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John Lloyd is a British journalist and anti-transgender activist who has discussed trans issues in anti-transgender publication UnHerd.

Background

John Nicol Fortune Lloyd was born on April 15, 1946 in Anstruther, Fife, Scotland. Lloyd attended Waid Academy there, then earned a master’s degree from University of Edinburgh in 1967. After work in the alternative press and in television production, Lloyd joined the Financial Times in 1977. In 1986 Lloyd was editor of the New Statesman for a year, then returned to FT. In 1997 Lloyd was a columnist for The Times for a year, then returned to the New Statesman until 2003. In 2006 Lloyd co-founded the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism at University of Oxford. Lloyd has written several books.

Lloyd has married twice and has one child, actor Jacob Fortune-Lloyd.

Reporting on trans issues

Lloyd reported on Nicola Sturgeon and the Scottish Gender Recognition Bill:

Every SNP minister and senior official must display their versions of this: the head Manichee, example to them all, is Sturgeon. And in the matter of the Gender Recognition Recognition Bill — which would allow children of 16 to change their gender, independently of their parents’ consent  — she deploys its mechanisms with practised skill.

[…]

London’s Tavistock Clinic, home to England’s Gender Identity Development Service (Gids), became increasingly beset with complaints and controversy. Last summer, it was closed. Scotland has its own Gids centre: the Sandyford Clinic, in Glasgow. It, too, began to receive a growing list of complaints. Last September, SinĂ©ad Watson, who started to identify as a man aged 20, and who had been prescribed testosterone treatments and had a double mastectomy, told UnHerd that she bitterly regrets it, and called for Sandyford to be closed.

The procedures and overall approaches at the Tavistock and Sandyford are not of liberation and joy, but of young men and women inadequately advised by clinicians who were, as one report noted, more concerned with “putting them quickly onto a pathway to transition”. These considerations closed the Tavistock Gids and now threaten Sandyford: they also inform the decision of the UK Government to animate a Section 35 Order under the 1998 Scotland Act — the legal basis for the Scottish parliament — which has, for the present, stymied the Scots nationalists’ momentum.

References

Lloyd, John (January 19, 2023). Sturgeon will lose Scotland’s trans war. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2023/01/sturgeon-will-lose-scotlands-trans-war/

Resources

UnHerd (unherd.com)

Financial Times (ft.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

The Guardian (theguardian.com)

John McDermott is an American writer who sympathetically profiled anti-trans bigots for the New York Times.

McDermott takes issue with this profile and its entire framing, stating on April 10, 2023: “Insinuating I’m anti-trans is demonstrably false. I’ve never written a single sentence that attacks trans people or gender ideology.” The term gender ideology is an anti-trans dog whistle used widely among anti-transgender activists and religious conservatives.

For the Harvard-educated journalist who serves as Africa correspondent for The Economist and graduated from London School of Economics on a Fulbright Scholarship, see John McDermott.

Background

John Michael McDermott was born October 5, 1987. McDermott grew up in Illinois and graduated from Oak Park-River Forest High School in 2006, then earned a bachelor’s degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2010.

McDermott has written for Inc., Advertising Age, Digiday, Esquire, and MEL Magazine. McDermott has also freelanced for The New York Times, WIRED, Politico, The Atlantic, Playboy, Vice, Fast Company and the Chicago Tribune.

2017 MEL piece

McDermott waded into the subject of transgender athletes following Andraya Yearwood’s high school track wins, using the anti-trans dog whistle “biological sex”:

The far right has framed the events as political correctness coming at the expense of fairness and common sense, while others have celebrated it as a victory for trans inclusion. A third group has adopted a mixed viewpoint, one that accepts Yearwood’s decision to transition but questions whether her biological sex gives her an unfair advantage in women’s athletics. 

2019 New York Times piece

McDermott wrote a 2019 puff piece about anti-transgender media figures for the New York Times. The piece was greenlit and published in the Styles section by Choire Sicha.

As with any “cisgender people under siege” type article, McDermott’s piece presents these bigots as fearless truth-tellers akin to Galileo. McDermott interviewed zero trans people or media watchdogs critical of these bigots.

Attacking trans people is a get-rich-quick scheme that has proven effective for decades. Social scientists call McDermott’s tactic DARVO (deny, attack, and reverse victim and offender). Biologist Julia Serano calls DARVO directed at trans people “the Dregerian narrative,” named after intellectual dark web member Alice Dreger, whom McDermott mentions.

