

“Richard Hoste is the editor of the HBD blog at Alternative Right.  He writes prolifically on race, immigration, political correctness and modern conservatism.  His blog is HBD Books, where he regularly reviews classic and modern works on these topics.”

Southern Poverty Law Center described Hanania’s writing:

One of the bloggers at “Alternative Right” is Richard Hoste, who recently wrote that “low-IQ Mexican immigration is the greatest threat to America.” He also wrote: “Schools should stop wasting time trying to close achievement gaps. And not only do whites have nothing to feel guilty about, they are the best thing to ever happen to blacks. Even ignoring race, humanity will not move forward through equality or by raising up the really stupid to the level of just plain stupid.” Finally, Hoste had this pithy observation: “While there’s more miscegenation [interracial sex] than in the past 
 we should be heartened that white teenage girls aren’t passing themselves around in black neighborhoods.”

In 2023, Christopher Mathias revealed Hanania’s posting history as “Richard Hoste”:

Richard Hanania, a visiting scholar at the University of Texas, used the pen name “Richard Hoste” in the early 2010s to write articles where he identified himself as a “race realist.” He expressed support for eugenics and the forced sterilization of “low IQ” people, who he argued were most often Black. He opposed “miscegenation” and “race-mixing.” And once, while arguing that Black people cannot govern themselves, he cited the neo-Nazi author of “The Turner Diaries,” the infamous novel that celebrates a future race war.

Media activism

Hanania and Rob Henderson co-host the anti-trans H & H Podcast on popular culture. Hanania was a guest on conservative transgender podcast Dollcast.

Hanania founded the Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology (CSPI), which includes an anti-transgender podcast. Guests include other anti-trans extremists, including Chris Rufo, Aaron Sibarium, Eric Kaufmann, Michael Shellenberger, Razib Khan, Steven Pinker, and Jesse Singal.

“Enlightened Centrists”

Hanania created a list of allegedly “enlightened centrists,” many of whom share Hanania’s disdain for transgender people.

Left

Center/apolitical

Right

References

Reflective Altruism (reflectivealtruism.com)

Mathias, Christopher (August 4, 2023). Richard Hanania, Rising Right-Wing Star, Wrote For White Supremacist Sites Under Pseudonym”. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/richard-hanania-white-supremacist-pseudonym-richard-hoste_n_64c93928e4b021e2f295e817 [archive]

Keller, Larry (March 15, 2010). Paleocon Starts New Extreme-Right Magazine. SPLC https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/paleocon-starts-new-extreme-right-magazine/

Selected writing by Hanania

Hanania, Richard (November 12, 2024). Democrats Must Pick Fights with Woke Activists: Ignoring the far-left’s identitarian agenda is not enough. Quillette https://quillette.com/2024/11/12/democrats-must-pick-fights-with-woke-activists-kamala-harris-trump-newsome/

Hanania, Richard (September 22, 2023). Where Does ‘Wokeness’ Come From? Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/09/22/where-does-wokeness-come-from/

Hanania, Richard (August 7, 2023). My Journey Out of Extremism, and how I became a small-l liberal. Quillette https://quillette.com/2023/08/07/my-journey-out-of-extremism/

Hanania, Richard (August 6, 2023). Why I Used to Suck, and (Hopefully) No Longer Do. Richard Hanania’s Newsletter https://www.richardhanania.com/p/why-i-used-to-suck-and-hopefully

Hanania, Richard (April 22, 2023). Towards an Enlightened Centrism. https://www.richardhanania.com/p/towards-an-enlightened-centrism

Hanania, Richard (October 6, 2022). Why Gender Ideology Can’t Survive Elon. Richard Hanania’s Newsletter https://www.richardhanania.com/p/why-gender-ideology-cant-survive

Hanania, Richard (November 16, 2020). Lessons of the Pinker Affair: The Problem with the Academy is False Beliefs, Not Intolerance. Quillette https://quillette.com/2020/09/16/lessons-of-the-pinker-affair-the-problem-with-the-academy-is-false-beliefs-not-intolerance/

“Hoste, Richard” (November 24, 2010). Left Wing Union Busting and Race. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/hbd-human-biodiversity/left-wing-union-busting-and-race/

“Hoste, Richard” (November 19, 2010). Interests, Morality and Selective Snobbery. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/interests-morality-and-selective-snobbery/

“Hoste, Richard” (November 3, 2010). The Sailer Strategy Refuted? http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/district-of-corruption/classical-and-cultural-sailerism/

“Hoste, Richard” (August 29, 2010). Kill’em All Conservatism. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/kill-em-all-conservatism/

“Hoste, Richard” (August 22, 2010). Crypto-White Nationalist at the Post? http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/hbd-human-biodiversity/crypto-white-nationalist-at-the-post/

“Hoste, Richard” (August 3, 2010). An Alliance with Whom?!? http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/an-alliance-with-whom/

“Hoste, Richard” (July 23, 2010). The Obama Election and Our Cultural Shift. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/district-of-corruption/the-obama-election-and-our-cultural-shift/

“Hoste, Richard” (July 23, 2010). It’s Not About Oil. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/exit-strategies/it-s-not-about-oil/

“Hoste, Richard” (July 21, 2010). Where Black Rules White. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/untimely-observations/where-black-rules-white/

“Hoste, Richard” (July 21, 2010). NYT: Race Differences Real, Significant. http://www.alternativeright.com/main/blogs/hbd-human-biodiversity/nyt-race-differences-real-significant/

Media

Chris Best with Richard Hanania and “Katherine Dee” / Katya Ungerman (March 25, 2025). Katherine Dee and Richard Hanania. Chris Best’s Substack https://cb.substack.com/p/katherine-dee-and-richard-hanania

Blocked and Reported with Jesse Singal and Katie Herzog (July 30, 2025). Premium: Richard Hanania Wants To De-Radicalize Internet Racists. https://www.blockedandreported.org/p/premium-richard-hanania-wants-to

Destiny (April 23, 2025). I Regret Voting For Trump. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AFBPKr60qE

Slovo Podcast with Jared Taylor and Richard Hanania (January 3, 2025). Jared Taylor – Richard Hanania debate [Full Debate]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsfU6Rpe6nU

Destiny (December 31, 2024). Destiny Confronts His Favorite Conservative Pundit For Voting Trump ft. Richard Hanania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RP4L7Cfem6k

Dollcast with Brianna Wu, “TafTaj,” Kelly Cadigan, and Schyler Bogert (December 13, 2024). Richard Hanania with four trans girls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlweKqx4M0w

The Spectator with Freddy Gray, Ed West, and Richard Hanania (August 13, 2024). Trump-Musk interview, free speech & the ‘weird’ right – Richard Hanania & Ed West. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9h4rezvyo8

“YOUR WELCOME” with “Michael Malice” (April 3, 2024). #305: Richard Hanania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh4d4GEBQ8o

TRIGGERnometry with Konstantin Kisin and Francis Foster (December 24, 2023). Where Woke REALLY Comes From – Richard Hanania. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fUOpWqLGbbs

Viva Frei with David Freiheit and Robert Barnes (April 6, 2022). Sidebar with Richard Hanania – Sidebar with Viva & Barnes! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGJdDtilgW0

Russell Brand (April 3, 2022). Does America Go To War For Profit?! Here’s The Answer. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lSZnAOjBP8Q

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Richard Hanania (richardhanania.com) [archive]

HBD Book (https://www.richardhanania.com/)

Alternative Right (alternativeright.com) [archive]

  • HBD: Human Biodiversity [archive]
  • alternativeright.com/main/blogs/hbd-human-biodiversity/

Substack (substack.com/

Quillette (quillette.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

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

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

Background

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

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

Anti-transgender activism

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

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

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

Orange (2020)

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

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

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

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

Rowlands (2023)

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

In 2019, Rina and Marit RĂžnstad published an article titled “HĂžy risiko for feilbehandling” [High risk of mistreatment], criticizing the World Health Organization for renaming the classification for trans people as “gender incongruence” that is related to sexual health instead of a mental disorder. They claim 60–90% of children with gender incongruence may “grow out of it” during puberty and argue against medical interventions for trans minors, which they consider “ethically and medically problematic.”

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

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

References

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

Coverage in anti-trans press

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

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

Selected anti-trans writing by Ring

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

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

Rþnstad, Marit; Ring, Avi (June 13, 2019). Hþy risiko for feilbehandling [High risk of mistreatment]. Psykologtidsskriftet, 6(2019), 442–450. https://www.psykologtidsskriftet.no/asset/article/2019/06/Hoy-risiko-for-feilbehandling/Hoy-risiko-for-feilbehandling.pdf

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

X/Twitter (x.com)

GENID Gender Identity Challenge Skandinavia (genderchallenge.no)

GENID Gender Identity Challenge Sweden (genid.se)

ResearchGate (researchgate.net)

  • Avi Ring
  • researchgate.net/profile/Avi-Ring

.

