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Karleen Gribble vs. transgender people

Karleen Gribble is an Australian researcher and anti-transgender activist.

Gribble contributed a chapter criticizing “desexed language” in the 2024 anti-trans book The War on Science by Lawrence Krauss. Gribble submitted a comment for the 2025 US HHS report attacking gender affirming care, stating “it would be worthwhile to add text on the risks of using terminology suggesting that people can change their sex.”

Background

Karleen D. Gribble was born on March 21, ~1971. Gribble earned a bachelor’s degree from University of New England in 1992 and a doctorate from University of Western Sydney in 1999. Gribble became pregnant while working on a dissertation on plant physiology. Gribble then shifted to research about pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and nursing.

From 2003 to 2015, Gribble was an Adjunct Fellow at the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University. In 2015, Gribble was appointed as Adjunct Associate Professor.

Gribble and spouse have three adult children.

Anti-trans activism

In the early 2020s, Gribble became a prominent critic of inclusive and value-neutral terminology in medicine, particularly around pregnancy, childbirth, lactation, and nursing. In 2023, Gribble stated:

“‘Mother’ is the first word most babies will say and the word is often very similar in all languages [even] with completely different cultures, histories and backgrounds,” said Karleen Gribble, an adjunct associate professor at Western Sydney University. “The word ‘mother’ holds a lot of meaning. Using generic words for parents also makes it hard to advocate for maternity leave and paternity leave.”

A specialist in the study of what she calls “sexed language” and its importance, especially when it comes to new mothers and their babies, Gribble told The Post that the language around pregnancy, birth, lactation, breastfeeding and newborn care is being “desexed” as a result of politically correct policies not only in the US but in the UK and Australia — and it’s hurting poor and vulnerable mothers the most.

“If you can’t name [women or mothers] and if you have to use dehumanizing language like menstruators, uterus-havers and cervix-owners, it is all the more confusing and demoralizing, Gribble said.

Gribble came to the attention of anti-trans activists after publishing a 2023 case report about an adult who had top surgery at age 20 as part of a gender transition and later regretted it.

The paper’s authors, Western Sydney University adjunct associate professor Karleen Gribble and professor of midwifery Hannah Dahlen, have raised the alarm that the increased numbers of young women undergoing gender-affirming surgery are not being warned about the future consequences.

“We know that there are a lot more children and adolescents presenting at gender clinics in Australia. We don’t know how many are going on to have surgeries like this,” Professor Gribble said. “We really don’t have any good indication of what proportion of young people might take this path and regret it at a later point.”

[…] Professor Gribble predicts in coming years there may be many more women who regret gender-affirming surgery, who go on to become pregnant and realise they cannot breastfeed, who were never warned by surgeons this would be the case – a situation she describes as unethical and possibly negligent. She is critical that the AusPATH standards of care for transgender medicine make no mention of the ramifications for breastfeeding at all.

In 2025, Gribble was interviewed on an anti-trans podcast about “the transgender industry” and appeared on the Quillette podcast with anti-trans activist Iona Italia.

References

Gaffney, Theresa; Merelli, Annalisa (November 19, 2025). HHS names authors and releases peer review comments for gender dysphoria report: Original study of gender-affirming care was criticized for concealing contributors’ conflicts. Stat News https://www.statnews.com/2025/11/19/hhs-gender-affirming-care-report-authors-named/

Tuohy, Wendy (January 29, 2022). Inclusive language risks ‘dehumanising women’, top researchers argue. The Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/national/inclusive-language-risks-dehumanising-women-top-researchers-argue-20220126-p59red.html

Marinelli, K. (2018). An Interview with Karleen D. Gribble, BRurSc (Hons), PhD, NAT CertIVBrfeedEd. Journal of Human Lactation, 34(3), 414–419. https://doi.org/10.1177/0890334418778272

Coverage in anti-trans press

Oliveira, Alex (November 19, 2025). Scientists okay Trump-ordered report that found almost nothing to support ‘gender-affirming care’ for kids. New York Post https://nypost.com/2025/11/19/us-news/trump-ordered-report-that-found-almost-no-evidence-to-support-gender-affirming-care-for-kids-gets-scientific-seal-of-approval/

Marcus, Caroline (June 13, 2024). ‘People with a cervix’: Labor pours millions into radical body accused of ‘erasing women’ in ‘confusing and offensive’ cancer campaign. Sky News Australia https://www.skynews.com.au/lifestyle/health/people-with-a-cervix-labor-pours-millions-into-radical-body-accused-of-erasing-women-in-confusing-and-offensive-cancer-campaign/news-story/930b0f6b93f804b82d93e04a82e79ca3