As Melissa Gira Grant noted in The New Republic:

Conspicuously absent from the Times piece are quotes and stories from the people who have been deemed—both by the canceled and their chroniclers—supporting players in the culture war debate: the trans individuals the canceled have concerned themselves with, and whose lives and health are at stake.

People profiled sympathetically include:

In 2023 McDermott posted then quickly deleted a solicitation to an alleged “detransitioner” on Twitter.

References

Grant, Melissa Gira (November 6, 2019). Fixating on “Cancel Culture” in an Age of TransphobiaThe New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/article/155606/fxating-cancel-culture-age-transphobia

McDermott, John (November 2, 2019). Those people we tried to cancel? They’re all hanging out togetherNew York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/style/what-is-cancel-culture.html

Serano, Julia (March 29, 2021). The Dregerian Narrative (or why “trans activists” vs. “scientists” framings are lazy, inaccurate, and incendiary). Medium https://juliaserano.medium.com/the-dregerian-narrative-or-why-trans-activists-vs-276740045120

McDermott, John (October 24, 2018). My high school years of white privilege. Chicago Tribune https://www.chicagotribune.com/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-america-to-me-docuseries-oak-park-river-forest-high-school-1025-story.html

McDermott, John (June 7, 2017).  There’s no easy answer to the debate over trans high school athletes. MEL https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/theres-no-easy-answer-to-the-debate-over-trans-high-school-athletes

Resources

Esquire (esquire.com)

Muck Rack (muckrack.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

Medium (medium.com/)

  • j_m_mcdermott [deleted] [archive]

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)

  • j_m_mcdermott [deleted]

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

John Lichfield is a freelance writer based in France. Lichfield is the former Paris correspondent for The Independent.

2021 UnHerd piece

Lichfield wrote in anti-transgender publication UnHerd about a cartoon by Xavier Gorce that appeared in Le Monde. Gorce showed a small penguin asking a bigger penguin: “If I was to be abused by the adopted half-brother of the partner of my transgender father who is now my mother, would that be incest?” Many people felt the cartoon was in poor taste, and Le Monde apologized while leaving it up.

Lichfield’ spends his ‘s article makes a tendentious connection between transgender people and Islamist terrorists who shot up the offices of Charlie Hebdo over anti-Muslim cartoons.

Fluidity of gender is one thing. Fluidity of commitment to press freedom on the part of a great newspaper like Le Monde is another. If it’s permissible in the name of free speech to offend Muslims (even though that was not the intention of the Charlie cartoons) is it not permissible to offend transgender people (even though that was not Gore’s intention)? Is incest — long a taboo subject in France, as elsewhere — completely off-limits for satire or humour?

References

Lichfield, John (January 22, 2021). French cartoonists are in trouble again. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/01/french-cartoonists-are-in-trouble-again/

Resources

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

The Independent (independent.co.uk)

UnHerd (unherd.com)

Susan Mineka is an American psychologist and anti-transgender activist. Mineka co-authored a college textbook on “abnormal psychology” that promotes many anti-transgender ideas, especially disease models like “autogynephilia.”

Mineka collaborated with other anti-trans activists while teaching at Northwestern University.

Background

Susan Mineka was born in June 1948 and grew up in Ithaca, New York. After earning a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, Mineka earned a doctorate from University of Pennsylvania in 1974. Mineka then did postdoctoral work at University of Wisconsin.

Mineka joined the faculty of Northwestern in 1987 and was named Professor Emerita in 2021.

Mineka was editor of The Journal of Abnormal Psychology from 1990 to 1994 and was editor for Emotion.

Anti-trans activism

Mineka published with J. Michael Bailey and advised Bailey’s student Kevin Hsu.

Mineka’s most damaging work was the 2006 college textbook Abnormal Psychology.

References

Northwestern University Provost (December 15, 2022). Northwestern honors new emeriti faculty members from 2020, 2021 and 2022. https://www.northwestern.edu/provost/news/2022/northwestern-honors-new-emeriti-faculty-members-from-2020,-2021-and-2022.html

Hall, Julie (June 23, 2004). Psychology All-Stars: Susan Mineka. Association for Psychological Science https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/psychology-all-stars-susan-mineka

Ben Hamida S, Mineka S, Bailey JM (1998). Sex differences in perceived controllability of mate value: An evolutionary perspective. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 75 (4), 953 https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.75.4.953

Ben Hamida S, Mineka S, Bailey JM (1996). Mate preferences: Implications for higher rates of female unipolar depression and body dissatisfaction INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 31 (3-4), 1462-1462