Richard Hanania is an American political scientist, right-wing eugenicist, and anti-transgender extremist. 

In 2021 Hanania began hosting a podcast via Center for the Study of Partisanship and Ideology (CSPI). It was called The Richard Hanania Show through 2023. and later renamed CSPI Podcast.

Guests include other anti-trans extremists, including Chris Rufo, Aaron Sibarium, Eric Kaufmann, Michael Shellenberger, Razib Khan, Steven Pinker, and Jesse Singal.

2025

  • Jesse Arm of Manhattan Institute NOV 24, 2025
  • Laurenz Guenther AUG 27, 2025
  • Philip Wallach MAR 15, 2025

2024

  • Stephen Goldstein DEC 17, 2024
  • Eric Kaufmann JUL 15, 2024
  • Bess Stillman JUN 17, 2024
  • Rob Henderson MAY 6, 2024
  • Romina Boccia APR 1, 2024
  • Brian Chau MAR 18, 2024
  • Andrew Roberts JAN 22, 2024

2023

  • [Jessica] Riedl NOV 20, 2023
  • Niklas Anzinger OCT 30, 2023
  • Chris Rufo JUL 24, 2023
  • Leopold Aschenbrenner MAY 15, 2023
  • Bryan Caplan MAY 1, 2023
  • Robin Hanson MAR 13, 2023
  • Nicholas Bagley FEB 27, 2023
  • Tim Miller FEB 13, 2023
  • Jobst Landgrebe, Barry Smith JAN 30, 2023
  • Joe Henrich JAN 16, 2023
  • Garett Jones JAN 2, 2023

2022

  • Alexander Young DEC 19, 2022
  • Aaron Sibarium DEC 5, 2022
  • Jonathan Anomaly NOV 21, 2022
  • Rob Henderson, Zach Goldberg NOV 7, 2022
  • Eric Kaufmann OCT 24, 2022
  • Alex Tabarrok OCT 10, 2022
  • Bryan Caplan SEP 26, 2022
  • Tyler Cowen SEP 12, 2022
  • Amy Wax AUG 29, 2022
  • Stephen Grugett, James Grugett AUG 15, 2022
  • Andrew Kenneson, Maxwell Tabarrok, Brent Skorup AUG 1, 2022
  • Richard Lowery JUL 18, 2022
  • David Bernstein JUL 4, 2022
  • Seth Stephens-Davidowitz JUN 20, 2022
  • Eric Kaufmann JUN 6, 2022
  • Bryan Caplan MAY 23, 2022
  • Eron Wolf MAY 18, 2022
  • Jordan Lasker MAY 9, 2022
  • Philippe Lemoine APR 25, 2022
  • Gail Heriot APR 11, 2022
  • Noah Carl MAR 28, 2022
  • Steve Hsu MAR 14, 2022
  • Jimmy Soni FEB 28, 2022
  • Steve Hsu FEB 14, 2022
  • Alec Stapp JAN 31, 2022
  • Freddie deBoer JAN 17, 2022
  • Jonah Davids JAN 3, 2022

2021

  • Charles Fain Lehman, Gabriel Rossman DEC 20, 2021
  • Philippe Lemoine DEC 6, 2021
  • Leif Rasmussen NOV 22, 2021
  • Robert Plomin NOV 8, 2021
  • Michael Shellenberger OCT 25, 2021
  • Razib Khan OCT 11, 2021
  • Steven Pinker SEP 27, 2021
  • Robin Hanson SEP 13, 2021
  • Noor Siddiqui AUG 30, 2021
  • Marc Andreessen AUG 16, 2021
  • Philippe Lemoine AUG 2, 2021
  • Eric Posner JUL 19, 2021
  • Razib Khan JUL 5, 2021
  • Mark Lutter JUN 21, 2021
  • Sean McMeekin JUN 7, 2021
  • Jesse Singal MAY 24, 2021
  • Bryan Caplan MAY 10, 2021
  • Garett Jones APR 26, 2021
  • John Mueller APR 12, 2021
  • Philippe Lemoine MAR 15, 2021
  • Eric Kaufmann MAR 2, 2021 & MAR 29, 2021
  • Razib Khan FEB 4, 2021
  • Zach Goldberg JAN 22, 2021
  • George Hawley JAN 9, 2021

Lisa Diamond is an American psychologist and anti-transgender activist. Diamond has published work with anti-trans activists J. Michael Bailey, Paul Vasey, Marc Breedlove, Eric Vilain, and Marc Epprecht. Diamond has been involved in Vasey’s anti-trans Puzzles of Sexual Orientation events and has received funding from the anti-trans American Institute of Bisexuality.

Diamond views sexual orientation identity and gender identity as potentially fluid over developmental time, starting in childhood and continuing into adulthood. Diamond’s claim that these characteristics can change over time has been used to argue against LGBT rights by conversion therapists and in Supreme Court briefs.

Background

Diamond earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Chicago in 1993, then attended Cornell University, earning a master’s degree in 1996 and a doctorate in 1999, studying with Ritch Savin-Williams.

Criticism of “born this way”

Diamond has been a key critic of the idea that sexual orientation is an innate and unchangeable characteristic. A 2018 article states:

Sexual fluidity entered the spotlight in 2008 when Lisa Diamond published her book, Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire, where she presents the results of a study in which she tracked women’s desires and identity labels over the course of a decade. She found that over time many of her participants shifted along Kinsey’s sexual orientation spectrum, often adopting new identity labels to accommodate their changing attractions and relationships. She’s careful to point out that sexual fluidity is not the same as bisexuality. Traditionally, even bisexual people were thought to occupy a fixed spot on the spectrum, but Diamond challenges that narrative. She recalls one participant who described herself as equally attracted to men and women, but two years later reported that she was four times more attracted to women than to men.

Male bisexuality claims

Diamond was quoted by Benedict Carey in a 2005 New York Times article uncritically promoting the claim by Gerulf Rieger and J. Michael Bailey that male bisexuality does not exist, and that men are either “gay, straight, or lying.”

“Research on sexual orientation has been based almost entirely on self-reports, and this is one of the few good studies using physiological measures,” said Dr. Lisa Diamond, an associate professor of psychology and gender identity at the University of Utah, who was not involved in the study.

The discrepancy between what is happening in people’s minds and what is going on in their bodies, she said, presents a puzzle “that the field now has to crack, and it raises this question about what we mean when we talk about desire.”

“We have assumed that everyone means the same thing,” she added, “but here we have evidence that that is not the case.”

Bailey frequently engages in “science by press conference,” a way of getting money and attention through carefully timed media manipulation with gullible or biased reporters. This study involved the use of a penile plethysmograph, a sort of genital “lie detector” which is considered inadmissible in court because it does not meet legal standards for reliability.

In 2020 Bailey and Rieger suddenly “discovered” male bisexuality after getting money from the anti-trans American Institute of Bisexuality. The person who gave them the money, AIB leader John Sylla, was also a co-author of their “discovery,” a clear conflict of interest. Once again, they got favorable press coverage for their remarkable “discovery” in the New York Times:

While some bisexual activists filled Bailey’s email inbox with hate mail, Sylla invited Bailey to dinner. “I wanted to work with Mike and help him design a better study,” Sylla told me. “What I said to him early on was: ‘Of course there are bisexual men. You just haven’t found them yet.’ ” Bailey said he was skeptical, but he was impressed with Sylla’s civility and decided to hear him out. That turned out to be a smart decision: A few years later, A.I.B. became an important source of funding for research on bisexuals. Lisa Diamond, a professor of psychology at the University of Utah who receives A.I.B. support, told me, “It’s difficult to get funding to study sexual orientation for its own sake, unless you’re linking it to mental or physical health issues like H.I.V. or suicidality.”

