Dianne Ranae Berg (born 1964) is an American psychologist. Berg’s work has focused on transgender and gender diverse adults and youth. She also studies compulsive sexual behavior and nonconsensual sexual behaviors.
She is a member of the Child and Adolescent Committee of WPATH.
Background
Berg grew up in Moose Lake, Minnesota. Berg was a standout volleyball player at University of Missouri, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in 1985. Berg earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Health.
She serves as an Assistant Professor at University of Minnesota. She 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 ādesistanceā and ādetransitionā 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 later presents Berg and fellow clinicians Laura Edwards-Leeper and Erica Anderson as therapists who have āconcernsā 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. āI donāt want to be a gatekeeper,ā Dianne Berg, a co-director of the National Center for Gender Spectrum Health, at the University of Minnesota, told me. āBut I also worry that in opening the gates, weāre going to have more adolescents that donāt 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,Ā Oh, hmmānow I am not sure about this.ā
[…]
āUnder the motivation to be supportive and to be affirming and to be nonstigmatizing, I think the pendulum has swung so far that now weāre maybe not looking as critically at the issues as we should be,ā the National Center for Gender Spectrum Healthās Dianne Berg told me.Ā
References
Singal, Jesse (July 2018). When a child says sheās trans. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/07/when-a-child-says-shes-trans/561749/
Selected publications
Becker-Warner R, Candelario-PĆ©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 ā 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: āTrust means material by and for queer and trans people.ā 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,Ā 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 ScaleāGender Spectrum.” pp. 359-362
- McGuire JK,Ā 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
D Berg, L Edwards-Leeper Child and family assessment. American Psychological Association
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 isĀ here.
Cheryl Chase is the pseudonym of Bo Laurent an American activist associated with internet troll Denise Magner and historian Alice Dreger. All three were involved with Intersex Society of North America prior to its 2008 dissolution.
Chase was quoted about “factitious intersex” in The Man Who Would Be Queen by J. Michael Bailey:
Cheryl Chase, the intersex activist, told me thatĀ transsexualsĀ frequently join intersex groups because they are convinced that they are also intersexual. In most cases, they are not.
Background
Chase’s self-reported personal and medical history is murky and often contradictory. She claims she had multiple names starting at birth:
- Brian Sullivan (1956)
- Charlie Sullivan (1956)
- Bonnie Sullivan (~1957)
- Cheryl Chase (1993)
- Bo Laurent (1995)
Resources
Wikipedia (wikipedia.org)
IMDb (imdb.com)
Sidhbh Gallagher is an Irish plastic surgeon practicing in the United States. Gallagher is known for performing masculinizing top surgery.
Background
Sidhbh Treasa Gallagher (pronounced “sive”) was born in ~1981 and grew up in Louth and Dundalk, Ireland. Gallagher earned an undergraduate degree from University College Dublin. In 2006 Gallagher studied at Emory University, then did a residency at Abington Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia from 2007 to 2012. Gallagher did plastic surgery training at Indiana University School of Medicine. In 2016 Gallagher took a surgical appointment at Eskenazi Health Transgender Health & Wellness Program in Indianapolis.
Gallagher relocated to Miami, Florida in 2019 and founded Gallagher Plastic Surgery and Gallagher Med Spa.
Gallagher is known for promoting on social media, particularly TikTok.
References
Staff report (July 12, 2018). Meet the Irish surgeon changing lives for transgender Americans. Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/abroad/working-abroad/meet-the-irish-surgeon-changing-lives-for-transgender-americans-1.3561668
Wilkinson, Kelly (June 9, 2018). IU Health helps Central Indiana woman embrace new gender. IndyStar https://www.indystar.com/picture-gallery/news/2018/06/09/iu-health-helps-central-indiana-woman-embrace-new-gender/35874247/
Staff report (November 03, 2017)
Taking the Lead: An Inside Look at Eskenazi Health’s Leadership, Dr. Gallagher. https://www.eskenazihealth.edu/news/taking-the-lead-an-inside-look-at-eskenazi-healths-leadership-dr-gallagher
Resources
Gallagher Plastic Surgery (gallagherplasticsurgery.com)
TikTok (tiktok.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
YouTube (youtube.com)
LiunkedIn (linkedin.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
University Gender Affirmation Surgery (universitygenderaffirmationsurgery.com) [archive]
“Chloe Cole” is the stage name of Chloe Brockman, an American ex-transgender activist. Similar to the ex-gay movement, ex-trans activists get money and attention by making it harder for others to get trans healthcare. Many claim to have been cured of being trans via “desistance” or “detransition.”
