Quentin Van Meter vs. transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed September 12, 2026 14 min read

Quentin Van Meter is an American pediatric endocrinologist and anti-transgender extremist. Van Meter is a key historical figure in attacks on trans healthcare.

Van Meter has been involved in several anti-trans organizations:

anti-trans hate group American College of Pediatricians (President)
anti-trans hate group Genspect (invited conference speaker)
anti-trans hate group MassResistance (invited conference speaker)
anti-trans hate group Ruth Institute (invited conference speaker)
anti-trans hate group Focus on the Family (invited Singapore conference speaker)
anti-trans conversion therapy group International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (invited conference speaker)
anti-trans group Catholic Medical Association (member)
anti-trans group Australian Family Association (speaking tour sponsor)
coauthor with other anti-trans activists, including Michael K. Laidlaw, Paul Hruz, André Van Mol, Michelle Cretella, Paul McHugh and William Malone
- Malone later cofounded anti-trans hate group Society for Evidence-based Gender Medicine

Van Meter has served as an expert in litigation and legislation to limit transgender rights in Florida and Alabama and in support of anti-trans legislation in North Carolina, Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Van Meter frequently appears in conservative media to attack trans healthcare.

Background

note: much of this biographical information is based on self-reports and has not been independently confirmed.

Quentin Lee Van Meter was born on September 13, 1947. Van Meter earned a bachelor’s degree from College of William & Mary in 1969. In 1971, Van Meter joined the United States Navy.

Van Meter then earned a medical degree in 1973 from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, followed by a pediatrics residency at University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine / Oakland Naval Hospital from 1976 to 1979. Van Meter earned board certification in pediatrics in 1978.

Van Meter completed a pediatric endocrinology fellowship at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1980. During the time Van Meter was at Johns Hopkins, anti-trans extremist Paul McHugh shut down their gender clinic founded by John Money. Van Meter earned a sub-board certification in pediatric endocrinology in 1983.

From 1980 to 1991, Van Meter served in the Navy Medical Corps. Van Meter worked as a staff pediatric endocrinologist at the Naval Hospital in San Diego from 1980 to 1986 and was Chair and Director of the residency training program at the Naval Hospital Oakland from 1986 to 1991.

Van Meter then retired from the Navy and moved to the Atlanta area, joining the Fayette Medical Clinic in Peachtree City, Georgia. In 2003, Van Meter founded Van Meter Pediatric Endocrinology.

Van Meter reported being affiliated with two medical schools following the move:

Adjunct Associate Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at Emory University School of Medicine
Associate Clinical Professor in the pediatric residency program at Morehouse School of Medicine

In 2023, questions arose about Van Meter’s departure dates from both schools after Van Meter testified in legal cases involving transgender people. In November 2023, SPLC’s Hatewatch reported:

“Hatewatch has learned that Van Meter does not currently serve on the faculty of either school, and in fact he may not have in some time. Emory told Hatewatch in an email that Van Meter is ‘not affiliated’ with their school but did not respond to follow-up emails inquiring about his date of departure. Van Meter included a resume in court documents for the Dekker v. Weida case that listed his employment end date at Emory as 2020, despite testifying in the same 2023 court case that he was currently serving on Emory’s faculty.

Hatewatch also found archives of Van Meter’s website claiming to work for Emory as late as this February [2023]. By June, someone had changed it to past tense, the archives show. Unlike Emory, Van Meter still claims to be a clinical adjunct professor at Morehouse College on his website, but this claim appears also to be inaccurate.

Lynn Gardner, the director of Morehouse College’s Pediatric Residency Training Program, told Hatewatch in August that the school removed Van Meter’s name from their list of adjunct faculty ‘last year,’ which would have been 2022, but that he had not taught there in at least five years.

‘He has not taught or supervised Morehouse Pediatrics residents in at least five years,’ Gardner said in her email.”

In a 2025 speech at the Genspect conference, Van Meter acknowledged being “removed” from both institutions, stating “I wear those removals as badges of courage.”

Van Meter and spouse Kathryn C. “Kathy” Van Meter have four children. They are members of Catholic parish Cathedral of Christ the King, Atlanta.