Books

Hooley, Jill M., Butcher, James N., Mineka, Susan (2006). Abnormal Psychology: Core Concepts. ISBN: 9780205486830

Resources

Northwestern University Psychology (psychology.northwestern.edu)

  • Susan Mineka
  • psychology.northwestern.edu/people/faculty/emeritus/profiles/susan-mineka.html
  • Susan Mineka
  • scholars.northwestern.edu/en/persons/susan-mineka

Google Scholar (scholar.google.com)

  • Susan Mineka
  • scholar.google.com/citations?user=1zuLB_QAAAAJ&hl=en

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Stanford Center for Advanced Studies in Behavioral Sciences (casbs.stanford.edu)

Susan Ann “Sue” Robins (born circa 1955) is an American transgender activist.

Note: for the American transgender activist based in Utah, see Susan Ann Robbins.

Background

Robins lives in the San Diego area and is involved in the local ham radio community, serving as editor of the newsletter for the Amateur Radio Club of El Cajon (WA6BGS).

Online identities

  • Susan Ann Robins
  • Sue Ann Robins
  • sueann173
  • sue_ann_robins
  • AF6LJ
  • sue_ann_robins@yahoo.com
  • sa-robins@cox.net
  • sue-ann173@cox.net
  • sue-ann173@home.com
  • sue-ann173@satx.rr.com

Alleged and unconfirmed online identities

  • Liz Whitecloud
  • LizWhite
  • anoldfriend

Activism

Robins has been listed as involved in several LGBTQ activist organizations, including San Diego TransFamily, San Diego Transgender Community Coalition, and The Neutral Corner.

Robins is a well-known internet troll who has been banned from many social media platforms and websites. Blogger Bil Browning had to ban Robins from blog comments, and podcaster Rebecca Juro had to ban Robins from The Rebecca Juro Show. Activists Monica Helms and Monica Roberts have also described similar interactions.

Robins was involved in the USENET trolling at alt.support.srs and has also included a link to a site promoting the fake disease “Harry Benjamin Syndrome.”

IMG_0312a
Sue Robins. Source: Flickr/wa6mhz

References

Browning, Bil (March 4, 2008). I get fan mail. Bilerico Project. http://bilerico.lgbtqnation.com/2008/03/i_get_fan_mail.php

Abernathey, Marti (January 24, 2008). With Apologies to Radical Feminists. Bilerico Project. http://bilerico.lgbtqnation.com/2008/01/with_apologies_to_radical_feminists.php

Abernathey, Marti (October 14, 2007). When Will The GLB join the T? Bilerico Project. http://bilerico.lgbtqnation.com/2007/10/when_will_the_glb_join_the_t.php

Roberts, Monica (January 31, 2008). Hateraid From A WBT. TransGriot. https://transgriot.blogspot.com/2008/01/hateraid-from-wbt.html

Cooke, Suzan (March 2, 2009). Lynn Conway on Kenneth Zucker. Women Born Transsexual. https://womenborntranssexual.com/2009/03/02/lynn-conway-on-kenneth-zucker/

Allen, Mercedes (February 5, 2009). Dr. Zucker Fights Back, and the APA’s Special Exemption on Reparative Therapy Remains. Dented Blue Mercedes. https://dentedbluemercedes.wordpress.com/2009/02/05/dr-zucker-fights-back-and-the-apas-special-exemption-on-reparative-therapy-remains/

Brain, Zoe (January 9, 2009). On Transsexuality and Transphobia. A.E.Brain. http://aebrain.blogspot.com/2009/01/on-transsexuality-and-transphobia.html

Resources

San Diego TransFamily (sandiegotransfamily.com)

San Diego Transgender Community Coalition

The Neutral Corner

Yahoo (yahoo.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Gravatar (gravatar.com)

QRZ (qrz.com)

  • Ham call sign AF6LJ
  • https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/where-can-i-buy-borrow-a-service-manual-for-an-icom756.187743/

FCC (fcc.gov)

Periscope

Twitter

Note: an earlier version of this biography contained information which has been removed or corrected. My apologies for the mistake.

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

Susan W. Coates is an American psychologist and a key figure in the pathologization of gender diversity. Coates and Kenneth Zucker developed non-affirming “interventions” for gender diverse children as part of their gender identity change efforts. Coates was involved in revising the 4th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) to reflect these views.

Background

Susan Winship Coates was born in 1940. Coates earned a bachelor’s degree from Sarah Lawrence in 1962 and a master’s degree from Vassar in 1968. Coates earned a doctorate from New York University in 1976.