Background
Chloe Elise Brockman was born July 27, 2004.
Brockman’s mother is Jocelyn V. (Torrecampo) Brockman (born 1968), a perioperative nurse who has worked for Kaiser Permanente. Jocelyn Brockman married Jeffrey Allen “Jeff” Brockman (born 1971), an IT entrepreneur who was raised in a Mormon household.
Chloe Brockman has four adult siblings: Jacob, Chelsea, Maddie, and Calvin. At this time, it’s unclear if they are a blended family. It is possible some of the children were fostered or adopted. It appears that Jocelyn also has a family connection to Donald Lee Tre Davis (born 1970).
Chloe Brockman grew up in Manteca, California. As a child, Brockman had two cleft palate repair surgeries.
Brockman had an “emotionally troubled” childhood that included several assessments and diagnoses:
- September 12, 2012 (age 8): “disruptive behavior disorder”
- November 26, 2013 (age 9): “encounter for school problem”
- October 9, 2015 (age 11): “attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder” (ADHD)
According to self-reports, Brockman came out as trans after exhibiting gender-diverse behavior starting about age 9, around the time puberty started. Brockman created an Instagram account at 11. In May 2017, at age 12, Brockman wrote a letter to both parents, asking to be referred to as a boy and by the names Ky or Chi.
On November 30, 2017, Brockman had a consultation with an endocrinologist who advised against beginning hormone therapy. The family sought a second opinion on Brockman’s insistence and gave legal consent for medical transition.
In early 2018, at age 13, Brockman began a medical transition under the care of endocrinologist Lisa Taylor, with puberty blockers followed by testosterone injections starting a month later.
At age 14, Brockman’s chest was groped at school by a bully. This traumatic event led to daily use of a chest binder. Brockman asked Taylor for a referral to plastic surgeon Hop Le. Brockman then had a psychological evaluation with Susanne Watson, who recommended honoring Brockman’s request for top surgery.
Amid the pressure of trying to help their troubled child, Brockman’s parents filed for divorce in 2019.
Brockman began using the given name Leo and was encouraged to attend classes with a family peer group of other transmasculine minors. Brockman’s surgery occurred following parental consent. On June 3, 2020, Brockman underwent top surgery a month before turning 16. During COVID quarantine in the summer of 2020, Brockman started to have “regrets” before discontinuing hormones in May 2021. According to the 2023 lawsuit, Brockman “became intensely suicidal for the first time and prone to emotional outbursts.” Elsewhere in the lawsuit, they claim Brockman was exhibiting “passive suicidal ideation” around the time Jeff and Jocelyn filed for divorce (which it appears they never finalized).
Brockman failed out of high school as a senior and had to get a California High School Proficiency Exam Certificate instead. As failure, isolation, and rejection took their toll, Brockman was radicalized by conservative edgelord online culture. Anti-transgender activism soon followed. This brought Brockman to the attention of Harmeet Dhillon and other conservative or fascist activists, who began showering Brockman with money and attention.
2022
February: Creates Twitter account ChoooCole
April: Creates Twitter account puddingpandan
April 19: Profiled by Suzy Weiss (sister of Bari Weiss)
April 19: Do No Harm Foundation’s Stanley Goldfarb announces launch; later funds some of Brockman’s activism
May: Testifies against gender-affirming care in Ohio
June 28: Testifies against gender-affirming care in California (SB107)
July: Turns 18
July: Testifies against Medicaid coverage for trans healthcare in Florida
July 13: Registers imperfectlyme.org
July 15: Creates GoFundMe
July 24: Conservative IT entrepreneur Steven Corpus “Steve” Beddoe registers the corporation Trenderz LLC in California as part of the domain and GoFundMe marketing campaign. “Trender” is a slur in toxic online communities to describe people who allegedly make a gender transition because it’s trendy.