References

Cook, C. C. H. (2020). The causes of human sexual orientation. Theology & Sexuality, 27(1), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/13558358.2020.1818541

Adiami, Nicholas (July 2018). Sex and Gender Fluidity versus ‘Born This Way.’ Gay & Lesbian Review https://glreview.org/article/sex-and-gender-fluidity-versus-born-this-way/

Dalton, Colette; Mower, Kate (April 11, 2022). Dr. Lisa Diamond (she/her). https://calledtoqueer.com/index.php/2022/04/11/dr-lisa-diamond-she-her/

Granek, Leeat (August 6, 2011). Psychology’s Feminist Voices Oral History Project: Interview with Lisa Diamond. https://feministvoices.com/files/profiles/pdf/Lisa-Diamond-Oral-History.pdf

Boso, Luke, Disrupting Sexual Categories of Intimate Preference (2010). 21 Hastings Women’s L. J. 59 (2010), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1537243

Vaughn-Blount, Kelli (2008). Champions of Psychology: Lisa Diamond. Observer. 21 (2). https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/champions-of-psychology-lisa-diamond original url https://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/observer/2008/february-08/champions-of-psychology-lisa-diamond.html

Coverage in anti-trans press

Maltz Bovy, Phoebe (April 15, 2025). Unintended consequences: MAGA vs. microaggressions. Close-reading the reruns with Phoebe Maltz Bovy https://phoebemaltzbovy.substack.com/p/unintended-consequences

Carey, Benedict (July 5, 2005). Straight, Gay or Lying? Bisexuality Revisited. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/health/straight-gay-or-lying-bisexuality-revisited.html original url http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/05/health/05sex.html

Selected writing by Diamond

Diamond, Lisa M.; Villicaña, Ángel; Burton, Raven (2024). The Development of Diversity in Gender/Sexual Identity and Expression. In Marc H. Bornstein, Michael E. Lamb [editors]. Developmental Science (8th edition). Routledge, ISBN 9781003387145

Diamond, Lisa M. (2023). The Health of Sexually-Diverse and Gender-Diverse Populations. In Gia Merlo, Christopher P. Fagundes [editors]. Lifestyle Psychiatry: Through the Lens of Behavioral Medicine. CRC Press ISBN 9781003275671

Diamond, L.M. What Develops in the Biodevelopment of Sexual Orientation?. Arch Sex Behav 52, 2985–2991 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02542-5

Diamond, L. M. (2020). Gender Fluidity and Nonbinary Gender Identities Among Children and Adolescents. Child Development Perspectives, 14(2), 110–115. https://doi.org/10.1111/cdep.12366

Diamond, L. M., & Rosky, C. J. (2016). Scrutinizing Immutability: Research on Sexual Orientation and U.S. Legal Advocacy for Sexual Minorities. The Journal of Sex Research, 53(4–5), 363–391. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2016.1139665

Bailey, J. M., Vasey, P. L., Diamond, L. M., Breedlove, S. M., Vilain, E., Epprecht, M. (2016). Sexual Orientation, Controversy, and Science. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 17(2), 45–101. https://doi.org/10.1177/1529100616637616

Diamond, L. M. (2013). Sexual-minority, gender-nonconforming, and transgender youths. In D. S. Bromberg & W. T. O’Donohue (Eds.), Handbook of child and adolescent sexuality: Developmental and forensic psychology (pp. 275–300). Elsevier Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-387759-8.00011-8

Diamond, L.M., Pardo, S.T., Butterworth, M.R. (2011). Transgender Experience and Identity. In: Schwartz, S., Luyckx, K., Vignoles, V. (eds) Handbook of Identity Theory and Research. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7988-9_26

Diamond, L.M., Butterworth, M. Questioning Gender and Sexual Identity: Dynamic Links Over Time. Sex Roles 59, 365–376 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-008-9425-3

Savin-Williams, R. C., & Diamond, L. M. (2000). Sexual Identity Trajectories Among Sexual-Minority Youths: Gender Comparisons. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 29(6), 607–627. https://doi.org/10.1023/a:1002058505138

Book

Diamond, Lisa (2009). Sexual Fluidity: Understanding Women’s Love and Desire. Harvard University Press, ISBN 978-0674032262

Media

SUU Eccles A.P.E.X. (February 20, 2024). Dr. Lisa Diamond – Eccles A.P.E.X. Speaker on 02/15/2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTPF2uFc8rk

The Science and Cocktails Foundation (December 3, 2023). The Science Of Sexual And Gender Fluidity with Lisa Diamond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTPt1brlXA4

Southwestern University (February 18, 2022). “Gender, Genes, Desire, and Behavior: New Perspectives on Old Questions” with Lisa Diamond. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XL9j-oB8LKg

TEDx Talks (December 18, 2018). Why the “born this way” argument doesn’t advance LGBT equality | Dr. Lisa Diamond | TEDxSaltLakeCity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjX-KBPmgg4

Cornell Univeristy (December 6, 2013). Lisa Diamond on sexual fluidity of men and women. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2rTHDOuUBw

Truth Wins Out (November 6, 2013). Dr. Lisa Diamond: ‘It’s Important to Speak Out Against Research Distortions’. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pz3EVZichVE

psychfeministvoices (December 12, 2012). PFV Interview with Lisa Diamond: On Sexual Fluidity and the Media. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTddYScFZLI

Big Think (April 23, 2012). Is Bisexuality a Phase? | Lisa Diamond | Big Think. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U7kAZUTa7w

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

University of Utah Psychology (psych.utah.edu)

Psychology’s Feminist Voices (feministvoices.com)

Camille Kiefel is an American “ex-transgender” activist. Kiefel gets money and attention by making it harder for others to get trans healthcare.

Background

Kiefel identified as nonbinary and medically transitioned as an adult.

Kiefel is heavily invested in metaphors of disease and impairment as identity and reportedly has the following problems:

  • CPTSD
  • major depressive disorder
  • ADHD
  • generalized anxiety disorder
  • suicidal ideation

Anti-trans activism

In 2022 Kiefel announced a lawsuit against the healthcare providers who tried to help. Keifel filed another case in 2024.

Kiefel is listed as principal of Detrans Help, a nonprofit founded in 2023.

Kiefel has made the rounds on conservative and fascist media promoting the ex-trans movement.

References

Goldstein, Julie Rei (March 12, 2025). “For #DetransAwarenessDay a major #DeTransLaw update! Camille Kiefel’s (@GetBetterTweets ) lawsuit against her surgical team has been Dismissed with Prejudice along with a Money Award Camille now owes the Defendants for bringing forth this action. These lawsuits keep failing.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1899849055397912972

Goldstein, Julie Rei (January 23, 2024). “Interesting #DeTransLaw News: Camille Kiefel’s case has been reinstated after last years dismissal. Notably, she is no longer represented by @CEJacksonLaw. Her current attorney is Benjamin Boyd of Hostetter Law Group, neither of which lists expertise in Medical Malpractice.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1749872414916530289

Reed, Erin (November 2, 2023). “Everyone Should Become Catholic”—PragerU $1 Million #DETRANS Ad Echoes Ex-Gays. Erin in the Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/everyone-should-become-catholicprageru

Jackson, Daniel; Knoll, James L. (July 12, 2023). Trauma and Transition Trajectories: The Risk of Caenisian Reversion. Psychiatric Times https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/trauma-and-transition-trajectories-the-risk-of-caenisian-reversion

Michels, Holly (January 27, 2023). 5-hour hearing shows emotional debate over bill to block gender care for trans minors. Independent Record https://helenair.com/news/state-regional/government-politics/5-hour-hearing-shows-emotional-debate-over-bill-to-block-gender-care-for-trans-minors/article_8b65c48b-124e-5900-b4e5-982021691545.html

Carnahan, Ashley (December 21, 2022). Detransitioner shares emotional story on why she’s suing doctors who performed double mastectomy. Tucker Carlson Tonight https://www.foxnews.com/media/detransitioner-shares-emotional-story-shes-suing-doctors-performed-double-mastectomy

Schlott, Rikki (December 3, 2022). Detransitioner: ‘I’m suing the doctors who removed my healthy breasts.’ New York Post https://nypost.com/2022/12/03/detransitioner-im-suing-the-doctors-who-removed-my-healthy-breasts/

Goldsberry, Jenny (December 3, 2022). Detransitioner who had breasts removed says she is suing doctors who approved surgery. Washington Examiner https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/restoring-america/fairness-justice/former-nonbinary-patient-sues-social-worker-therapist

“Buttons, Christina” (November 18, 2022). Detransitioner Announces Lawsuit Against Oregon Gender Clinics For Expediting Surgery. The Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioner-announces-lawsuit-against-oregon-gender-clinics-for-expediting-surgery

Hathaway, Candace (November 18, 2022). Detransitioner sues Oregon gender clinics for ‘abhorrent misdiagnosis’ that ‘mutilated’ her body. The Blaze https://www.theblaze.com/news/detransitioner-sues-oregon-gender-clinics