Coates served as Director of the Childhood Gender Identity Service at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center from 1980 to 1997. Coates served on the American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. Coates has served on the teaching faculty of the Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. Coates has also served on the faculty of the Division of Sexuality and Gender in the Psychiatry Department of Columbia University. 

In addition to work on childhood trauma, Coates has been an expert witness in a number of prominent trials, including the custody battle between Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. Coates had seen their child Satchel Ronan Farrow professionally.

Coates or someone closely associated has also heavily edited her Wikipedia biography to remove material Coates does not want reported.

Disease models of gender identity and expression

In 1989, a colleague summarized Coates’ presentation on the topic as follows:

Susan Coates spoke about “Conflict in Gender Identity of Boys.” She has studied boys with extreme boyhood femininity. All the boys in her study wished to be girls, preferred female activities, avoided rough-and-tumble play and liked cross-dressing. These boys all had other pervasive difficulties such as separation anxiety and depression. The mothers were often borderline narcissistic, depressed, dependent women who devalued men. Many of the mothers had been severely traumatized when their sons were two or three years of age. She postulated that maternal psychopathology impairs the child’s separation-individuation process. In order not to lose “Mommy” he merges with “Mommy.” Dr. Coates invoked a bio-psycho-social model but emphasized that the specific biological influences predisposing to childhood G.F.O. have yet been identified.

Leiter (1989)

In 1994, Coates spoke with the New York Times about therapy for “GIDC”:

With therapy, younger kids usually come to accept their own gender and feel good about their temperament. When we go back to evaluate them three years or so after therapy, they don’t have compulsive cross-gender fantasies anymore, or often don’t remember them. But if you don’t treat it until 9 or 10, it’s much harder to turn around. And beyond age 12 or so, there’s a good chance they’re on course to become a transsexual as adults.

(Goleman 1994)

Coates reiterated that maternal trauma when the child was two or three was often a factor (Goleman 1994). Coates reported with Kenneth Zucker that five to thirty times as many boys are treated for “GIDC” (Coates 1992).

In 2008, Coates published these “intervention” techniques for gender diverse children:

This paper reviews the origins of gender identity issues in preschool boys and presents an overview of treatment strategies for working with parents of boys and with the boy. The goals of treatment are to reestablish a secure attachment relationship with both of his parents, to develop a range of coping mechanisms for handling separation anxiety and aggression, to help the child to understand and enjoy his temperament, to help the child to be able to have same sex friendships, to develop gender flexibility and most importantly, restore his self esteem and his sense of authenticity. Specific treatment interventions are reviewed.

Coates (2008)

Selected publications by Coates

Listed by date of publication

  • Coates S, Lord M, Jakabovics E (1975). Field dependence-independence, social-non-social play and sex differences in pre-school children. Percept Mot Skills. Feb 1975 40:1, pp. 195-202 https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1975.40.1.195
  • Coates SW (1985). Extreme boyhood femininity: Overview and new research findings. In Ruth Corn, Zira DeFries, Richard C. Friedman, eds. Sexuality: New perspectives. Greenwood Press ISBN 9780313242076
  • Coates SW, Person ES (1986). Extreme boyhood femininity: isolated behavior or pervasive disorder? J Am Acad Child Psychiatry. 1985 Nov;24(6):702-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-7138(10)60113-6
  • Coates SW (1990). Ontogenesis of boyhood gender identity disorder. J. Amer. Acad. Psychoanal., 18:414-438. https://doi.org/10.1521/jaap.1.1990.18.3.414
  • Bradley SJ, Blanchard R, Coates SW, Green R, Levine SB, Meyer-Bahlburg HFL, Pauly IB, Zucker KJ (1991). Interim report of the DSM-IV Subcommittee on Gender Identity Disorders. Archives of Sexual Behavior Volume 20, Number 4 / August, 1991 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01542614
  • Coates SW, Friedman RC, Wolfe S (1991). The etiology of boyhood gender identity disorder: a model for integrating temperament, development, and psychodynamics. Psychoanal. Dial., 1:481-523. https://doi.org/10.1080/10481889109538916
  • Coates S, Zucker KJ (1992). Gender identity disorders in children. In Kestenbaum CJ, Williams DT (Eds.) Handbook of clinical assessment of children and adolescents NYU Press. ISBN 0814746284
  • Marantz S, Coates SW (1991). Mothers of boys with gender identity disorder: a comparison of matched controls. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry (Vol. 30, Issue 2, pp. 310–315). https://doi.org/10.1097/00004583-199103000-00022
  • Zucker KJ, Lozinski JA, Bradley SJ, Doering RW (1992). Sex-typed responses in the Rorschach protocols of children with gender identity disorder. Journal of Personality Assessment, Volume 58, Issue 2 April 1992 , pages 295 – 310. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5802_9
  • Zucker KJ, Green R, Coates S, Zuger B, Cohen-Kettenis PT, Zecca GM, Lertora V, Money J, Hahn-Burke S, Bradley SJ, Blanchard R. Sibling sex ratio of boys with gender identity disorder. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1997 Jul;38(5):543-51. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.1997.tb01541.x
  • Coates SW, Wolfe S. Gender identity disorder in boys: the interface of constitution and early experience. Psychoanalytic Inquiry, 1995, 51:6-38. https://doi.org/10.1080/07351699509534015
  • Coates SW (2008). Intervention with preschool boys with gender identity issues. Neuropsychiatrie de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence 56/6 (2008), 386-91. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurenf.2008.06.004