September: Supports “Protect Children’s Innocence Act” by Marjorie Taylor Greene
September: Testifies against California becoming a sanctuary state for children seeking gender-affirming care
September 28: Interview with David Freiheit of Viva Frei
October 9: Appears on a Twitch stream with other conservative trans media figures Blaire White, Buck Angel, “Shape Shifter,” Fabian Liberty, “TullipR,” and “Taftaj”
October 21: Creates Instagram account chooocole
October: Speaks at “Rally to End Child Mutilation” in Tennessee
October 27: Preaches at Godspeak Cavalry Chapel
November 9: Announces notice of intent to sue
November 11: Interview with Tucker Carlson
November 17: Interview with Tulsi Gabbard
December 12: Interview with Rita Panahi of Sky News Australia
December 22: Interview with Marissa Streit of PragerU
December 22: Interview with Glenn Beck
2023
January 2: Interview with Jordan Peterson
January 6: Interview with Drea Humphrey of Rebel News
January 12: Profile on The Daily Signal
January 12: Interview with Kevin Roberts for The Heritage Foundation
January 24: Testifies in support of Utah ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 132)
January: Speaks at “Teens Against Gender Mutilation Rally” in Tennessee
January: Speaks at Parents on Patrol panel “Stolen Innocence: A Panel on the Insidious Ideology Infecting Your Children’s Education”
January 31: Testified in support of Tennessee House Bill and Senate Bill 1 banning gender affirming care for minors
February 6: Interview with Megyn Kelly
February 6: Profile on Independent Women’s Forum
February: Supports Idaho ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 71,); her appearance was financed by conservative Idaho Freedom Foundation
February: Testifies in favor of Kansas ban on gender-affirming care for minors (Senate Bill 233)
February 17: Testifies in favor of South Dakota HB 1080 banning gender-affirming care for minors
February 21: addressed the Florida House Health & Human Services Committee
March 3: Appears on a panel at Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC)
March 12: Appears with six ex-trans activists in Sacramento for “Detransition Awareness Day”
March 28: Interview with Charlie Kirk and Jack Posobiec
April 17: Appears at Dartmouth Republicans event in New Hampshire
April 20: Testifies in favor of New Hampshire Parental Rights Bill
May 2: Testifies in favor of Louisiana ban on gender-affirming care for minors (House Bill 463)
April 19: Testifies in favor of New Hampshire Bill SB272 banning gender-affirming care for minors
May 26: Testifies in favor of House Bill 454 banning gender-affirming care for minors
2023 lawsuit
On February 22, 2023 conservative lawyers filed suit in California, alleging Brockman was a victim of medical negligence.
Plaintiff
- Chloe E. Brockman a/k/a Chloe Cole
Defendants
- Kaiser Foundation Hospitals, Inc.
- Permanente Medical Group, Inc.
- Lisa Kristine Taylor, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist
- Hop Nguyen Le, MD, a plastic surgeon
- Susanne E. Watson, PhD, a clinical psychologist
- Does 1 through 50
Brockman’s lawyers
- Charles S. LiMandri
- Paul M. Jonna
- Robert E. Weisenburger
- Harmeet K. Dhillon
- John-Paul S. Deol
- Jesse D. Franklin-Murdock
- Mark E. Trammell
The lawyers claim Brockman has had these conditions:
- pornography addiction
- disruptive behavior disorder (diagnosed September 12, 2012)
- encounter for school problem (diagnosed November 26, 2013)
- ADHD (diagnosed October 9, 2015)
- general anxiety
- social anxiety
- speech difficulties
- depression
- pubertal struggles associated with significantly increased negative emotions
- body dysmorphia and serious self-image concerns
- symptoms of an eating disorder
- learning disabilities
- autism spectrum symptoms
- a cleft palate for which surgery had been performed
- concerns about being sexually abused or raped, that eventually materialized into a sexual assault
- exposure to only negative aspects about being female, without any discussion of the positive aspects of being female, including menstrual cycles, pregnancy, childbirth, male domination, and similar distorting ideas
- difficulty at school
- trouble with social interaction and learning
- social troubles
- severe distress
- ongoing confusion regarding her gender
- suicidal ideation
They put forth the “social contagion” model that claims Brockman was misled by LGBT activist groups and transgender social media influencers.
They also make the common ex-trans claim: “The fact that Plaintiff detransitioned after the so-called treatment establishes res ipsa loquitor that Plaintiff was not transgender.”