Elmore, Erin (November 8, 2022). Oregon Woman Sues Gender Transition Care Providers over Rushed Treatment that caused ‘Irreversible’ Damage. Turning Point USA https://www.tpusa.com/live/oregon-woman-sues-gender-transition-care-providers-over-rushed-treatment-that-caused-irreversible-damage

Reinl, James (November 7, 2022). Oregon Woman Sues Carers for green-lighting double mastectomy. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11399015/Oregon-woman-sues-trans-care-team-abhorrent-misdiagnosis-left-MUTILATED.html

Selected writing by Kiefel

Kiefel, Camille (July 31, 2023). I Was Nonbinary. Now I Help Detransitioners. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/nonbinary-surgery-breast-removal-detransitioning-1816309

Media

Calmversations with Benjamin A. Boyce and Camille Kiefel (January 24, 2023). “Health Care” (Minus Health, Care) | a Detrans Story with Camille Kiefel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NW9s-UvOgog

Dangerous Rhetoric with Brently Kopopolous, Daniel de la Fé and Camille Kiefer (January 20, 2023). Dangerous Rhetoric 99: Camille Kiefel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTjzPkUa-VI

Michael Ballantine (January 19, 2023). Detransitioner Camille Kiefel, Permanently Damaged By Lies. Woke Uphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtTC_A4oswA

The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network with Kallie Fell and Camille Kiefel (March 14, 2023). Venus Rising with Camille: I Regret My Top Surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7j2171JpQQM

The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network with Kallie Fell and Camille Kiefel (May 23, 2023). Venus Rising with Camille Part 2. The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c75FqCjHBWA

Buck Angel with Camille Kiefel (June 15, 2022). Detransitioner: “I Regret Cutting Off My Breasts.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ogs-0onakU

Erin Brewer with Camille Kiefel (October 9, 2022). Detransition: The Importance of Physical Health/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Uyo-pR5iUc

Resources

Camille Kiefel (camillekiefel.com)

Jaimie F. Veale is a New Zealand psychologist who has published on transgender sexuality and other gender-related subjects.

Background

Veale completed a doctorate at Massey University in 2012. Veale then worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, researching the health of Canadian transgender youth.

In 2015 Veale was appointed Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Waikato.

Veale has served on the Board of Directors of the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) and has served as an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Transgender Health. Veale also helped to establish the University of Waikato Rainbow Staff/Student Alliance. Projects include:

Comments on “autogynephilia”

Veale has attempted to refute Ray Blanchard and the controversial diagnosis of “autogynephilia” by applying Blanchard’s Core Autogynephilia Scale to people who are not trans women. This in effect reified the diagnosis itself, allowing “autogynephilia” activist Anne Lawrence to retort that “Transsexual groups in Veale et al. (2008) are ‘autogynephilic’ and ‘even more autogynephilic.'”

In 2022, Veale and biologist Julia Serano published a paper refuting J. Michael Bailey and Kevin Hsu, who made the claim that “autogynephilia in women” does not exist. Veale and Serano argued that “autogynephilia” is a flawed framework and expanded on Serano’s model of “female embodiment fantasies,”

References

Staff report (February 27, 2025). Trans and non-binary lives at risk: new report highlights healthcare gaps and high levels of violence in New Zealand. University of Waikato https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/news/trans-and-non-binary-lives-at-risk-new-report-highlights-healthcare-gaps-and-high-levels-of-violence-in-new-zealand/

Hebdersob, Sam (June 1, 2023). Hub for trans care proposed. The Star https://www.odt.co.nz/the-star/hub-trans-care-proposed

Staff report (May 10, 2023). Exploring and embracing diversity: University of Waikato’s research informs policy, enhancing diversity, inclusion, and gender-responsive practices in New Zealand organisations. University of Waikato https://www.waikato.ac.nz/int/news-events/news/exploring-and-embracing-diversity/

McCallum, Hannah (April 27, 2023). Vision for equitable, affirming transgender healthcare under health reform. The Post https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/350004633/vision-equitable-affirming-transgender-healthcare-under-health-reform

McCallum, Hannah (August 31, 2022). Trans and non-binary well-being survey ‘one of the best tools for change.’ Stuff https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/129735315/trans-and-nonbinary-wellbeing-survey-one-of-the-best-tools-for-change

Staff report (October 20, 2021). New research shows link between conversion practices and negative mental health for trans and non-binary people. University of Waikato https://www.waikato.ac.nz/news-events/news/new-research-shows-link-between-conversion-practices-and-negative-mental-health-for-trans-and-non-binary-people/

Selected writing by Veale

Veale, Jaimie (November 20, 2025). Puberty blockers: why politicians overriding doctors sets a dangerous precedent. The Conversation https://theconversation.com/puberty-blockers-why-politicians-overriding-doctors-sets-a-dangerous-precedent-270246

Roughgarden, Joan; Veale, Jaimie (November 19, 2025). We’re scientists who study sex and gender. Here’s what Trump gets wrong about trans people. San Francisco Chronicle https://www.sfchronicle.com/opinion/openforum/article/trans-gender-sex-female-male-21125145.php alt headline: What President Trump gets wrong about transgenderism proposed headline: Transgender is not ideology.

Thorpe, Holly; Veale, Jaimie; Nelson, Monica; Scovel, Shannon (August 7, 2022). Polarising, sensational media coverage of transgender athletes should end – our research shows a way forward. The Conversation https://theconversation.com/polarising-sensational-media-coverage-of-transgender-athletes-should-end-our-research-shows-a-way-forward-187250

Thorpe, Holly; Byrne, Jack; Veale, Jaimie; Johnston, Lynda (June 29, 2021), Why the way we talk about Olympian Laurel Hubbard has real consequences for all transgender people. The Conversation https://theconversation.com/why-the-way-we-talk-about-olympian-laurel-hubbard-has-real-consequences-for-all-transgender-people-163418

N Adams, R Pearce, J Veale, A Radix, A Sarkar, D Castro By us and for us: bringing ethics into transgender health research SUNY Press

C Garcia, E Grant, GJ Treharne, H Arahanga-Doyle, MFG Lucassen, … ‘Is it worth potentially dealing with someone who won’t get it?’: LGBTQA+ university students’ perspectives on mental health care Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 55 (1), 32-46

S Bailey, Y Perry, K Tan, J Byrne, TH Polkinghorne, NC Newton, J Veale, … Affirming schools, population-level data, and holistic public health are key to addressing mental ill-health and substance use disparities among gender and sexuality diverse  Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health 48 (5), 100183

L Hamley, E Kerekere, T Nopera, K Tan, J Byrne, J Veale, T Clark The glue that binds us: The positive relationships between whanaungatanga (belonging), the wellbeing, and identity pride for takatāpui who are trans and non‐binary Health Promotion Journal of Australia

C Horton, R Pearce, J Veale, TC Oakes-Monger, KC Pang, …Child rights in trans healthcare–a call to action International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-8

JL Byrne, K Tan, TH Polkinghorne, A Ker, S Bailey, JF Veale Perceived legal protection and institutional trust predict a lower psychological distress level for transgender people in Aotearoa/New Zealand International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-15

C Garcia, E Grant, GJ Treharne, H Arahanga-Doyle, MFG Lucassen, … ‘We’ll be okay together’: navigating challenges as queer university students in Aotearoa New Zealand Kƍtuitui: New Zealand Journal of Social Sciences Online 19 (2), 190-206

LR Allen, N Adams, C Dodd, D Ehrensaft, L Fraser, M Garcia, S Giordano, … Clarifying our stance on BMI and accessibility in gender-affirming surgery: a commitment to inclusive care and dialogue–a reply to Castle & Klein (2024) International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-4

S GonzĂĄlez, JF Veale “It’s just a general lack of awareness, that breeds a sense that there isn’t space to talk about our needs”: barriers and facilitators experienced by transgender people â€Š International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-21

LR Allen, N Adams, F Ashley, C Dodd, D Ehrensaft, L Fraser, M Garcia, …Principlism and contemporary ethical considerations for providers of transgender health care International Journal of Transgender Health, 1-19

L Allen, N Adams, F Ashley, C Dodd, D Ehrensaft, L Fraser, M Garcia, … Principlism and Contemporary Ethical Considers in Transgender Health Care

G Parker, A Ker, S Baddock, E Kerekere, J Veale, S Miller “It’s total erasure”: Trans and nonbinary peoples’ experiences of cisnormativity within perinatal care services in Aotearoa New Zealand Women’s Reproductive Health 10 (4), 591-607