References

Resources

Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research (psychoanalysis.columbia.edu)

Columbia University Department of Psychiatry (columbiapsychiatry.org)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)

The Association for Psychoanalytic Medicine (theapmnewyork.org)

  • Susan Coates
  • https://www.theapmnewyork.org/apm_member/susan-coates/
  • http://theapm.org/cont/roster.html [old site]

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

Susan Ann “Sue” Robbins is an American transgender activist who has been involved in philanthropic leadership at several LGBTQ activist organizations, including Utah Pride Center and Transgender Education Advocates (TEA) of Utah.

Note: for the American transgender activist based in California, see Susan Ann Robins.

Background

Robbins served in the Army from 1979 to 1999 and was married twice during that time. Robbins initially identified as a crossdresser and came out during the second marriage. After a period of negotiating a gender expression, in 2009 Robbins went out for a birthday makeover. Robbins then came out to an adult child and would go to events together. Robbins started Utah Tri-Ess Phi Delta chapter in 2011 and started hormones in 2014.

Robbins earned an Associates degree in computer studies from University of Maryland in 1995. Robbins then supervised training development for the US Army Signal Corps based at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Robbins then worked as an operations manager at Scientific Atlanta’s customer training center, then worked as a test engineer at L3 Technologies and L3Harris Technologies.

Susan Ann Robbins
Sue Robbins (Source: Vimeo)

References

Tribune Media (October 18, 2019). Why it is important for trans people to remain visible. Fox 2 Now https://fox2now.com/2019/10/18/why-it-is-important-for-trans-people-to-remain-visible/

Eaton, Daysha (January 22, 2019). Supreme Court Reversal On Transgender Ban Raises Major Concerns For Trans Military Members. KUER. https://www.kuer.org/post/supreme-court-reversal-transgender-ban-raises-major-concerns-trans-military-members

Wood, Benjamin (January 22, 2019). Utah transgender advocate says it’s ‘disgusting’ how Trump administration is treating service members. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://www.sltrib.com/news/politics/2019/01/22/utah-transgender-advocate/

Flores, Cristina (June 30, 2016). Utahns say allowing transgender people to serve will strengthen military. KUTV. https://kutv.com/news/local/utahns-say-allowing-transgender-people-to-serve-will-strengthen-military

Dobner, Jennifer (July 26, 2017). Utah’s transgender military vets are stunned by Trump’s reinstatement of service ban. The Salt Lake Tribune. https://archive.sltrib.com/article.php?id=5554387&itype=CMSID

Resources

Pettycoat Lane with Kristal and Josie

Facebook (facebook.com)

Linkedin (linkedin.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.

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.”

Appel co-hosts the Informed Dissent podcast with Corinna Cohn, Lisa Selin Davis, “Eliza Mondegreen,” and Jamie Reed. The podcast debuted in December 2024.

References

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

Apprl, 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

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

Resources

Ben Appel (benappelwrites.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

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

“Tish Still” is the pen name of Tish Naughton, a British anti-transgender activist. Naughton is an unaccepting parent of a transgender child.

Background

Patricia “Tish” Naughton identifies as “a proud radical feminist mum” who is “spreading awareness about the impact of gender ideology on women’s rights.”

Naughton identified in UnHerd as “the mother of a son who identifies as part of the transgender community.”

Anti-transgender activism

Naughton runs a website called Gender Critical Woman Blog. Naughton has done interviews with Erin Brewer, James of @HumanGayMale, Graham Linehan, Isla Macy of Parents Against Gender Ideology in Schools, Woman’s Place UK, and Women’s Declaration International (WDI). Naughton is a contributor to anti-trans blog Reduxx.