References
Astor, Maggie (May 16, 2023) How a Few Stories of Regret Fuel the Push to Restrict Gender Transition Care. New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/16/us/politics/transgender-care-detransitioners.html
Abou-Diwan, Antoine (February 28, 2023). Stockton woman one of few to sue over transgender surgery. California Lawyer https://www.dailyjournal.com/articles/371380-stockton-woman-one-of-few-to-sue-over-transgender-surgery
Suratos, Pete (February 23, 2023). Kaiser Permanente sued over hormone therapy. NBC Bay Area https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/kaiser-permanente-sued-over-hormone-therapy/3164935/
Allday, Erin (February 23, 2023). Conservative group sues Kaiser Permanente over transgender care. San Francisco Chronicle. https://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/anti-trans-lawsuit-17801484.php
San Joaquin County Superior Courts (May 14, 2019). Jocelyn Brockman v. Jeffrey Brockman Stockton Family Law Courthouse, Judge Robin Appel presiding. https://unicourt.com/case/ca-sj-jocelyn-brockman-vs-jeffrey-brockman-565410
Ennis, Dawn (September 11, 2022). California ex-trans teen is national right-wing media’s darling. Los Angeles Blade. https://www.losangelesblade.com/2022/09/11/california-ex-trans-teen-is-national-right-wing-medias-darling/
Ashley, Asia Ashley (September 28, 2022). Rep. Taylor Greene promotes bill to nationally ban services that alter children’s gender. The Cullman Times. https://www.cullmantimes.com/news/rep-taylor-greene-promotes-bill-to-nationally-ban-services-that-alter-childrens-gender/article_8e523a90-3de1-11ed-bf3b-c7a04869120b.html
Masters, Hamilton Matthew (January 30, 2022). Proud Boys and LGBTQ rights supporters face off in Murfreesboro. Nashville Scene. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/proud-boys-and-lgbtq-rights-supporters-face-off-in-murfreesboro/article_4434885c-a0c7-11ed-9435-df49b232d251.html
Clark, Quinn (January 27, 2023). Panel of right-wing activists claim schools are ‘sexually grooming’ children by teaching gender identity, event at Pewaukee hotel draws protests. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. https://www.jsonline.com/story/communities/lake-country/2023/01/27/parents-on-patrol-event-at-ingleside-hotel-in-pewaukee-draws-protest/69845712007/
Kam, Dara (July 9, 2022). Florida’s transgender treatment rule draws raucous response. WUWF https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/florida-medical-board-votes-ban-gender-affirming-care-transgender-mino-rcna54632
Yurcaba, Jo (October 29, 2022). Florida medical board votes to ban gender-affirming care for transgender minors. NBC News.
McKellar, Katie (January 24, 2023). Utah lawmakers reject hardline ban on transgender treatments for kids. Deseret News. https://www.deseret.com/utah/2023/1/24/23568290/transgender-surgeries-hormone-therapy-utah-legislature-lgbtq-law
Mipro, Rachel (January 13, 2023). New bill would ban gender-affirming medication and surgery for Kansans under the age of 21. Kansas Reflector. https://www.newschannel5.com/news/bill-restricting-gender-affirming-care-among-minors-nudged-forward-in-tennessee-legislature
Davis, Chris; West, Emily (January 31, 2023). Bill restricting gender-affirming care among minors nudged forward in Tennessee legislature. News Channel 5.
Holmes, Brian; Baertlein, Andrew (February 2, 2023). Idaho bill to ban gender affirming care for minors is met with opposing perspectives. KTVB7. https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/politics/local-idaho-bill-to-ban-gender-affirming-care-for-minors-is-met-with-opposing-perspectives/277-217363de-44ba-4e9e-9fec-69c5c66a9936
Villarreal, Daniel (October 28, 2022). GOP senator speaks at transphobic rally where people threatened to kill doctors. LGBTQ Nation. https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/gop-senator-speaks-transphobic-rally-people-threatened-kill-doctors/
Gingerich, Mia (October 27, 2022). Death threats, Proud Boys, and homophobic bigots: Matt Walsh’s anti-trans rally drew a crowd of extremists. Media Matters for America. https://www.mediamatters.org/matt-walsh/death-threats-proud-boys-and-homophobic-bigots-matt-walshs-anti-trans-rally-drew-crowd
Herner, Hannah (October 21, 2022). Anti-Trans rally led by Matt Walsh brings right-wing media stars to Nashville. Nashville Scene. https://www.nashvillescene.com/news/pithinthewind/anti-trans-rally-led-by-matt-walsh-brings-right-wing-media-stars-to-nashville/article_62c08340-5160-11ed-81bb-53478d4387aa.html
Schemmel, Alec (February 7, 2023). ‘Hateful, dangerous’: Event warning about consequences of gender transitions dropped. KATV. https://katv.com/news/nation-world/hateful-dangerous-event-warning-about-consequences-of-gender-transitions-dropped-eventbrite-trans-transgender-gender-identity-transgenderism-parents-on-patrol
Weiss, Suzy (April 19, 2022). The testosterone hangover. Common Sense / The Free Press https://www.thefp.com/p/the-testosterone-hangover
Resources
Chloe Cole (chooocole.com) [parked]
Twitter (twitter.com)
GoFundMe (https://www.gofundme.com/)
Instagram (instagram.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
YouTube (youtube.com)
Grace Branham is an American “ex-transgender” activist.