S Baddock, S Miller, A Ker, E Kerikeri, J Veale, G Parker O082 A Survey to explore the Knowledge and Education needs of Perinatal Health Professionals to support the Provision of Inclusive Care to Transgender people in Aotearoa New â€ŠSleep Advances: a Journal of the Sleep Research Society 4 (Suppl 1), A33

JF Veale Transgender-related stigma and gender minority stress-related health disparities in Aotearoa New Zealand: hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, myocardial infarction, stroke â€Š The Lancet Regional Health–Western Pacific 39

G Parker, S Miller, S Baddock, J Veale, A Ker, E Kerekere Warming the Whare for trans people and whānau in perinatal care Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington

H Thorpe, M Nelson, S Scovel, J Veale Journalists on a journey: Towards responsible media on transgender participation in sport Journalism Studies 24 (9), 1237-1255

A Koehler, J Motmans, L MuliĂł Alvarez, D Azul, K Badalyan, K Basar, … How the COVID-19 pandemic affects transgender health care-A cross-sectional online survey in 63 upper-middle-income and high-income countries International Journal of Transgender Health 24 (3), 346-359

SB Ahmed, LB Beach, JD Safer, JF Veale, CT Whitley Considerations in the care of transgender persons Nature Reviews Nephrology 19 (6), 360-365

R Carroll, KKH Tan, A Ker, JL Byrne, JF Veale Uptake, experiences and barriers to cervical screening for trans and non‐binary people in Aotearoa New Zealand Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 63 (3), 448-453

KKH Tan, JL Byrne, GJ Treharne, JF Veale Unmet need for gender-affirming care as a social determinant of mental health inequities for transgender youth in Aotearoa/New Zealand Journal of Public Health 45 (2), e225-e233

CL Rytz, LB Beach, N Saad, SM Dumanski, D Collister, AM Newbert, … Improving the inclusion of transgender and nonbinary individuals in the planning, completion, and mobilization of cardiovascular research American Journal of Physiology-Heart and Circulatory Physiology

JM Serano, JF Veale (2022). Autogynephilia is a flawed framework for understanding female embodiment fantasies: A response to Bailey and Hsu (2022). Archives of Sexual Behavior 52 (2), 473-477 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-022-02414-4 [PDF]

J Veale, JJ Bullock, JL Byrne, M Clunie, T Hamilton, J Horton, …PATHA’s vision for transgender healthcare under the current health reforms New Zealand Medical Association 136 (1574), 24-31

J Fenaughty, K Tan, A Ker, J Veale, P Saxton, M Alansari Sexual orientation and gender identity change efforts for young people in New Zealand: Demographics, types of suggesters, and associations with mental health Journal of youth and adolescence 52 (1), 149-164

KKH Tan, JM Schmidt, SJ Ellis, JF Veale, JL Byrne ‘It’s how the world around you treats you for being trans’: mental health and wellbeing of transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand Psychology & Sexuality 13 (5), 1109-1121

JF Veale, KKH Tan, JL Byrne Gender identity change efforts faced by trans and nonbinary people in New Zealand: Associations with demographics, family rejection, internalized transphobia, and mental health. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity 9 (4), 478

JF Veale, MB Deutsch, AH Devor, LE Kuper, J Motmans, AE Radix, … Setting a research agenda in trans health: An expert assessment of priorities and issues by trans and nonbinary researchers International Journal of Transgender Health 23 (4), 392-408

JL Byrne, KKH Tan, PJ Saxton, RM Bentham, JF Veale PrEP awareness and protective barrier negotiation among transgender people attracted to men in Aotearoa New Zealand Journal of the International AIDS Society 25, e25980

S Zwickl, B Chaplin, F Bisshop, T Cook, CTM Soo, B Birtles, J Veale, … Re: The RANZCP position statement on gender dysphoria Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 56 (10), 1217-1218

GJ Treharne, R Carroll, KKH Tan, JF Veale Supportive interactions with primary care doctors are associated with better mental health among transgender people: results of a nationwide survey in Aotearoa/New Zealand Family practice 39 (5), 834-842

KKH Tan, RJ Watson, JL Byrne, JF Veale Barriers to possessing gender-concordant identity documents are associated with transgender and nonbinary people’s mental health in Aotearoa/New Zealand LGBT health 9 (6), 401-410

E Coleman, AE Radix, WP Bouman, GR Brown, ALC De Vries, … Standards of care for the health of transgender and gender diverse people, version 8 International journal of transgender health 23 (sup1), S1-S259

A Ker, RM Shaw, J Byrne, J Veale Access to fertility preservation for trans and non-binary people in Aotearoa New Zealand Culture, Health & Sexuality 24 (9), 1273-1288

KKH Tan, A Yee, JF Veale “Being trans intersects with my cultural identity”: Social determinants of mental health among Asian transgender people Transgender Health 7 (4), 329-339

KKH Tan, AB Wilson, JAM Flett, BS Stevenson, JF Veale Mental health of people of diverse genders and sexualities in Aotearoa/New Zealand: findings from the New Zealand Mental Health Monitor Health promotion journal of Australia 33 (3), 580-589

T Hamilton, J Veale Transnormativities: Reterritorializing perceptions and practice Rethinking transgender identities, 124-147

T Hamilton, J Veale Transnormativities Rethinking Transgender Identities

VT Schechter, AC Tishelman, MAA Van Trotsenburg, S Winter, K Ducheny, … Standards of Care for the Health of Transgender and Gender Diverse People, Version 8

J Fenaughty, A Ker, M Alansari, T Besley, E Kerekere, A Pasley, P Saxton, … Identify survey: community and advocacy report

KKH Tan, R Carroll, GJ Treharne, JL Byrne, J Veale ” I teach them. I have no choice”: experiences of primary care among transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand.

J Oliphant, D Barnett, J Veale, S Denny, B Farrant The wellbeing and health needs of a cohort of transgender young people accessing specialist medical gender-affirming healthcare in Auckland

KKH Tan, GJ Treharne, SJ Ellis, JM Schmidt, JF Veale Enacted stigma experiences and protective factors are strongly associated with mental health outcomes of transgender people in Aotearoa/New Zealand International journal of transgender health 22 (3), 269-280

JF Veale The Associations of Genital-Normalizing Surgery and Assigned Gender in Predicting Gender Outcomes: A Pooled Nested Case Study Analysis of 282 Adults with Differences of Sex â€Š Urological Science 32 (1), 9-14

H Frohard-Dourlent, E Saewyc, J Veale, T Peter, M MacAulay Conceptualizing gender: Lessons from the Canadian trans youth health survey Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 46 (1), 151-176

KKH Tan, GJ Treharne, SJ Ellis, JM Schmidt, JF Veale Gender minority stress: A critical review Journal of homosexuality

RJ Watson, J Veale Introduction: Transgender youth are strong: Resilience among gender expansive youth worldwide Today’s Transgender Youth, 1-4

BA Clark, JF Veale, M Townsend, H Frohard-Dourlent, E Saewyc 4 Non-binary youth Today’s Transgender Youth: Health, Well-being, and Opportunities for â€Š

BA Clark, JF Veale, M Townsend, H Frohard-Dourlent, E Saewyc Non-binary youth: Access to gender-affirming primary health care Today’s Transgender Youth, 44-55

J Brown, J Schmidt, J Veale Reasons for (in) visibility on the university campus: Experiences of gender, sex and sexuality diverse staff and students New Zealand Sociology 35 (1), 153-175

KKH Tan, SJ Ellis, JM Schmidt, JL Byrne, JF Veale Mental health inequities among transgender people in Aotearoa New Zealand: Findings from the Counting Ourselves Survey International journal of environmental research and public health 17 (8), 2862

RJ Watson, JF Veale, AR Gordon, BA Clark, EM Saewyc Risk and protective factors for transgender youths’ substance use Preventive medicine reports 15, 100905

KKH Tan, JM Schmidt, SJ Ellis, JF Veale Mental Health of Trans and Gender Diverse People in Aotearoa/New Zealand: A Review of the Social Determinants of Inequities. New Zealand Journal of Psychology 48 (2)

J Veale, J Byrne, KKH Tan, S Guy, A Yee, TML Nopera, R Bentham Counting Ourselves: The health and wellbeing of trans and non-binary people in Aotearoa New Zealand Transgender Health Research Lab

RJ Watson, JF Veale Today’s Transgender Youth Routledge

WP Bouman Transgender and gender diverse people’s involvement in transgender health research International Journal of Transgenderism 19 (4), 357-358

BA Clark, JF Veale, D Greyson, E Saewyc Primary care access and foregone care: a survey of transgender adolescents and young adults Family practice 35 (3), 302-306