Anti-trans activism

In March 2016, Van Meter, Michelle Cretella, and Paul McHugh released an American College of Pediatricians position statement titled “Gender Ideology Harms Children,” in which they urge educators and legislators “to reject all policies that condition children to accept as normal a life of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex.” The statement has 8 points and concludes that “Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse.”

After the federal government made a motion to halt enforcement of North Carolina HB2, which revoked local LGBT nondiscrimination ordinances and banned transgender people using the bathroom aligning with their gender, the state filed a brief defending the bill and provided a court with a statement from Van Meter alleging “gender identity discordance” is “a delusional state.”

In November 2017, Van Meter spoke at the “Teens4Truth Conference: Countering the LGBT Agenda” organized by the Texas chapter of MassResistance.

In 2018, Van Meter’s scheduled speech at University of Western Australia was cancelled following protests.

In November 2018, Van Meter spoke at a conference by conversion therapy group International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counseling Choice on “The Travesty of the Current State of Transgender Medicine.”

In November 2019 Van Meter supported a Georgia bill by Ginny Ehrhart which would make it a felony to provide medical transition options to minors.

In February 2020, Van Meter was an expert witness for the unaccepting parent of a transgender child in a Texas divorce case.

In March 2020 Van Meter and Stephen B. Levine testified to the Pennsylvania House Health Committee in opposition to informed consent for transgender minors. In September, Van Meter testified a second time.

In 2020, Van Meter served as an expert defending the State of Ohio in a lawsuit demanding trans people be allowed to change their gender on their birth certificate.

In February 2021, Van Meter gave an invited speech titled “Transgenderism: Science vs Ideology” at a Singapore conference on conversion therapy.

In April 2021 Van Meter supported the Arkansas “Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act,” which prohibited providing transgender healthcare to minors or referring them to services that could offer it.

In March 2022, Meter testified in favor of an Idaho bill to criminalize providing trans healthcare to minors.

In May 2022, Van Meter delivered one of five submissions for the 2022 Florida Department of Health anti-trans guideline, created as a pretext for banning Medicaid coverage of transgender healthcare.

In 2023, Van Meter signed the Stade FDA petition to ban the off-label use of of puberrty blocking drugs.

In 2026, Van Meter coauthored the Trump HHS report attacking trans healthcare, titled “Wolves in White Coats.”

References

Sergi, Lindsay (2024). The Networks: The Coordinated Mobilization of Doctors for Bans on Gender Affirming Healthcare for Minors. Georgetown Journal of Gender & Law 1263

Wuest, J., & Last, B. S. (2024). Agents of scientific uncertainty: Conflicts over evidence and expertise in gender-affirming care bans for minors. Social Science & Medicine, 344, 116533. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.116533

Redden, Molly (September 15, 2023). Inside The Cottage Industry Of ‘Experts’ Paid To Defend Anti-Trans Laws. HuffPost https://www.huffpost.com/entry/paid-experts-defending-anti-trans-law_n_65021a7ee4b01df7c3b6d513?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

Stahl, Aviva (June 9, 2023) Four controversial doctors helping Republicans attack trans healthcare. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/jun/09/doctor-republican-trans-gender-affirming-minor-healthcare-lgbtq-rights

Hayden, Michael Edison (November 15, 2023). Anti-Trans Doctor Misrepresents Credentials to Court. Southern Poverty Law Center / Hatewatch https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/anti-trans-doctor-misrepresents-credentials-court/

Kam, Dara (July 15, 2022). Report targets Florida over its transgender treatment plan. WUWF https://www.wuwf.org/florida-news/2022-07-15/report-targets-florida-over-its-transgender-treatment-plan

Mueller, Sarah (July 9, 2022). A hearing on banning Florida Medicaid payments for gender-affirming care pits religion against science. WSFU https://news.wfsu.org/state-news/2022-07-09/a-hearing-on-banning-florida-medicaid-payments-for-gender-affirming-care-pits-religion-against-science

Land, Joni Auden (March 6, 2022). Idaho trans kids fear losing gender-affirming medical care as bill moves to House floor. Idaho Statesman https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article259081458.html

Russell, Betsy Z. (March 4, 2022). Idaho House panel backs bill to make trans youth treatment a felony. Idaho State Journal https://www.idahostatejournal.com/news/local/idaho-house-panel-backs-bill-to-make-trans-youth-treatment-a-felony/article_1779aa0e-3e47-5383-8dca-89d2f902ed0c.html