Naughton has signed several open letters and petitions, including

  • an open letter in Feminist Current supporting anti-trans extremist Graham Linehan (2019)
  • a petition supporting anti-trans extremist J.K. Rowling (2020)
  • a letter to the editor of The Times prepared by LGB Alliance characterizing gender affirming care for minors as “conversion therapy.” (2021)
  • support for anti-trans activist Allison Bailey “[in] the name of parents whose Gay Offspring are once again believing they are #BornWrong thanks to all the teaching materials supplied by Stonewall or with their endorsement.” (2021)
  • a petition titled Beyond WPATH attacking WPATH (2022)
  • an open letter fo United Nations commissioners supporting anti-trans activist Reem Alalem’s criticisms of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill (2022)
  • an open letter to Liz Truss and Boris Johnson claiming a Truss letter to the Equality and Human Rights Commission “undermines” EHRC’s upcoming guidance on single-sex services (2022)
  • an open letter by Sex Matters supporting anti-transgender activist Reem Alsalem, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls (2023)
  • an open letter critical of a Maternity Gender Inclusion Programme for midwives with information on trans people who give birth (2023)
  • the WHO Decides petition targeting trans-supportive experts convened by the World Health Organization (2024)

References

“Still, Tish” (April 12, 2022). Trans BDSM Fetishist Is Advising UK Hospitals to Ignore Single-Sex Wards Law. Reduxx https://reduxx.info/trans-bdsm-fetishist-is-advising-uk-hospitals-to-ignore-single-sex-wards-law/

“Still, Tish” (January 11, 2022). The truth about trans murders. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2022/01/the-truth-about-trans-murders/

Naughton, Tish et al. (March 13, 2021). Trans Controversy: Support is needed for gender non-conforming children, who are now getting the impression that the answer to their problems is a lifetime of medication. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/comment/letters-to-editor/article/times-letters-sarah-everard-and-womens-fear-on-the-streets-h2zd3sqsb?region=global

Naughton, Tish et al. (June 2, 2019). Trans ideology is damaging children. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/trans-ideology-is-damaging-children-k5nlhwmc8?region=global

Naughton, Tish et al. (June 2, 2019). Open letter in support of Graham Linehan’s challenges to gender identity ideology. Feminist Current https://www.feministcurrent.com/2019/02/28/open-letter-in-support-of-graham-linehans-challenges-to-gender-identity-ideology/

LGB Alliance (2020 ff). FOI result: commincation between LGB Alliance and office of Liz Truss. https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/correspondence_with_lgb_alliance_4/response/1848146/attach/html/6/ANNEX%201%20Emails%20and%20Agenda%20Redacted.pdf.html

Naughton, Patricia (2018). Written submission from Patricia Naughton (EEA0181). https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/95803/pdf/

Resources

Gender Critical Woman Blog (gendercriticalwoman.blog)

Substack (substack.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Facebook (facebook.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Joan Smith is a British writer, sex segregationist, and anti-transgender activist from the movement’s gender critical faction.

Background

Joan Alison Smith was born August 27, 1953. Smith attended University of Reading. Smith was on staff at The Sunday Times from 1979 to 1984.

Smith is author of the Loretta Lawson series of crime novels. Smith’s nonfiction books include Misogynies (1989), Different for Girls: How Culture Creates Women (1998), and Home Grown: How Domestic Violence Turns Men Into Terrorists (2019).

In 2015, Smith was elected chair of Labour Humanists, a group promoting secularist policies and humanist values within the Labour party.

Smith was married to journalist Francis Wheen from 1985 to 1993 and was partners with politician Denis MacShane from 2003 to 2010.

Anti-transgender activism

In 2021, Smith was fired as Co-Chair of the Mayor of London’s Violence Against Women and Girls Board, a volunteer role held since 2013. The decision came after a governance review. Officials denied Smith’s claims that it was because of anti-trans activities.

Smith frequently writes anti-trans articles for UnHerd. Smith is a member of Sex Matters Advisory Group.

References

Brook, Libby (August 19, 2021). The Guardian London mayor’s office denies feminist activist’s claims over sacking https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/aug/19/london-mayors-office-denies-feminist-activists-claims-over-sacking

Smith Joan (August 20, 2021). Why did Sadiq Khan’s office fire me? UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/08/why-did-sadiq-khans-office-fire-me/

Resources

UnHerd (unherd.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)