RJ Watson, J Veale Transgender youth are strong: Resilience among gender expansive youth worldwide International Journal of Transgenderism 19 (2), 115-118

J Oliphant, J Veale, J Macdonald, R Carroll, R Johnson, M Harte, … Guidelines for gender affirming healthcare for gender diverse and transgender children, young people and adults in Aotearoa New Zealand Transgender Health Research Lab

JF Veale, T Peter, R Travers, EM Saewyc Enacted stigma, mental health, and protective factors among transgender youth in Canada Transgender health 2 (1), 207-216

N Adams, R Pearce, J Veale, A Radix, D Castro, A Sarkar, KC Thom Guidance and ethical considerations for undertaking transgender health research and institutional review boards adjudicating this research Transgender health 2 (1), 165-175

RJ Watson, JF Veale, EM Saewyc Disordered eating behaviors among transgender youth: Probability profiles from risk and protective factors International journal of eating disorders 50 (5), 515-522

JF Veale Reflections on transgender representation in academic publishing International Journal of Transgenderism 18 (2), 121-122

F Pega, SL Reisner, RL Sell, JF Veale Transgender health: New Zealand’s innovative statistical standard for gender identity American journal of public health 107 (2), 217-221

K Furness, MN Williams, J Veale, DH Gardner Maximising potential: The psychological effects of the youth development programme Project K New Zealand Psychological Society 46 (1), 14-23

JF Veale, RJ Watson, T Peter, EM Saewyc (2017). Mental health disparities among Canadian transgender youth. Journal of Adolescent Health 60 (1), 44-49 265 2017 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.09.014

BA Clark, JF Veale, M Townsend, H Frohard-Dourlent, E Saewyc (2018). Non-binary youth: Access to gender-affirming primary health care. International Journal of Transgenderism 19 (2), 158-169 125 2018 https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2017.1394954

RJ Watson, JF Veale, EM Saewyc (2017). Disordered eating behaviors among transgender youth: Probability profiles from risk and protective factors. International Journal of Eating Disorders 50 (5), 515-522 126 2017 https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22627

JF Veale, T Peter, R Travers, EM Saewyc (2017). Enacted stigma, mental health, and protective factors among transgender youth in Canada. Transgender Health 2 (1), 207-216 116 2017 https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2017.0031

N Adams, R Pearce, J Veale, A Radix, D Castro, A Sarkar, KC Thom (2017). Guidance and ethical considerations for undertaking transgender health research and institutional review boards adjudicating this research. Transgender Health 2 (1), 165-175 114 2017 https://doi.org/10.1089/trgh.2017.0012

J Veale, EM Saewyc, H Frohard-Dourlent, S Dobson, B Clark (2015). Being safe, being me: Results of the Canadian trans youth health survey. Stigma and Resilience Among Vulnerable Youth Centre (SARAVYC) 146 2015 [PDF] https://cdn.dal.ca/content/dam/dalhousie/pdf/Diff/gahps/SARAVYC_Trans%20Youth%20Health%20Report_EN_Final_Web.pdf

F Pega, JF Veale (2015). The case for the World Health Organization’s Commission on Social Determinants of Health to address gender identity. American Journal of Public Health 105 (3), e58-e62 https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2014.302373

Veale JF. Evidence against a typology: a taxometric analysis of the sexuality of male-to-female transsexuals (2014). Archives of Sexual Behavior. 2014 Aug;43(6):1177-86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-014-0275-5. Epub 2014 Mar 12.

Veale J, Clark DE, Lomax TC (2012). Male-to-female transsexuals’ impressions of Blanchard’s autogynephilia theory. International Journal of Transgenderism. 13 (3): 131–139. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2011.669659.

Veale JF, Lomax T, Clarke D (2010). “Identity-Defense Model of Gender-Variant Development”. International Journal of Transgenderism. 12 (3): 125–138. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2010.514217

JF Veale, DE Clarke, TC Lomax (2010). Biological and psychosocial correlates of adult gender-variant identities: A review. Personality and Individual Differences 48 (4), 357-366 93 2010 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2009.09.018

Veale JF, Clarke DE, Lomax TC (August 2008). Sexuality of male-to-female transsexuals. Archives of Sexual Behavior. 37 (4): 586–597. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-007-9306-9

JF Veale (2008). Prevalence of transsexualism among New Zealand passport holders. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry 42 (10), 887-889 93 2008 https://doi.org/10.1080/00048670802345490

Resources

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

University of Waikato (waikato.ac.nz)

  • Dr Jaimie F. Veale
  • waikato.ac.nz/staff-profiles/people/jveale [2017–2022 – archive]

X/Twitter (x.com)

The Conversation (theconversation.com)

  • Jaimie Veale
  • theconversation.com/profiles/jaimie-veale-1244845

Google Scholar (scholar.google.co.nz/)

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

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. Vankrunkelsven and spouse Marleen Finoulst are the driving force behind CEBAM, founded in 2013.

Anti-trans activism

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.”

In 2025, Vankrunkelsven and Trudy Bekkering commented on the Trump Administration’s 2025 US HHS report attacking gender affirming care. They noted: “The review used robust methods. […] We have no major remarks on the study design, nor on the conclusions.”

References

Verlooy R (2024). Anti-Gender Mobilizations and Transgender Rights. Tijdschrift voor Genderstudies, 27(4), 351–374. https://doi.org/10.5117/tvgn2024.4.004.verl

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/

Coverage in anti-trans press

Sanchez, Darlene McCormick (November 19, 2025). Studies Back Government on Childhood Gender Dysphoria: Peer reviews of a federal analysis citing the significant risks of medical interventions were mostly positive. The Epoch Times https://www.theepochtimes.com/us/studies-back-government-on-childhood-gender-dysphoria-5946713

Anthony, Abigail (November 20, 2025). ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ Proponents Had a Chance to Pick Apart a Critical HHS Report. They Didn’t Have Much to Say. National Review https://www.nationalreview.com/news/gender-affirming-care-proponents-had-a-chance-to-pick-apart-a-critical-hhs-report-they-didnt-have-much-to-say/amp/

Parks, Kristine (November 19, 2025). HHS youth gender care report authors defend findings amid backlash from medical organizations, caution risks. Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/media/hhs-youth-gender-care-report-authors-defend-findings-amid-backlash-from-medical-organizations-caution-risks

“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). ‘A Pure Experiment On Children’: Belgian Doctor Says To Toss WPATH Guidelines Out. Daily Caller https://dailycaller.com/2023/04/01/belgium-doctor-toss-wpath-guidelines-out/

Selected publications by Vankrunkelsven

Bekkering, Trudy; Vankrunkelsven, Patrik (October 3, 2025). [Conclusions of peer review, summary of Chapter 5, and evaluation using PRIOR]. In Supplement to Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices Peer Reviews and Replies, pp. 40-51. https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report-supplement.pdf

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), 35–38. 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)

Megan McArdle is an American writer and anti-transgender activist.

Background

Megan J. McArdle was born January 29, 1973. McArdle earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1994, and a master’s degree from the University of Chicago in 2001.

McArdle blogged under the name Jane Galt at Asymmetrical Information:

McArdle has something of a contrarian streak. She’s the “black sheep” of her “rabid Democrat” family. She took her pseudonym from the Ayn Rand novel Atlas Shrugged, solely to irk a frequent commenter on a New York Times Internet forum who smeared anyone to the “right of Chairman Mao” as a “Randroid.” 

McArdle authored the 2014 book The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well Is the Key to Success. 

McArdle is married to Peter Suderman (born September 30, 1981), who ran the blog alarm-alarm.com. Suderman writes for Reason and previously worked for National Review, the Competitive Enterprise Institute, FreedomWorks, Doublethink, and Culture11.

McArdle has described distress from being personally misgendered: “I’m 6-foot-2, tall enough that distracted store clerks often call me “sir,” a fact that caused me great distress as a young woman.”

Anti-trans activism

McArdle has written a number of pieces about trans issues in the Washington Post. promoted and uplifted many voices from the anti-trans fringe, including Jesse Singal, J.K. Rowling, Hilary Cass, and Riittakerttu Kaltiala.