Perez, Reina (September 13, 2022). Lawsuit Suggests Zealotry Disguised as Medicine Led to Denial of Medicaid Coverage for Trans Treatments. Miami New Times https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/florida-lawsuit-demands-reinstatement-of-medicaid-coverage-for-transgender-treatments-15269500

Jones, Zinnia (September 1, 2022). CMA against Florida: Catholic Medical Association members Hruz, Van Meter, and Lappert have worked with Alliance Defending Freedom since 2017 to develop a group of anti-trans expert witnesses. Gender Analysis https://genderanalysis.net/2022/09/cma-against-florida-catholic-medical-association-members-hruz-van-meter-and-lappert-have-worked-with-alliance-defending-freedom-since-2017-to-develop-a-group-of-anti-trans-expert-witnesses/

Jones, Zinnia (August 25, 2022). Catholic Medical Association members wrote a majority of Florida Medicaid’s anti-trans expert reports. Last year, CMA declared a faith-based commitment against approving of any transition care. Gender Analysis https://genderanalysis.net/2022/08/catholic-medical-association-members-wrote-a-majority-of-florida-medicaids-anti-trans-expert-reports-last-year-cma-declared-a-faith-based-commitment-against-approving-of-any-transition-care/

Jones, Zinnia (August 1, 2022). Florida’s anti-trans expert Dr. Quentin L. Van Meter was discredited on trans youth care in court, believes trans people are “delusional”, and promotes anti-gay conversion therapy. Gender Analysis https://genderanalysis.net/2022/08/floridas-anti-trans-expert-dr-quentin-l-van-meter-was-discredited-on-trans-youth-care-in-court-believes-trans-people-are-delusional-and-promotes-anti-gay-conversion-ther/

Stahl, Aviva (April 16, 2021). Meet The “Fringe Extremists” Pushing Flawed Science To Target Trans Kids. BuzzFeed News https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/avivastahl/transgender-trans-kids-healthcare-science

Frieden, Joyce (April 1, 2021). Arkansas May Bar Gender Transition Care for Minors. Medpage Today https://www.medpagetoday.com/pediatrics/generalpediatrics/91908

Wong, Dale John (February 25, 2021). Homophobic U.S. doctor gets invited to teach Singaporeans about transgenderism. Mashable https://sea.mashable.com/culture/14665/homophobic-us-doctor-gets-invited-to-teach-singaporeans-about-transgenderism

(February 24, 2021). American anti-trans activist invited to give Singaporeans a ‘better understanding.’ Coconuts https://coconuts.co/singapore/news/american-anti-trans-activist-invited-to-give-singaporeans-a-better-understanding/ [archive]

Imlay, Ashley (February 19, 2021). Proposed ban on gender reassignment treatment for minors stalls at Utah Capitol. Deseret News https://www.deseret.com/utah/2021/2/19/22291173/2021-legislature-bill-to-ban-minors-from-getting-gender-reassignment-treatment-stalls-in-house-lgbt

Caruso, Stephen (September 15, 2020). A Texas judge ruled this doctor was not an expert. A Pennsylvania Republican invited him to testify on trans health care. Pennsylvania Capital Star https://www.penncapital-star.com/government-politics/a-texas-judge-ruled-this-doctor-was-not-an-expert-a-pennsylvania-republican-invited-him-to-testify-on-trans-health-care/

Zuckerman, Jake (February 5, 2020). Conversion therapy is a discredited practice. Ohio hired its advocate as an expert witness. Ohio Capital Journal https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2020/02/05/conversion-therapy-is-a-discredited-practice-ohio-hired-its-advocate-as-an-expert-witness/

Saunders, Patrick (November 1, 2019). Atlanta doctor who backs anti-trans bill leads hate group. Project Q https://www.projectq.us/experts-knock-atlanta-doctor-hate-group-leader-on-trans-bill/ [archive]

Corredor, Elizabeth S. (2019). Unpacking “Gender Ideology” and the Global Right’s Antigender Countermovement. Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 44(3), 613–638. https://doi.org/10.1086/701171