Branham served as treasurer for anti-trans organization Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (GCCAN).
Background
Branham earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University in 2018 and a graduate certificate from University of Kansas in 2022. Following a stint at a dog daycare facility, in 2022 Branham took a job at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis as an animal research technician.
From the GCCAN site:
Grace Branham is a post-operative detransitioner who received gender care from the ages of 15 to 21. S/he did not feel adequately supported by providers before, during, or when ending treatment and believes all consumers deserve high-quality care whether they are considering transition, in the process, or detransitioning. S/he hopes GCCANās work will help providers better understand the varied experiences of consumers so they may better serve sexuality- and gender-diverse communities.
References
Alumni spotlight: Grace Branham. IU Department of American Studies. https://americanstudies.indiana.edu/about/alumni-grace.html
Resources
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (gccan.org) [archive]
- Who We Are [archive]
- gccan.org/who-we-are
S. Ding Lab (sdinglab.wustl.edu)
Lee Leveille is a former member of the “ex-transgender” movement. In January 2021, Leveille and partner Ky Schevers launched the organization Health Liberation Now!
Background
Leveille was born in June 1988 on a military base in San Diego, California. They moved to Sumner, Maine in around 1997. Leveille has a sibling who is four years younger. Leveille earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Maine at Machias. Leveille is an intentional peer support (IPS) specialist.
Leveille converted to Judaism in 2016 and identifies as disabled and trans androgynos.
Activism
Following a gender transition, in the late 2000s Leveille became active in disability justice, trans rights, and opposing psychiatric oppression. Leveille experienced vision loss during a change in gender identity and expression.
Following a “detransition,” Leveille was a founding director of Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (GCCAN), an anti-trans organization.
Leveille resigned from the group in 2020 and has since been heavily involved in exposing anti-trans activists, particularly those who exploit and uplift “detransition” narratives.
Leveille is a coauthor of the 2023 CAPTAIN report by Southern Poverty Law Center that traces the origins of 21st-century anti-transgender extremism.
References
Leveille, Lee (May 19, 2022). My Resignation Letter to Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (GCCAN). Medium https://thatweirdolee.medium.com/my-resignation-letter-to-gender-care-consumer-advocacy-network-gccan-59596eb53f96
Leveille, Lee (January 20, 2021). Iām A Trans Person That Helped Found a āDetransition Advocacyā Organization Health Liberation Now! https://healthliberationnow.com/2021/01/20/im-a-trans-person-that-helped-found-a-detransition-advocacy-organization/
Student interviewer (March 14, 2019). Lee Leveille. Querying the Past: LGBTQ Maine Oral History Project Collection, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer+ Collection, Jean Byers Sampson Center for Diversity in Maine, University of Southern Maine Libraries. https://digitalcommons.usm.maine.edu/querying_ohproject/41/
Resources
Health Liberation Now! (healthliberationnow.com)
Reclaiming Trans Butch (reclaimingtransbutch.com) [archive]
Gender Care Consumer Advocacy Network (gccan.org) [archive]
- Who We Are [archive]
- gccan.org/who-we-are
Medium (medium.com)
Southern Poverty Law Center (splcenter.org)
Admiral Rachel L. Levine, MD is an American pediatrician and government health official. Levine is the first out transgender four-star officer in the US uniformed services. Levine was appointed as Assistant Secretary for Health by the US Senate in 2021.
Background
Levine was born October 28, 1957 and grew up inĀ Wakefield, Massachusetts. Both of Levine’s parents were lawyers. Levine has an older sibling.
After private school, Levine graduated fromĀ Harvard College, thenĀ Tulane University School of Medicine. Levine did a pediatrics residency and adolescent medicine postdoc atĀ Mount Sinai Medical CenterĀ in New York, then took a position at Penn State College of MedicineĀ as well asĀ Penn State Hershey Medical Center.
Levine married Martha Peaslee Levine in 1988. They have two children. Levine transitioned in 2011, and they divorced in 2013.
Levine was appointed Pennsylvania Physician General in 2015 and Secretary of Health in 2017. In 2020 Levine was responsible for the commonwealth’s COVID response. In 2021, the Senate confirmed Levine asĀ Assistant Secretary for Health following President Joe Biden’s nomination.
