Skip to content

Michelle Cretella vs. transgender people

Michelle Cretella is an American pediatrician and anti-transgender activist. Cretella is affiliated with Eagle Forum and the conservative fringe group American College of Pediatricians.

Background

Michelle Anne Cretella was born in November 1968. Cretella earned a medical degree from University of Connecticut School of Medicine in 1994. Cretella completed both internship and residency in pediatrics at the Connecticut Childrenā€™s Medical Center in Hartford, then completed a fellowship in College Health through the University of Virginia.

Cretella practiced pediatrics for 15 years with a special interest in behavioral health.

Cretella is married to physician Mark Mancini (born 1965) and sometimes goes by Michelle Cretella-Mancini.

Anti-transgender activism

Cretella has opposed legislation supporting healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth.

Cretella stated: ā€œThe norm for human development is for oneā€™s thoughts to align with physical reality, and for oneā€™s gender identity to align with oneā€™s biologic sex,ā€Ā  adding “One of the chief functions of the brain is to perceive physical reality. Thoughts that are in accordance with physical reality are normal. Thoughts that deviate from physical reality are abnormalā€”as well as potentially harmful to the individual or to others. This is true whether or not the individual who possesses the abnormal thoughts feels distress.”

In a deleted 2020 press release, Cretella said, ā€œAdolescence is well recognized as a period marked by sexual fluidity and instability of homosexual attractions.ā€

Cretella has appeared in the anti-trans films Transsanity, The Dissenter, and In His Image: Delighting in God’s Plan for Gender and Sexuality.

In July 2025, Cretella was a panelist at theĀ 2025 US Federal Trade Commission anti-trans workshop.

References

Pauly, Madison;Ā Rindlisbacher,Ā Emma (May 17, 2023). A Massive Leak Spotlights the Extremism of an Anti-Trans Medical Group. Mother Jones https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/05/anti-trans-american-college-pediatrics-leak-michelle-cretella-abortion/

Cameron, Dell; Mehrotra, Dhruv (May 2, 2023). An Anti-Trans Doctor Group Leaked 10,000 Confidential Files. WIRED https://www.wired.com/story/american-college-pediatricians-google-drive-leak/

Anderson, Ryan T. (Mar 9, 2018). Sex Reassignment Doesnā€™t Work. Here Is the Evidence. Heritage Foundation https://www.heritage.org/gender/commentary/sex-reassignment-doesnt-work-here-the-evidence

Staff (June 19, 2020). YouTube Censors Heritage Foundation Video on Gender Dysphoria. https://www.heritage.org/press/youtube-censors-heritage-foundation-video-gender-dysphoria

Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (July 20, 2017). Response to Dr. Michelle Cretella. https://adolescenthealth.org/press_release/response-to-dr-michelle-cretella/

Selected anti-trans writing by Cretella

Cretella, Michelle (March 4, 2024). OPPOSE SB214: Written testimony given by Michelle Cretella. https://www.cga.ct.gov/2024/juddata/TMY/2024SB-00214-R000304-Cretella,%20Michelle,%20MD-Opposes-TMY.PDF

Cretella, Michelle (November 2018). Gender Dysphoria in Children. American College of Pediatricians https://acpeds.org/gender-dysphoria-in-children/

Van Meter, Quentin (20 November, 2020). American College of Pediatricians Celebrates Win for Counseling Choice. https://acpeds.org/press/american-college-of-pediatricians-celebrates-win-for-counseling-choice [archive]

Media

Tony Perkins (Jul 1, 2025). Dr. Michelle Cretella on Findings Confirming the Harms of Puberty Blockers and Hormone Treatments. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDiAvH302A

American College of Pediatricians (March 26, 2025). Interview with Dr. Michelle Cretella. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSZcy7bVFHo

Family Watch International (August 17, 2021). Dr. Michelle Cretella. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_pKQ8b8l5w

ILFamilyInstitute (October 13, 2019). Transgender Ideology: Child Abuse and the Erasure of Human Rights. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ywyGrcm4Cbg

American College of Pediatricians (February 13, 2019). Gender Dysphoria in Children: Science, Ethics & Controversy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Jx0u1w9sI

Tyler Rowley (May 7, 2018). Dr. Michelle Cretella – Transgender Talk – Part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fVvfewrhOI

Minnesota Catholic Conference (December 29, 2017). Michelle Cretella, M.D. – The Science of Sex Differences. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFpUEjCesto

[Jolly Jester] Tucker Carlson (July 25, 2017). Dr. Michelle Cretella Exposes How Transgenderism Harms Children In Interview With Tucker Carlson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WP2OAS1nRio

Critical media

Lauren Martins (Apr 10, 2018). The Real Science Behind All Things Transgender. Exposing Dr. Michelle Cretella Pseudo Science. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVK8UWvWuw

EssenceOfThought (November 16, 2019). Failed Pediatrician Michelle Cretella Attacks Trans Children. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R1SgmhlJMJg

EssenceOfThought (November 23, 2019). Michelle Cretella Lies About Her Medical License To Bolster Anti-Trans Views. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umpI_RcqsFE

EssenceOfThought (December 1, 2019). Michelle Cretella Lies About Basic Psychology To Support Her Ideology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8t29sa6ycU

Jenn Burleton (June 13, 2018). EXPOSED-Michelle Cretella & American College of Pediatricians. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiIm0-ibb0g

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

Heritage Foundation (heritage.org)

American College of Pediatricians (acpeds.org)

  • Executive Director Michelle A. Cretella, MD
  • acpeds.org/about/meet-our-board/michelle-a-cretella-md [archive]

IMDb (https://www.imdb.com/name/nm12273531/)