Jones, Zinnia (March 31, 2019). Dr. Michael Laidlaw et al. publish anti-trans letter with more errors than paragraphs (part 1). Gender Analysis https://genderanalysis.net/2019/03/dr-michael-laidlaw-et-al-publish-anti-trans-letter-with-more-errors-than-paragraphs-part-1/

Carmody, James (August 17, 2018). University of [Western Australia] pulls plug on talk by controversial transgender sceptic. ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-17/uwa-cancels-talk-by-controversial-academic-transgender-views/10132400

Australian Associated Press (August 15, 2018). US professor, who says being transgender is a ‘delusion’, to speak at [Western Australia] university. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/15/us-professor-who-says-being-transgender-is-a-delusion-to-speak-at-wa-university

Stern, Mark Joseph (August 19, 2016). North Carolina Tells Court Trans People Aren’t Really Trans, Just “Delusional.” Slate https://slate.com/human-interest/2016/08/north-carolina-tells-court-trans-people-are-delusional.html

Staff report (April 7, 2016). Anti-LGBT Hate Group Releases Anti-Trans Position Statement. Southern Poverty Law Center / Hatewatch https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/anti-lgbt-hate-group-releases-anti-trans-position-statement/

Ford, Zack (March 22, 2016). Hate Group Masquerading As Pediatricians Attacks Transgender Youth. ThinkProgress https://archive.thinkprogress.org/hate-group-masquerading-as-pediatricians-attacks-transgender-youth-544e755c6a20/ original url https://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2016/03/22/3762261/pediatrician-hate-group/

Anti-trans coverage

Ruse, Austin (March 21, 2016). College of Pediatricians Calls Transgender Ideology ‘Child Abuse.’ Breitbart https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2016/03/21/college-of-pediatricians-calls-transgender-ideology-child-abuse/

Duke, Selwyn (March 21, 2016). American College of Pediatricians: Transgender Agenda Hurts Children. New American https://thenewamerican.com/us/american-college-of-pediatricians-transgender-agenda-hurts-children/

Barber, Matt (March 20, 2016). ‘Transgender’ Conditioning is ‘Child Abuse.’ TownHall https://townhall.com/columnists/mattbarber/2016/03/20/transgender-conditioning-is-child-abuse-n2136616

Selected writing by Van Meter

Rebuttal Expert Report of Quentin Van Meter, M.D., Dekker v. Weida, No. 4:22-cv-00325-RH-MAF (N.D. Fla. Mar. 10, 2023), https://ahca.myflorida.com/content/download/21564/file/Dekker_v_Weida_Van_Meter_Rebuttal_Report.pdf

Laidlaw, Michael K., Van Mol, Andre, Van Meter, Q., & Hansen, J. E. (2021). Letter to the Editor from Laidlaw et al: “Erythrocytosis in a Large Cohort of Transgender Men Using Testosterone: A Long-Term Follow-Up Study on Prevalence, Determinants, and Exposure Years.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgab514

Van Meter, Quentin (2019). Bringing Transparency to the Treatment of Transgender Persons. Issues in Law & Medicine, 2019 Fall;34(2):147-152. [no doi; PMID 33950603]

Laidlaw, Michael K., Van Meter, Quentin L., Hruz, Paul W., Van Mol, Andre, & Malone, William J. (2018). Letter to the Editor: “Endocrine Treatment of Gender-Dysphoric/Gender-Incongruent Persons: An Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guideline.” The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 104(3), 686–687. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2018-01925

In response to Hembree, W. C., Cohen-Kettenis, P. T., Gooren, L., Hannema, S. E., Meyer, W. J., Murad, M. H., Rosenthal, S. M., Safer, J. D., Tangpricha, V., & T’Sjoen, G. G. (2017). Endocrine Treatment of Gender-Dysphoric/Gender-Incongruent Persons: An Endocrine Society* Clinical Practice Guideline. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 102(11), 3869–3903. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2017-01658

Defs.’ & Intervenor-Defs.’ Br. in Opp’n to United States’ Mot. for Prelim. Inj., United States v. North Carolina, No. 1:16-cv-00425-TDS-JEP (M.D.N.C. Aug. 17, 2016), ECF No. 149. http://files.eqcf.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/149-State-Ds_Berger_Moore-Oppn-to-PI.pdf

Van Meter, Quentin (2016). Transgender medicine: “out of the frying pan”! Issues in Law & Medicine, October, 31(2):235-240 [no doi; PMID 29108183]