Among Levine’s first initiatives were addressing bullying, suicide, discriminatory policies, and isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic as pressing issues among LGBTQ youth.Ā Levine has criticized Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill and the push in some conservative states to investigate parents who provideĀ gender-affirming careĀ to their children.
Levine became a lightning rod for anti-transgender hatred from anti-trans lawmakers and media figures after taking office.
Support of gender affirming care for youth
Levine supports the position of the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding trans and gender diverse youth. The AAP states that the gender affirming model of care is the current medical consensus.
Levine discussed this in a 2023 keynote at Yale University:
Levine described gender-affirming care ā which includes puberty blockers, gender-affirming hormones and surgical procedures, among other interventions ā as āsafe,ā āeffectiveā and āmedically necessary.ā
Levine described how transgender and nonbinary youth are disproportionately burdened by mental health challenges. She noted that gender-affirming interventions are associated with lower odds of depressive symptoms, self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Given this, Levine said, gender-affirming care has been life-saving for thousands of young LGBTQI+ people across the country.
Zhang (2023)
References
Zhang, William ( FEB 07, 2023). Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel L. Levine discusses LGBTQI+ health at Yale Law School. Yale Daily News https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2023/02/07/assistant-secretary-for-health-rachel-l-levine-discusses-lgbtqi-health-at-yale-law-school/
Zezima, Katie (June 1, 2016). Meet Rachel Levine, one of the very few transgender public officials in America. The Washington Post [archive] https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/meet-rachel-levine-one-of-the-very-few-transgender-public-officials-in-america/2016/06/01/cf6e2332-2415-11e6-8690-f14ca9de2972_story.html
Sullivan, Eileen (January 19, 2021). Biden’s pick for Health and Human Services role would be first transgender federal official confirmed by the Senate. The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/19/us/politics/rachel-levine-transgender-health-human-services.html
Weissert, Will (January 19, 2021). Biden picks transgender woman as assistant health secretary. AP News https://apnews.com/article/joe-biden-pandemics-biden-cabinet-health-coronavirus-pandemic-4eee53439e9c2b4c27fcf4e7f572cb0e
Diamond, Dan (October 19, 2021). Rachel Levine, openly transgender health official, to be sworn in as four-star admiral in Public Health Service. Washington Post https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2021/10/19/levine-transgender-four-star-admiral-public-health-service/
Hackney, Suzette (March 13, 2022). ‘Be true to yourself’: A message from the nation’s highest-ranking openly transgender official. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/opinion/2022/03/13/rachel-levine-honoree-usa-today-women-of-the-year/6600134001/
Goodin-Smith, Oona (January 19, 2021). What to know about Rachel Levine, the history-making Pa. health official tapped for Biden administration. The Philadelphia Inquirer https://www.inquirer.com/news/rachel-levine-joe-biden-assistant-health-secretary-hhs-transgender-pennsylvania-20210119.html
Loveland, Barry (February 6, 2017). LGBT Oral History: Rachel Levine. (PDF). LGBT Center of Central PA History Project Dickinson College Archives & Special Collections. Carlisle, PA, USA. [archive] http://archives.dickinson.edu/sites/all/files/files_lgbt/LGBT-interview-transcription-Levine-Rachel-064.pdf
Resources
US Dept. of Health and Human Services (hhs.gov)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Buck Angel is an American model, pornographic performer, entrepreneur, and cultural critic.
Although many of Angel’s views on sex, sexuality, and gender are progressive, Angel is considered a prominent transgender conservative for using terms and concepts that have largely fallen out of use. These views have made Angel a favored source among conservative and anti-transgender journalists and commentators.
Background
Angel was born June 5, 1962 in Los Angeles, California. After high school Angel worked as a model but felt disconnected from the world, self-medicating with alcohol and drugs. After identifying as lesbian until age 28, Angel began taking hormones, later opting for top surgery but not bottom surgery. Angel later had a hysterectomy.
Beginning around 2005, Angel began to appear in pornographic films, billed as “the man with a pussy.” Angel earned industry recognition for this groundbreaking career.
Angel eventually moved into sex education, appearing in films and speaking at conferences and schools. Angel has frequently appeared in the media. Angel’s entrepreneurial projects include a dating site, an outreach site for trans men, a cannabis company, and sex toys.
Angel was married to Karin Winslow, a dominatrix who left Angel for filmmaker Lana Wachowski. Angel was then in a one-year marriage to a body piercer that ended in an acrimonious split. Angel later married filmmaker Rachel Mason.
