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Joanne Sinai vs. transgender people

Joanne Sinai is a Canadian psychiatrist and anti-transgender activist. Sinai believes trans people need to pay psychiatrists for access to healthcare. Sinai also believes in “rapid-onset gender dysphoria” and other controversial disease models of gender diversity.

Background

According to a University of British Columbia profile:

Sinai is a Clinical Associate Professor and a psychiatrist with the Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment (USTAT) team in Victoria. She previously served as the Associate Program Director for Curriculum for our Postgraduate Residency Program, and has been a member of the Department since 2007.

“I grew up in Toronto, and went to medical school and did my residency there.  I moved to Victoria in 2003 with my young family. In Victoria, I have always had more than one job.  My main job is at USTAT (Urgent Short Term Assessment and Treatment).  At the clinic we work alongside a really talented group of psychotherapists.  We have a full DBT program, and offer short term therapy to people in crisis. We also often see people when they are discharged from the hospital as we are the clinic that has the capacity to take on new patients the quickest.”

Anti-trans activism

In 2023, Sinai signed a citizen petition (FDA-2023-P-3767) prepared by Nancy Stade that attacks gender affirming care for minors. It was signed by many other leading lights in anti-trans activism worldwide.

References

Kirkey, Sharon (July 17, 2024). Kids identifying as transgender need ‘talk therapy,’ not drugs, therapists say. National Post https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/transgender-gender-dysphoria-treatment

Selected anti-trans writing by Sinai

Sinai J, Kulatunga-Moruzi C, Jorgensen S (2025). Levels of Satisfaction and Regret Are Far From Settled. JAMA Pediatr. 2025 May 1;179(5):579-580. doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.0004.

Sinai J, Sim P (2024). Psychodynamic psychotherapy for gender dysphoria is not conversion therapy. J Can Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2024 Jul;33(2):145-153.

Jorgensen SCJ, Hunter PK, Regenstreif L, Sinai J, Malone WJ (2022). Letter: Puberty blockers for gender dysphoric youth: A lack of sound science. JACCP: Journal of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy Volume 5, Issue 9, September 2022 Pages 1005-1007 https://doi.org/10.1002/jac5.1691

Sinai J, Regenstreif L (2022). Letter: Informed consent for gender-questioning youth seeking gender-affirmative care is a complex issue. BC Medical Journal, vol. 64, No. 7, September 2022, Pages 286-287 https://bcmj.org/letters/informed-consent-gender-questioning-youth-seeking-gender-affirmative-care-complex-issue

  • replies (p. 287) https://bcmj.org/sites/default/files/BCMJ_Vol64_No7-complete-with%20premise%20corrected%20%28ID%202375112%29.pdf
  • Julie Leising MD FRCPC (2022), A closer look at the evidence for gender-affirming care
  • Gail Knudson MD Barbara Findlay QC, and Daniel Metzger MD (2022). Guest editors reply to Drs Sinai, Regenstreif, and Leising
  • see also Julie Leising, MD, FRCPC (2022). Gender-affirming care for youth—separating evidence from controversy. BCMJ, vol. 64, No. 7, September 2022, Pages 314-316,319 https://bcmj.org/premise/gender-affirming-care-youth-separating-evidence-controversy

Sinai J (2022). Rapid onset gender dysphoria as a distinct clinical phenomenon. J Pediatr. 2022 Jun;245:250. doi: 10.1016/j.jpeds.2022.03.005. 

Resources

University of British Columbia (psychiatry.ubc.ca)

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