Van Meter, Quentin L. (2016). Gender identity issues in children and adolescents. Issues in Law & Medicine, 31(2), 235ff via HeinOnline

Cretella, Michelle A.; Van Meter, Quentin; McHugh, Paul (March 2016). Gender Ideology Harms Children. American College of Pediatricians https://acpeds.org/the-college-speaks/position-statements/gender-ideology-harms-children [archive]

Media

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (July 30, 2026). Dr. Quentin Van Meter Pushes Back against the World Professional Association for Transgender Health. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5Eg9iGqESw

EWTN Radio / Catholic Connection with Teresa Tomeo and Quentin Van Meter (June 19, 2026). The Inside Word, Fact Check Friday, Problems with Medical Transitions, Return to the Natural Order… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wTZdDpfkvI

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (June 18, 2026). Dr. Quentin Van Meter Shares Why the FTC Sued a Health Association Over Deceptive Practices. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuu__J0WFTk

Genspect with Lisa Anllo, Katy Hurd, Kurt Miceli, and Quentin Van Meter (June 12, 2026). ‘Why Is Nobody Providing Detransition Care?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDp48EoGUXk

Coral Ridge Ministries / City of God with Rob Pacienza and Quentin Van Meter (February 25, 2026). How Gender Ideology Infiltrated Medicine | Dr. Quentin Van Meter | Ep. 156. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FvZK5h5QLc

Genspect with Quentin Van Meter (December 17, 2025). Puberty Blockers and Cross-Sex Hormones: The Known Risks | Dr. Quentin Van Meter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99JYjuRsKoA

Bioethics Babe with Arina Grossu Agnew and Quentin Van Meter (December 9, 2025). “Puberty Blockers, Cross-Sex Hormones, & The Dark Origins of Gender Ideology” w/Dr. Van Meter| Ep. 11. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmYVotIO1kU

Beyond Gender with Stella O’Malley, Mia Hughes, and Quentin Van Meter (August 11, 2025). From John Money to Modern Gender Clinics: An Insider Speaks – Dr. Quentin Van Meter (#28). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwO3XF7bMmg

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (October 24, 2024). Dr. Quentin Van Meter’s Stand Against Misleading Medical Narratives on Puberty Blockers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJOYj1dfaG0

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (August 13, 2024). Dr. Quentin Van Meter’s Perspective on Gender Procedures for Minors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozQIfGkJJgk

CatholicVote Education / Edify Podcast with Erika Ahern and Quentin Van Meter (June 25, 2024). Transgender Medicine: What I’ve Learned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jjWsXYIUD4

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (March 6, 2024). Dr Quentin Van Meter comments on how WPATH pushes gender mutilation surgeries on minors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vC2pCLztyU

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (October 2, 2023). Dr. Quentin Van Meter on the Dangers of Transgender Procedures for Kids. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qV78oNK9NMg

Ruth Institute with Quentin Van Meter (June 20, 2023). Ideology Based…Not Science. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JWfFljUn3dU

Family Watch International in partnership with American College of Pediatricians and Quentin Van Meter (August 17, 2021). An Interview with Dr. Quentin Van Meter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoyvvsGkLro

Ruth Institute / The Dr J. Show with Jennifer Roback Morse and Quentin Van Meter (August 13, 2021). American Academy of Pediatrics Betrays Kids | Dr. Quentin Van Meter on The Dr J Show ep. 94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sv_4j3oJEws

Washington Watch with Tony Perkins and Quentin Van Meter (February 17, 2021). Quentin Van Meter Discusses Leftist Activists Trying to Ban Studying Effects of Transgenderism. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bWuMogVYB0

Thoughts on Things and Stuff (March 12, 2020; posted November 21, 2022). 2020 Penn Hearings on Adolescent Transgender Care – Dr. Quentin Van Meter Presentation and Q&A. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GD2qNNXWnu8

International Foundation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice with Quentin Van Meter (November 4, 2018). The Rise of Transgender Medicine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGbz57wZ28A

MassResistance / Teens4Truth Conference with Quentin Van Meter (November 18, 2017; posted January 14, 2018). The terrible fraud of ‘transgender medicine.’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mtQ1geeD_c