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Rachel Rooney vs. transgender people

Rachel Rooney is an author and anti-transgender activist. Rooney has served on the advisory board for anti-trans hate group Genspect.

Background

Rooney was born on March 21, 1962.

Rooney is a former special education needs teacher. Rooney is neurodiverse and received an autism diagnosis as an adult. Rooney has an adult child who is also neurodiverse.

Rooney has published numerous poems and children’s books.

Anti-transgender activism

Rooney has published books via My Body Is Me Publishing, part of Transgender Trend founded by Stephanie Davies-Arai.

  • Granny’s Flag (2025). Written by Rachel Rooney and illustrated by Ros Asquith Transgender Trend Ltd ISBN 978-1036931254
  • My Body is Me! (2015). Written by Rachel Rooney and illustrated by Jessica Ahlberg. Transgender Trend Ltd, ISBN 978-1527251540

It has released and promoted several anti-trans publications:

  • For Parents: Communicating with Kids: What Works and What Doesn’t by Stephanie Davies-Arai
  • Sex and Gender: An Introductory Guide by Phoebe Rose
  • Gender Detransition: A Path towards Self-acceptance by Nele & Ellie at Post Trans

References

Parsons, Vic (December 3, 2019). Children’s book by anti-trans group Transgender Trend compared to ‘terrorist propaganda.’ PinkNews https://www.thepinknews.com/2019/12/03/transgender-trend-children-book-anti-trans-terrorist-propaganda-my-body-is-me/

Brownlee, Liz (May 16, 2019). Rachel Rooney: Reflections on a Poetry Project. Children’s Poetry Summit https://childrenspoetrysummit.com/2019/05/16/rachel-rooney-reflections-on-a-poetry-project/

Staff (March 26, 2019). Poetry Workshops with Rachel Rooney for Years 7F, 8W, 9M and 10M https://limpsfieldgrange.co.uk/event/poetry-workshops-with-rachel-rooney-for-years-7f-8w-9m-and-10m-2/ [archive]

Coverage in anti-trans press

Staff (June 18, 2024). Tales from the Trenches: Rachel’s Story. SEEN in Publishing https://seeninpublishing.substack.com/p/rachels-story

Smith, Victoria (December 27, 2023). Stop telling children the world hates them. The Critic https://thecritic.co.uk/stop-telling-children-the-world-hates-them/

Holford, Josie (June 12, 2022). Burning the Books and their Authors. Rattlebag and Rhubarb https://www.josieholford.com/burning-the-books/

Cleckley, Donovan (July 1, 2020). Bodies That Matter: A Review of ‘My Body Is Me!’ Women Are Human https://www.womenarehuman.com/bodies-that-matter-a-review-of-my-body-is-me/

Walsh, Joani (December 16, 2019). Rachel Rooney’s children’s book, My Body is Me, labelled ‘anti‑trans extremism.’ The Times https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/rachel-rooneys-childrens-book-my-body-is-me-labelled-anti-trans-extremism-szrr6gsxr

Bartosch, Jo (December 9, 2021). Inside the trans publishing purge: Children’s authors are silenced for telling the truth. UnHerd https://unherd.com/2021/12/inside-the-trans-publishing-purge/

“flow” (December 9, 2021). Rachel Rooney’s Exit Interview from Publishing. Wild Woman Writing Club https://wildwomanwritingclub.wordpress.com/2021/12/09/rachel-rooneys-exit-interview-from-publishing/

Staff report (June 15, 2020). Children’s author retires after abuse from trans activists. The Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/news/childrens-author-retires-after-abuse-from-trans-activists/

Staff report (December 5, 2019). My Body is Me!: Children’s book counteracts gender ideology. The Christian Institute https://www.christian.org.uk/news/my-body-is-me-childrens-book-counteracts-gender-ideology/

Griffiths, Sian; Walsh, Joani (December 1, 2019). Children’s author pens antidote to books peddling ‘wrong body’ myth. The Times https://www.thetimes.com/culture/books/article/childrens-author-pens-antidote-to-books-peddling-wrong-body-myth-k8t2z2w35

Media

GBNews / Free Speech nation with Andrew Doyle and Rachel Rooney (October 1, 2023). Author harassed & libelled by activists calls for non-partisan union for authors and illustrators. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjxUv2Feq2U

Woman’s Place UK (August 11, 2022). A Woman’s Place is whistle blowing: Rachel Rooney #WPUKLewes (Lewes, 21 July 2022). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDITURc7a9Q

Resources

Rachel Rooney (rechelrooneypoet.com)

Genspect (genspect.org)

  • Advisory board: Rachel Rooney
  • genspect.org/meet-the-team/advisory-board
  • “Rachel Rooney is a former SEN teacher and an award-winning children’s poet & author. She has a particular interest in autism, having raised an autistic son alongside receiving a late autism diagnosis herself. She has also written ‘My Body is Me!’, a picture book published by TransgenderTrend.”
  • Rachel Rooney archives
  • genspect.org/tag/rachel-rooney

My Body Is Me Publishing (mybodyisme.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

Instagram (instagram.com)