Political views
Angel identifies as transsexual and as a “female who lives as a man.” Most people in the community reject these older terms and conceptualizations. Angel advocates for maintaining sex-segregated spaces like competitive sports and takes issue with the phrase “trans women are women.” Progressive members of the community characterize Angel’s views as transmedicalist and sex segregationist. Angel has been affiliated with extremist group Gays Against Groomers.
These views have made Angel a favored source among conservative and anti-transgender activists. Angel has appeared with or on Fox News, Meghan Daum, Heterodorx, Scott Barry Kaufman, Chloe Cole, Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, Dan Savage, Benjamin Boyce, and Quillette.
References
Bindel, Julie (April 26, 2023). Buck Angel: āWe never denied our biology.’ UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/04/buck-angel-we-never-denied-our-biology/
Sahakian, TenyĀ (May 23, 2022). Transsexual pioneer criticizes modern trans activists, says they’re indoctrinating kids: ‘This isn’t a game.’ Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/health/transsexual-pioneer-criticizes-modern-trans-activists-indoctrinating-kids
Reyes, Gabrielle (October 28, 2022). Transsexual activist criticizes trans movement for accelerating ‘far too fast.’ Fox News https://www.foxnews.com/us/transsexual-activist-criticizes-trans-movement-accelerating-far-fast
Asarch, Steven (October 21, 2019). YouTuber ContraPoints Attacked After Including Controversial Buck Angel in Video. Newsweek https://www.newsweek.com/youtuber-contrapoints-attacked-after-including-controversial-buck-angel-video-1466757
Resources
Instagram (instagram.com)
Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
Substack (substack.com)
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Ana Valens is an American journalist who frequently writes about gaming and sexuality from a progressive and pro-transgender perspective.
Background
Valens earned a bachelor’s degree from Rutgers University in 2016.
Valens has written and edited at New Brunswick Today, TRIM Magazine, Gamemoir, The Anthologist, Kill Screen Media, Inc., CGMagazine, PRIDE, Now Loading, Dot Esports, The Toast, Bitch Media, Fanbyte, Kill Screen, Waypoint, Glixel, Daily Dot, and The Mary Sue.
Valens has also worked with gaming companies Sekai Project and FemHype.
References
Valens, Ana (January 5, 2023). Oklahomaās New Anti-Trans Bill Would Have Banned Me From Transitioning as an Adult. The Mary Sue https://www.themarysue.com/oklahomas-new-anti-trans-bill-would-have-banned-me-from-transitioning-as-an-adult/
Valens, Ana (August 4, 2017). āNevada,ā my transition, and me. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/irl/nevada-imogen-binnie-transgender/
Valens, Ana (February 4, 2019). If there were no cis people in the world for 24 hours, hereās what I would do. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/irl/trans-woman-everyday-life-cis-didnt-exist/
Valens, Ana (February 4, 2019). Why Are There So Many Bills Targeting Trans Kids? The Mary Sue https://www.themarysue.com/why-are-there-so-many-bills-targeting-trans-kids/
Valens, Ana (April 2, 2018). Thereās nothing feminist about attacking trans women. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/irl/attacking-trans-women-feminist/
Valens, Ana (January 27, 2021). A guide to understanding cisgender privilege. Daily Dot https://www.dailydot.com/irl/what-is-cisgender/
Resources
Muck Rack (muckrack.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Daily Dot (dailydot.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Medium (medium.com)
The Mary Sue (themarysue.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
Joey Brite is an American ex-transgender activist who organized an anti-transgender conference in 2020 and is an executive producer of the 2023 anti-trans film No Way Back (originally Affirmation Generation). Director Laura VanZee-Taylor, producer Penka Kouneva, and executive producer Brite are responsible for including convicted sex offender David Arthur Kendall as one of the ex-trans activists featured.
Background
Alicia Nancy Neff was born in February 4, 1955 in Los Angeles to Charles “Bud” Neff and Carolyn Jeannette Neff. Neff’s father was a musician who ran Neff’s Paint and Wallpaper in Anaheim, and Alicia Neff graduated from Anaheim High School in 1972.
As an adult, Neff began using the names Alicia Brite and Joey Brite, usually styled joey brite. Brite and a songwriting partner began performing original “women’s music.” Brite also worked in set design and theatrical props, eventually becoming lighting assistant for an independent film company “that churned out lesbian porn for theatrical release.”
Brite has kept a connection with the paint and wallpaper industry since the late 1980s, operating an interior paint consultancy called The COLOR Effect since 1995.