Lever, Cindy (July 8, 2023). Inside the world of teenage transitions in Australia where 13-year-olds are having their breasts removed after one letter from a psychiatrist – which teens can’t even do in Thailand – and mums humblebrag with before and after pics on Facebook. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12268677/Girls-young-13-having-breasts-surgically-removed-boys.html

Kennedy, Dana (June 12, 2023). Breastfeeding goes woke: ‘It feels as if they want to erase women and mothering.’ New York Post https://nypost.com/2023/06/12/breastfeeding-wars-birthing-person-preferred-over-mother/

Staff report (March 8, 2023). Detransitioner sues Canadian medics over irreversible trans surgery. The Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/news/detransitioner-sues-canadian-medics-over-irreversible-trans-surgery/

Robinson, Natasha (February 18, 2023). Devastated woman ‘wants to spare future mothers and babies’ with consequences of gender transition. The Australian https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/devastated-woman-wants-to-spare-future-mothers-andbabies-with-consequences-of-gender-transition/news-story/0d09965b614bee81cce7110559962a83 alternate headline ‘I want to spare future mothers and babies.’ Ten years after having her breasts surgically removed, Elizabeth realised the enormity of her mistake. Experts say others like her deserve to be warned.

Lever, Cindy (February 12, 2023). Mum who had her breasts removed while identifying as transgender shares pain and guilt of not being able to feed her baby. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11734807/Mum-surgery-identifying-transgender-shares-pain-unable-breastfeed.html

Selected writing by Gribble

Gribble, Karleen (July 11, 2025). [Comments on language, chest masculinisation surgery, breast binding, and detransition]. In Supplement to Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices Peer Reviews and Replies, pp. 20-23. https://opa.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/gender-dysphoria-report-supplement.pdf

Gribble, Karleen (2024). The Desexing of Language in Women’s Health Research and Care: A Story of Marginalization of Science, Cultural Imperialism, and Abuse of Power. In Krauss, Lawrence [editor]. The War on Science, Post Hill Press, ISBN 979-8888457566

Gribble, K. D., Callaway, L., Raven, M., Smith, J. P., Gamble, J., & Dahlen, H. G. (2025). Sex, gender identity and women’s health research and equality: An urgent need for clarity of language and accurate data collection. Women and Birth, 38(1), 101854. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2024.101854

Bartick, M., Dahlen, H., Gamble, J., Walker, S., Mathisen, R., & Gribble, K. (2025). Reconsidering “inclusive language:” Consequences for healthcare and equitableness of a growing linguistic movement to address gender identity with a path forward. Sexual & Reproductive Healthcare, 44, 101088. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.srhc.2025.101088

Gribble, K. D., Bewley, S., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). Breastfeeding grief after chest masculinisation mastectomy and detransition: A case report with lessons about unanticipated harm. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1073053

Gamble, Jenny; Gribble, Karleen (May 6, 2022). ‘Inclusive’ language on maternity care risks excluding many women. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/may/06/inclusive-language-on-maternity-care-risks-excluding-many-women

Media

The Quillette Podcast with Iona Italia and Karleen Gribble (October 9, 2025). Erasing Mothers? Karleen Gribble on Gendered Language and Women’s Health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiRLS51VTcc

Desexing Society Podcast with Stassia Frei and Karleen Gribble (July 24, 2025). S02E07: The Word is Woman. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wd71OmBvHhY

The Origins Podcast with Lawrence Krauss and Karleen Gribble (August 14, 2025). The Costs of Desexing Language in Women’s Health | Karleen Gribble & Lawrence Krauss War on Science. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOzzi8wDNyI

Sole Sisters (Women Voting With Our Feet) with Eliane Miller and Karleen Gribble (September 30, 2022). Dr Karleen Gribble- The Importance of Sexed-Based Language in Women’s Healthcare. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3oM0uLF_M6s

Calmversations with Benjamin Boyce and Karleen Gribble (April 25, 2022). Why “Woman” Needs To Mean, Well, Woman | with Dr. Karleen Gribble. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QCKI_PX3a6U

Resources

Western Sydney University (westernsydney.edu.au)

  • Karleen Gribble
  • researchers.westernsydney.edu.au/en/persons/karleen-gribble

The Centre for Sex & Gender Equity in Health & Medicine (sexgenderequitycentre.org.au)

  • Karleen Gribble
  • sexgenderequitycentre.org.au/expert/adjunct-professor-karleen-gribble

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