Skip to content

The Kelsey Coalition vs. transgender people

The Kelsey Coalition was an American anti-trans organization for unaccepting parents of gender diverse children.

Background

The group formed in March 2019 by “Katherine Cave” (a pseudonym). It was named after FDA pharmacologist Frances Kelsey, who refused to authorize thalidomide for market use in 1961. The group claimed gender affirming care is a medical scandal, comparing it to lobotomies, forced sterilization, and the Tuskegee experiment.

People:

  • “Katherine Cave,” founder
  • Sheri Throckmorton, outreach project coordinator
  • Katherin Kirkpatrick, legal strategies coordinator
  • Lynn Meagher, parent leader and speaker
  • Sydney Wright, speaker and advocate
  • Casey King, media coordinator/writer/editor
  • “Elaine,” member
  • Jay Keck, member

Anti-trans activism

In 2019, anti-trans parent Emily Zinos helped develop a national version of an anti-trans publication by Minnesota Family Council called Gender Resource Guide. The national version was produced in collaboration with anti-trans groups Family Policy Alliance, The Heritage Foundation, The Kelsey Coalition, Women’s Liberation Front, and Parents of ROGD Kids.

In 2019, Katherine Cave arranged a series of panels at The Heritage Foundation that included several Kelsey Coalition members. Kelsey Coalition member “Elaine” participated in a 2019 panel held by The Heritage Foundation. Other participants were Ryan T. Anderson, Marian Rutigliano, Walt Heyer, and Michael K. Laidlaw.

References

Reed, Erin (March 10, 2023). 2600 Leaked Anti-trans Lobbyist Emails Show Fundamentalism, Not Evidence, Is How First Anti-Trans Bills Were Drafted. Erin In The Morning https://www.erininthemorning.com/p/2600-leaked-anti-trans-lobbyist-emails

Pauly, Madison (March 8, 2023). Inside the Secret Working Group That Helped Push Anti-Trans Laws Across the Country. Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/03/anti-trans-transgender-health-care-ban-legislation-bill-minors-children-lgbtq/

Staff report (April 26, 2021). Far-Right Groups Flood State Legislatures With Anti-Trans Bills Targeting Children. Southern Poverty Law Center https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/far-right-groups-flood-state-legislatures-anti-trans-bills-targeting-children/

Diavolo, Lucy (February 7, 2020). Transgender Youth Are Being Targeted With State Laws in South Dakota and Several Other States. Teen Vogue https://www.teenvogue.com/story/transgender-youth-targeted-state-laws-south-dakota-several-states

Keck, Jay (August 12, 2019). Opinion: My daughter thinks she’s transgender. Her public school undermined my efforts to help her. USA Today https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/voices/2019/08/12/transgender-daughter-school-undermines-parents-column/1546527001/

“Kelsey Coalition mother” (October 25, 2019). The transgender cult stole my daughter. Christian Post https://www.christianpost.com/voices/the-transgender-cult-stole-my-daughter.html

Trinko, Katrina (October 30, 2019). What It’s Like to Lose Your Children to the ‘Transgender Cult,’ From a Mom Who Knows. Daily Signal https://www.dailysignal.com/2019/10/30/what-its-like-to-lose-your-children-to-the-transgender-cult-from-a-mom-who-knows/

Kelsey Coalition (May 15, 2019). Presentation to the House of Lords. First Do No Harm: The Ethics of Transgender Healthcare. https://www.transgendertrend.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/House-of-Lords-Kelsey-Coalition.x39828.pdf

Paterson, Alex (August 20, 2019). Laura Ingraham gives anti-trans parent group Kelsey Coalition a platform to promote conversion therapy. Media Matters for America https://www.mediamatters.org/laura-ingraham/laura-ingraham-gives-anti-trans-parent-group-kelsey-coalition-platform-promote

January, Brianna (April 18, 2019). Anti-LGBTQ group Heritage Foundation has hosted four anti-trans panels so far in 2019. Media Matters for America https://www.mediamatters.org/heritage-foundation/anti-lgbtq-group-heritage-foundation-has-hosted-four-anti-trans-panels-so-far

King, Casey (April 9, 2019). NIH Study Harming Young Children: New Parent Coalition Urges Immediate Moratorium. https://static.wixstatic.com/ugd/3f4f51_6ddf75ad4df94c7cbd133a7f2a1c681e.pdf

January, Brianna (January 31, 2019). Anti-trans activists “from the Left” joined right-wing Heritage Foundation to rail against trans people. Media Matters for America https://www.mediamatters.org/alliance-defending-freedom/anti-trans-activists-left-joined-right-wing-heritage-foundation-rail

Cave, Katherine (April 8, 2019). The Medical Scandal that the Mainstream Media Ignores. Public Discourse https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2019/04/50959/

Segelstein, Marcia (September 17, 2020). Is a transgender craze seducing our daughters? Mercator https://www.mercatornet.com/is-a-transgender-craze-seducing-our-daughters

Media

The Heritage Foundation (Mar 28, 2019). The Medical Harms of Hormonal and Surgical Interventions for Gender Dysphoric Children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnP_WoeNuwA

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

The Kelsey Coalition (kelseycoalition.org) [archive]

Gender Resource Guide (genderresourceguide.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)