References

Urquhart, Evan (February 2, 2023). Megan McArdle Wants Child Abuse to Be Simple. Assigned https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/8yq09oito2gagnigwd4uqussnmkn6w

Staff report (June 11, 2010). Megan McArdle, Peter Suderman. https://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/13/fashion/weddings/13mcardle.html

Miller, Cheryl (April 15, 2007) What’s Your Story? America’s Future https://americasfuture.org/whats-your-story/

Selected anti-trans writing by McArdle

McArdle, Megan (February 2, 2023). Opinion: When kids consider transitioning, parents need to be involved. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/02/02/kids-transitioning-parents-debate/

McArdle, Megan (January 13, 2022). Opinion: We need to be able to talk about trans athletes and women’s sports. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/01/13/trans-women-sports-uncomfortable-questions/

McArdle, Megan (May 2, 2023). Opinion: Missouri’s effort to limit gender treatments for adults is a bad idea. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/05/02/missouri-transgender-medical-limits-bad-idea/

McArdle, Megan (June 19, 2018). Opinion: Who should we listen to on gender dysphoric children? Everyone. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/who-should-we-listen-to-on-gender-dysphoric-children-everyone/2018/06/19/a62f8882-73fd-11e8-9780-b1dd6a09b549_story.html

McArdle, Megan (April 21, 2023). Opinion: For conservatives, Dylan Mulvaney should be a role model. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2023/04/21/dylan-mulvaney-bud-light-trans-conservatives/

McArdle, Megan (February 24, 2022 ). Opinion: Don’t forget the other women swimming against Lia Thomas. [alt title: Don’t forget the other women in the pool]. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/02/24/lia-thomas-ivy-league-swimming-championships/

McArdle, Megan (July 10, 2020). Opinion: The real problem with ‘cancel culture.’ Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/10/real-problem-with-cancel-culture/

Resources

Megan McArdle (meganmcardle.com) [archive]

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

Washington Post (washingtonpost.com)

  • Megan McArdle
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/people/megan-mcardle/\

Facebook (facebook.com)

Twitter (twitter.com)

Asymmetrical Information (janegalt.net) [archive]

Alarm-Alarm (alarm-alarm.com) [archive]

Substack (https://cocktailswithsuderman.substack.com/)

Reason (reason.com)

  • Peter Suderman
  • https://reason.com/people/peter-suderman/

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Dianne Berg is an American psychologist. Berg’s work has focused on transgender and gender diverse adults and youth. Berg also studies compulsive sexual behavior and nonconsensual sexual behaviors.

 Berg is a member of the Child and Adolescent Committee of WPATH. Berg has been heavily targeted by anti-trans activists critical of WPATH, particularly Environmental Progress, author of The WPATH Files, and anti-trans hate group Genspect.

Background

Dianne Ranae Berg was born in 1964 and grew up in Moose Lake, Minnesota. Berg was a standout volleyball player at University of Missouri, where and earned s bachelor’s degree there in 1985. Berg earned a doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health.

Berg serves as an Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota. Berg and Katie Spencer are Co-Directors of the National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, a division of the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health. They developed the Gender Affirmative Lifespan Approach (GALA).

2018 Atlantic article

Berg was quoted in a 2018 Atlantic article by Jesse Singal on the ex-transgender movement. Similar to the ex-gay movement, the people who promote the medicalized concepts of “desistance” and “detransition” believe that being trans is a disease that can resolve on it own or through medical intervention. Proponents of these loaded terms make several assumptions that are not value-neutral and therefore not scientific.

Singal presents Berg and fellow clinicians Laura Edwards-Leeper and Erica Anderson as therapists who have “concerns” that more affirming care for minors may lead to negative transition outcomes:

Clinicians are still wrestling with how to define affirming care, and how to balance affirmation and caution when treating adolescents. “I don’t want to be a gatekeeper,” Dianne Berg, a co-director of the National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, at the University of Minnesota, told me. “But I also worry that in opening the gates, we’re going to have more adolescents that don’t engage in the reflective work needed in order to make sound decisions, and there might end up being more people when they are older that are like, Oh, hmm—now I am not sure about this.”

[…]

“Under the motivation to be supportive and to be affirming and to be nonstigmatizing, I think the pendulum has swung so far that now we’re maybe not looking as critically at the issues as we should be,” the National Center for Gender Spectrum Health’s Dianne Berg told me. 

Coverage in anti-trans press

Gloeb, Jenna (December 2, 2024). U of M’s ‘gender dolls’ teach kids that ‘their gender identity is valid no matter what parts they have.’ Alpha News https://alphanews.org/u-of-ms-gender-dolls-teach-kids-that-their-gender-identity-is-valid-no-matter-what-parts-they-have/

McArdle, Megan (March 8, 2024). Opinion | When treating transgender youth, how informed is informed consent? Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2024/03/08/transgender-medicine-report-evidence/

Ryan, Benjamin (March 4, 2024). The WPATH Files: Report Derides Influential Trans-Medicine Group As ‘Unethical.’ Hazard Ratio https://benryan.substack.com/p/the-wpath-files-report-slams-influential

Singal, Jesse (July 2018). When a child says she’s trans. The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/

Selected publications by Berg

Becker-Warner R, Candelario-PĂ©rez L, Rider GN, Berg, D (2021). “Childhood gender nonconformity.” In H. L. Armstrong (Ed.), Encyclopedia of sex and sexuality: Understanding biology, psychology, and culture (pp. 110-112). ABC-CLIO, ISBN 978-1-61069-874-0

Spencer KG, Berg DR, Bradford NJ, Vencill J, Tellawi G, Rider GN (2021). The Gender Affirmative Lifespan Approach: A developmental model for clinical work with transgender and gender diverse children, adolescents, and adults. Psychotherapy, 58(1), 37-49. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000363 

Munns R Dickenson J, Candelario-Perez L, Kovic A, Rider GN, Berg D, Coleman E, Girard A (2021). Psychotherapies in the treatment of CSBD. In R. Balon & P. Briken (Eds.), Compulsive sexual behavior disorder: Understanding, assessment, and treatment (pp. 109-128). American Psychiatric Association. ISBN 978-1615372195

McGuire J, Berg D, Catalpa J, Morrow QJ, Fish JN, Rider GN, Steensma T, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Spencer K (2020). Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale – Gender Spectrum (UGDS-GS): Construct validity among transgender, nonbinary, and LGBQ samples. International Journal of Transgender Health, 21(2), 194-208. https://doi.org/10.1080/26895269.2020.1723460

Bradford NJ, Dewitt J, Decker J, Berg DR, Spencer KG, Ross MW (2019). Sex education and transgender youth: “Trust means material by and for queer and trans people.” Sex Education, 19(1), 84-98. https://doi.org/10.1080/14681811.2018.1478808

Strang JF, Janssen A, Tishelman A, Leibowitz SF, Kenworthy L, McGuire JK, Edwards-Leeper L, Mazefsky CA, Rofey D, Bascom J, Caplan R, Gomez-Lobo V, Berg D, Zaks Z, Wallace GL, Wimms H, Pine-Twaddell E, Shumer D, Register-Brown K, Sadikova E, Anthony LG (2018). Letter to the Editor. Revisiting the link: Evidence of the rates of autism in studies of gender diverse individuals. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 57(11), 885-887. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2018.04.023

Bradford NJ, Rider GN, Catalpa J, Morrow QJ, Berg DR, Spencer, KG, McGuire J (2019). Creating gender: A thematic analysis of genderqueer narratives. International Journal of Transgenderism, online ahead of print May 25, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1080/15532739.2018.1474516

Catalpa JM, McGuire JK, Fish JN, Bradford NJ, Rider GN, Berg, DR (2019). Predictive validity of the genderqueer identity scale (GQI): Differences between genderqueer and transgender individuals. International Journal of Transgenderism. 10.1080/15532739.2018.1528196

Milhausen RR et al, Eds. (2019). Handbook of sexuality-related measures (4th ed.). Routledge. ISBN 978-1138740846

  • McGuire JK, Berg D, Catalpa JM, Rider GN, Steensma TD (2020). “Genderqueer Identity Scale.” pp. 355-359.
  • McGuire JK, Rider, GN, Catalpa JM, Steensma TD, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Berg D. “Utrecht Gender Dysphoria Scale—Gender Spectrum.” pp. 359-362
  • McGuire JK, Berg D, Catalpa JM. “Genderqueer identity scale.”

AK Tatum, J Catalpa, NJ Bradford, A Kovic, DR Berg Examining identity development and transition differences among binary transgender and genderqueer nonbinary (GQNB) individuals. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=HQLhAQQAAAAJ&citation_for_view=HQLhAQQAAAAJ:eQOLeE2rZwMC

D Berg, L Edwards-Leeper Child and family assessment. American Psychological Association https://scholar.google.com/citations?view_op=view_citation&hl=en&user=HQLhAQQAAAAJ&citation_for_view=HQLhAQQAAAAJ:MXK_kJrjxJIC

Resources

University of Minnesota School of Medicine (med.umn.edu)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Healthgrades (healthgrades.com)

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

Ben Appel is an American author and anti-transgender activist. Appel is a regular contributor to Queer Majority, UnHerd, Quillette, and other anti-trans publications. Appel is associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and anti-trans separatist group LGB Alliance.

