Skip to content

Roberto D’Angelo vs. transgender people

Roberto D’Angelo is an Australian psychiatrist and anti-transgender activist. D’Angelo is involved in several anti-trans hate groups, including

D’Angelo is critical of the affirmative model of care for trans and gender diverse youth and works with groups like Gender Exploratory Therapy Association (GETA) now Therapy First, which promote gender identity change efforts.

Background

D’Angelo earned bachelor’s degrees from University of New South Wales in 1990, a master’s degree from the University of Sydney, and a doctorate from the Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles.

His LinkedIn profile lists him as a Training and Supervising Analyst at The Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in Los Angeles. He also operates a private practice in psychoanalysis in Byron Bay, Australia, and published a case study of an adult transgender patient. (There is no evidence supporting psychoanalysis as a treatment for gender dysphoria.)

He previously served as the president of the Australian chapter of the International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy.

Anti-trans activism

In the 2020 Australian case Re Imogen, D’Angelo testified as an expert witness on behalf of an unaccepting parent of a gender diverse minor who wanted to stop the minor from receiving gender-affirming care. The accepting parent and child prevailed in the case.

References

Turner, Jacki (Mar 10, 2023). Anti-trans disinformation is rife in Australia — and it’s being spread by a small group of organisations. Crikey https://www.crikey.com.au/2023/03/10/anti-trans-disinformation-australia-transphobia/

Laval, Mary (12th November 2021). How much regret after gender surgery? No one knows. Genspect https://genspect.org/how-much-regret-after-gender-surgery-no-one-knows/

Fitzsimmons, Caitlin (October 31, 2021). Psychiatrists’ college stirs up debate about how to treat trans kids. Sydney Morning Herald https://www.smh.com.au/national/psychiatrists-college-stirs-up-debate-about-how-to-treat-trans-kids-20210930-p58w3s.html

Emanuel, Christina (June 2016). Member in the Spotlight: An Interview with Roberto D’Angelo, Chair of IARPP-Australia. IARPP Bulletin http://iarpp.net/article/member-in-the-spotlight/

Selected anti-trans writing by D’Angelo

Spencer, J., & D’Angelo, R. (2025). A reflection on how the absence of a psychodynamic perspective may disadvantage gender care and decision-making. Australasian Psychiatry, 33(2), 278–281. https://doi.org/10.1177/10398562241312979

D’Angelo R, “Syrulnik E,” Ayad S, Marchiano L, Kenny DT, Clarke P (2020). One Size Does Not Fit All: In Support of Psychotherapy for Gender Dysphoria. Arch Sex Behav. 2020;49(9):3181–3183. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-020-01844-2

Rew, L., Young, C. C., Monge, M., & Bogucka, R. (2020). Review: Puberty blockers for transgender and gender diverse youth—a critical review of the literature. Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 26(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12437

D’Angelo R. Supporting autonomy in young people with gender dysphoria: psychotherapy is not conversion therapy. J Med Ethics. 2024;51(1):3–9. 10.1136/medethics-2023-110123

D’Angelo R, d’Abrera JC, Halasz G, Prager S, Morris P (2020). Informed consent and childhood gender dysphoria: emerging complexities in diagnosis and treatment. Australas Psychiatry. 2020;28(5):536–538. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856220928863

D’Angelo, R. (2020). The complexity of childhood gender dysphoria. Australasian Psychiatry, 28(5), 530–532. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856220917076

D’Angelo, Robert (December 19, 2020). 2020 Gender Medicine Highlights. https://segm.org/2020_gender_medicine_highlights_SEGM

D’Angelo, R. (2020). The man I am trying to be is not me. The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, 101(5), 951–970. https://doi.org/10.1080/00207578.2020.1810049

Roberto D’Angelo, Ema Syrulnik, Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano, Dianna Theadora Kenny, and Patrick Clarke (1 Nov 2020). Jack Turban’s Dangerous Campaign to Smear Ethical Psychotherapy as Anti-Trans ‘Conversion Therapy’. Quillette https://quillette.com/2020/11/01/jack-turbans-dangerous-campaign-to-smear-ethical-psychotherapy-as-anti-trans-conversion-therapy/

D’Angelo R (2019). Psychiatry and the ethical limits of gender-affirming care. In: Moore M, Brunskell-Evans H, eds. Inventing Transgender Children and Young People. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2019:73–92. ISBN: 9781527555983

D’Angelo R. (2018). Psychiatry’s ethical involvement in gender-affirming care. Australasian Psychiatry, 26(5), 460–463. https://doi.org/10.1177/1039856218775216

D’Angelo, Roberto, and Lisa Marchiano. “Response to Julia Serano’s critique of Lisa Littman’s paper: Rapid Onset Gender Dysphoria in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Study of Parental Reports.” http://gdworkinggroup.org/2018/08/27/response-to-julia-seranos-critique-of-lisa-littmans-paper-rapid-onset-gender-dysphoria-in-adolescents-and-young-adults-a-study-of-parental-reports/ [archive]

Media

Maanvis (July 1, 2024). Paris Trans Healthcare conference – Roberto D’Angelo about the response to Littman’s ROGD Research, June 29. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mD1gN6HJsQ

Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (November 28, 2023). SEGM NYC23 – Roberto D’Angelo – Welcome And Opening Remarks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5tqQzZQacE

Thoughts on Things and Stuff with Roberto D’Angelo and Sasha Ayad (January 30, 2023). Exploratory Therapy for Kids with Gender Dysphoria – What it is & What it isn’t. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7t3-OTbxFo

FAIR with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, Roberto D’Angelo, and Lisa Marchiano (January 27, 2023). The Gender Exploratory Therapy Association’s New Clinical Guide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbrUfxaw7QI

Genspect with Stella O’Malley and Roberto D’Angelo (October 26, 2021). Genspect Webinar with Roberto D’Angelo, June 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6LSaZps2x8

Resources

Trans Data Library (transdatalibrary.org)

Roberto D’Angelo (robertodangelo.com)

LinkedIn (linkedin.com)

X/Twitter (x.com)

International Association for Relational Psychoanalysis and Psychotherapy (iarppaustralia.com.au)

  • Roberto D’Angelo, President (2016–2018)
  • iarppaustralia.com.au/membership/committee-members [archive]

Society for Evidence-Based Gender Medicine (segm.org)

Gender Exploratory Therapy Association (genderexploratory.com) [archive]

  • Team
  • genderexploratory.com/team [archive]