Brite was a DJ at KPFA in Berkeley from 1983 to 1985. Brite was associated with Mills College from 2001 to 2003, working as a liaison for Fremont High School. In 2004 Brite began producing events and fundraisers and started handling social media for several artists.
In 2020, Brite described conservative trans people Blaire White, Scott Newgent, Fionne Orlander, and Buck Angel as the “four horsemen of the gender critical apocalypse.”
Brite continues working in production, incorporating Small Pockets Productions LLC in California in 2020 and Behind the Curtain Productions Inc in New York in 2022.
2020 conference
On August 8, 2020, Brite held the “Can I Get a Witness” conference. It was dedicated to the memory of Magdalen Berns and featured many prominent anti-transgender activists:
- Wall Street Journal writer Abigail Shrier and Author of the recently published Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters
- Therapist Sasha Ayad M. Ed., LPC at Inspired Teen Therapy
- Investigative writer and blogger Jennifer Bilek
- Jane Wheeler, President of Rethink Identity Medicine Ethics, Inc.
- Lawyer Kara Dansky
- Don Smith, an outraged citizen from Sweden
- Endocrinologist Quentin Van Meter
- Lesbian film director Catherine Crouch
- Filmmaker and activist Vaishnavi Sundar
- In Conversation: Stephanie Davies-Arai from Transgender Trend and radical lesbian critic Julia Long
- Health journalist Jamila Bey
- Sydney Wright, a detransitioned woman
- Eugenia Rodrigues, Founder of No Corpo Certo (Brazilian Campaign Against Transing Kids)
- Julia Diana Robertson, Senior Editor at The Velvet Chronicle
- Women Are Human Founder (remaining anonymous for her own protection)
- Spinster founder MK Fain
- Youtuber The Deprogrammer (remaining anonymous or her own protection)
- Thistle Pettersen from Womenās Liberation Radio News
- In Conversation: Sports Coach Linda Blade and Save Womenās Sports founder Beth Stelzer
- Feminist Current founder and pod-caster Meghan Murphy
- Mother turned activist Lynn Meagher
- Epidemiologist Hacsi Horvath, a detransitioned man
- Sherri Golden, a lesbian who was attacked at the 2018 San Francisco annual Dyke March
- Writer Donovan Cleckley
- Doula Courtney Catearth
- Alicia Strada, who was attacked by other women for her views on gender identity
- The TERF Exhibit Founder Sam Reitger (remaining anonymous for her own protection)
In a 2021 recap of anti-trans developments, Brite cited highlights from Jennifer Bilek, Lierre Keith, Sasha Ayad, Stella O’Malley, MK Fain, Eugenia Rodrigues. Keira Bell, Declaration on Women’s Sex-Based Rights, LGB Alliance, KS Jolly in Feminist Current, Jo Brew, Bernadette O’Malley, Women’s Liberation Front, Tulsi Gabbard, Save Women’s Sport, Josephine Bartosch, Courtney Catearth, Karen Davis of You’re Kiddin’, Right?, Mr Menno, SEGM, Abigail Shrier, JK Rowling, and Alix Aharon of of Partners for Ethical Care.
References
Brite, Joey (October 2, 2020). The Four Horsemen of the Gender-Critical Apocalypse. Uncommon Ground https://uncommongroundmedia.com/the-four-horsemen-of-the-gender-critical-apocalypse/
[Obituary] (April 19, 2013). Charles Neff. Orange County Register https://obits.ocregister.com/us/obituaries/orangecounty/name/charles-neff-obituary
[Obituary] (March 15, 2016). Carolyn Jeannette Neff. Orange County Register https://obits.ocregister.com/us/obituaries/orangecounty/name/carolyn-neff-obituary?id=16292068
Pettersen, Thistle (2021). Highlights of 2020 with Joey Brite. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLj9sOvfhCA WLRN Edition 57: Radical Feminism 2020 https://womensliberationradionews.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/edition-57-interview-with-joey-brite-transcript.pdf
Resources
The COLOR Effect (thecoloreffect.com) 2003ā2016 [archive]
Bizapedia (bizapedia.com)
Ticket Tailor (tickettailor.com)
- Can I Get a Witness conference [archive]
- https://web.archive.org/web/20200726073240if_/https://www.tickettailor.com/events/canigetawitness/394113 2/4
YouTube (youtube.com)
Blogspot (blogspot.com)
Twitter (twitter.com)
Instagram (instagram.com)
LinkedIn (linkedin.com)
Facebook (facebook.com)
- thecoloreffect [2015-2017]