Background

Benjamin John “Ben” Appel was born in February 1983 to Nancy Sue (Lipman) Gunzelman (born 1954) and Randy Appel (1949–2019). Appel grew up in Catonsville and Ellicott City, Maryland in a “fundamentalist” Catholic household with three siblings: Erin, Jessica, and Bret.

Appel had many “feminine” interests as a child (particularly My Pretty Pony) and has concerns that children like him are now encouraged to make a gender transition:

“I, like a lot of other LGB (and some trans) people, believe that many children and some adolescents presenting at gender clinics today would likely desist and grow up to be gay, lesbian, or bisexual if they were given proper emotional support. In other words, in many cases, the medicalization of “trans kids” might actually be the medicalization of homosexuality.”

In 2015 Appel married attorney Andrew Charles “Drew” Leaser (born 1976). They live in New York.

Appel worked as a hairdresser in Maryland for ten years before earning a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in 2020.

Appel has written about getting sober and has criticized Alcoholics Anonymous for working toward inclusivity:

“I was finishing my last year of study at Columbia University. Having entered the university in 2017 as a self-described radical progressive planning a career in LGBT activism, I was graduating an exile. I had become disillusioned with, and spoken out against, my fellow progressives’ tactics: suppressing free speech, purity policing and reducing every individual to his or her skin colour, gender and sexual orientation. During my last semester, which was moved online due to the pandemic, I’d sign on to virtual AA meetings after class, and immediately be struck by how similar the two spaces had become. Pronouns lit up the screen. Whereas opening readings once consisted of the AA preamble, the 12 Steps and 12 traditions, and details about the meeting, now some groups chose to add a thinly veiled threat: ‘We will not tolerate racist, homophobic, sexist or transphobic rhetoric in this space.’”

Appel was also upset that AA revised its language to be more gender-inclusive.

Anti-transgender activism

Appel’s forthcoming memoir from Post Hill Press is titled Cis White Gay. The book was pitched as:

about growing up in a Christian fundamentalist cult before becoming a gay rights activist while a student at Columbia University, only to encounter there a cultural landscape ruled by gender ideology and a puritanical cult of social justice resembling The Handmaid’s Tale dystopia of his childhood

In 2023, Appel was announced as a participant in an anti-trans conference by SPLC-designated hate group Genspect.

Appel is an “autogynephilia” activist and frequently criticizes “gender ideology.”

In October 2025, Appel spoke at The Unspeakeasy in NYC: A Small Gathering for Big Ideas hosted by Meghan Daum. Announced guests were Appel, Lisa Selin Davis, Andrew Hartz, Rob Henderson, Carole Hooven, John McWhorter, Peter Moskos, Alana Newhouse, and Mike Pesca.

Podcasts

In December 2024, Appel began co-hosting Informed Dissent, a “gender critical” podcast with Ben Appel, Cori Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen”, and Jamie Reed. Guests include Alex Byrne, Anna Hutchinson, Maud Maron, Leor Sapir, Lauren Schwartz.

In May 2025, Appel started a podcast titled The Ben Appel Podcast. The first guest was Pear Joseph.

References

Iacia, Samantha (January 14, 2015). Wedded: Ben Appel and Drew Leaser. Baltimore Sun https://www.baltimoresun.com/features/bs-lt-wedded-0118-20150114-story.html

Selected anti-trans writing by Appel

Appel, Ben (March 2, 2025). ‘Conclave’ Isn’t The Pro-Trans Film People Think It Is. Rather, it illustrates the insanity of the trans/queer movement. Ben Appel’s Newsletter https://benappel.substack.com/p/conclave-isnt-the-pro-trans-film

Appel, Ben (February 2, 2025). Enough With Their Lies: LGBT organizations and mainstream news outlets do more to contribute to the youth mental health crisis than the Trump Administration ever could. Ben Appel’s Newsletter https://benappel.substack.com/p/enough-with-their-lies

Appel, Ben (January 19, 2025). It’s Time for This Madness to End. Ben Appel’s Newsletter https://benappel.substack.com/p/perhaps-its-time-we-went-scorched

Appel, Ben (December 14, 2024). That Which Must Not Be Named. Ben Appel’s Newsletter https://benappel.substack.com/p/that-which-must-not-be-named

Appel, Ben (December 26, 2023). The Re-deminzation of the Gay Male. Queer Majority https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/the-re-demonization-of-the-gay-male

Appel, Ben (May 14, 2023). Homophobia in drag: Transgender ideology has breathed new life into a dark, old prejudice. Spiked https://www.spiked-online.com/2023/05/14/the-new-homophobia/

Appel, Ben (September 2, 2022). Victimhood is one helluva drug. [alternate title: “Chase Strangio, you can have ‘fa**ot’ if you want it.”] Queer Majority https://www.queermajority.com/essays-all/victimhood-is-one-helluva-drug

Appel, Ben (May 12, 2023). How Alcoholics Anonymous lost its way Addicts with the ‘wrong opinions’ no longer fit in. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/05/how-alcoholics-anonymous-lost-its-way/

Appel, Ben (April 21, 2022). The New Homophobia | Opinion. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/new-homophobia-opinion-1698969

Adler, Dahlia (February 25, 2022). February 2022 deal announcements. LGBTQ Reads https://lgbtqreads.com/2022/02/25/february-2022-deal-announcements/

Appel, Ben (January 13, 2022). The stifling conformity of campus sexual politics. Washington Examiner https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/the-stifling-conformity-of-campus-sexual-politics

Appel, Ben (July 8, 2021). As a Gay Child in a Christian Cult, I Was Taught to Hate Myself. Then I Joined the Church of Social Justice—and Nothing Changed, Quillette https://quillette.com/2021/07/08/as-a-gay-child-in-a-christian-cult-i-was-taught-to-hate-myself-then-i-joined-the-church-of-social-justice-and-nothing-changed/

Appel, Ben (January 17, 2018). How to Be Cisgender. Quarto https://quartomagazine.com/nonfiction/how-to-be-cisgender

Media

The Unspeakable with Meghan Daum and Ben Appel (November 4, 2025). The Making of a Gender Heretic: Ben Appel on being cis, white, and gay. https://www.theunspeakablepodcast.com/p/the-making-of-a-gender-heretic

Queer Majority with Andrew Sullivan and Ben Appel (Jun 16, 2025). Andrew Sullivan & Ben Appel: The Category Errors of Sexual Politics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIy-af6mNqc

Ben Appel’s Podcast with Ben Appel and Pear Joseph (May 1, 2025). Podcast: Pear Joseph doesn’t give a f***. https://benappel.substack.com/p/episode-1-pear-joseph-doesnt-give

The Distance with Matt Osborne and Ben Appel (April 16, 2025). How Cis White Gay Ben Appel Beat His Social Justice Activism Habit. https://www.thedistancemag.com/p/how-cis-white-gay-ben-appel-beat-685 alt url https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ob0axDXcZM

Sky News / The Rita Panahi Show with Rita Panahi and Ben Appel (April 1, 2024). Number of children identifying as transgender has ‘skyrocketed.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnOpM6Av2DY

Genspect with Benjamin Boyce, Pamela Paresky, Lisa Selin Davis, Ben Appel, and “Christina Buttons” (November 25, 2023). What the Left Media WON’T Tell You About the Trans Movement. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHQfd-sdTVQ

Heterodorx with Nina Paley, Corinna Cohn, and Ben Appel (June 29, 2023). Doin’ the 12-Step with Ben Appel. https://heterodorx.substack.com/p/doin-the-12-step-with-ben-appel-742

Heterodorx with Nina Paley, Corinna Cohn, and Ben Appel (September 20, 2022). The Parts We Play with Ben Appel. https://heterodorx.substack.com/p/the-parts-we-play-with-ben-appel-5c1

Julie Bindel’s Podcast with Julie Bindel and Ben Appel (June 12, 2022). An interview with Ben Appel. https://juliebindel.substack.com/p/an-interview-with-ben-appel

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Ben Appel (May 24, 2022). The New Homophobia | with Ben Appel. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhUOev9OFo0

Resources

Ben Appel (benappelwrites.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

Substack (substack.com)

Queer Majority (queermajority.com)

  • Ben Appel
  • queermajority.com/contributors-1/ben-appel