Carol Freitas and transgender people

by Andrea James Reviewed October 23, 2026 6 min read

Carol Freitas is an American ex-transgender activist. Freitas is a founder of Detrans Voices and has testified against transgender healthcare in legal cases.

Freitas is closely associated with anti-trans hate group Genspect and LGB Alliance. Freitas contributed to anti-trans group blog 4thWaveNow and produces videos and podcasts featuring other ex-trans and anti-trans activists..

Background

Carol Lynn Freitas was born in June 1980. Freitas’ upbringing was reportedly “both fanatically religious and abusive.” Freitas made a medical gender transition at age 34 and had top surgery a few months after that. Freitas used the name Aaron Joseph Freitas before making additional gender changes four years later. In an interview for Medscape, Freitas stated:

Carol (@sourpatches2077) said she knew for a year that her transition had been a mistake. “The biggest part was I couldn’t tell my family,” said Carol, who identifies as a lesbian. “I put them through so much. It seems ridiculous to go, ‘Oops, I made this huge [expletive] mistake,” she said, describing the moment she did tellthem as “devastating.”

Freitas and spouse Elizabeth Saldana reside in Fresno, California.

Ex-trans activism

Via Lee Leveille:

Carol Freitas is a self-described “transition abolitionist”[61] whose experience led her to view “transition [as] harmful to the body & the mind.”[62] This view plays out in a wide range of activist efforts, including becoming the Detransitioner Peer Group Coordinator of LGB Alliance US.[63][64] She was also one of the coorganizers of the #DetransAwarenessDay campaign, and when Health Liberation Now! called on them to denounce the far right coverage because of the harm it posed to trans and detrans people, her project DetransVoices.org asserted that they “believe its important that this day stays politically neutral[.]” Freitas later emerged under her own account to state that they “are not affiliated with any left or right wing extremist groups.”[65] Other notable activism efforts include promotion of anti-trans protests and the propaganda they film outside pediatric clinics, coordinating harassment of California Senator Scott Weiner to undermine SB 132,[66] and trolling LGBTQ resources by dispersing the detransition booklet by Post-Trans while encouraging others to do the same.[67][68]

Podcast and videos

Freitas hosts the Peak Lesbian podcast as well as video interviews. Guests include Beth Bourne, Jos G., Ritchie Herron, Mia Hughes, Candice Jackson, Justine Kreher, Lauren Leggieri, Karen Ranney [as “Ute Heggen”], Roxxanne Reed, Iseult White, and Michelle Zacchigna.

Anti-trans coverage

O’Malley, Stella (March 6, 2022). The Truth About Detransition. Genspect https://genspect.org/the-truth-about-detransition/

Ault, Alicia (March 14, 2022). Doctors Have Failed Them, Say Those With Transgender Regret. Medscape https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/970223

[uncredited] (November 6, 2021). Portrait of a detransitioner as a young woman. The Economist https://www.economist.com/united-states/2021/11/06/portrait-of-a-detransitioner-as-a-young-woman

The L Tour (April 25, 2021). Webinar: On Detransition. https://www.l-tour.be/on-detransition-event/

Carol Freitas, co-founder of Detrans Voices
Em / @FtMdetransed from Sweden, co-founder of Detrans Voices
Nele Jongeling, co-founder of Post Trans
Elie Vandenbussche co-founder of Post Trans

Robertson, Julia Diana (February 26, 2021). A Detrans Story: No Longer Silent. The Velvet Chronicle https://thevelvetchronicle.com/a-detrans-story-no-longer-silent/

Selected writing by Freitas

Brief of Amici Curiae Keira Bell, Laura Becker, Sinead Watson, Kathy Grace
Duncan, Laura Reynolds, and Carol Freitas in Support of Defendants-Appellants, Brandt v. Rutledge, No. 21-2875 (8th Cir. Nov. 19, 2021), https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/legal-documents/013_Amicus_Brief_of_Keira_Bell_et_al_ISO_Defenfants-Appellants.pdf.

Gunn, Alasdair [as “Angus Fox”] (September 22, 2021). Open letter [to Shashank V. Joshi by Sinéad Watson, Keira Bell, Rachel Marie Foster, and Carol Freitas]. https://genspect.org/an-open-letter/

Media

LGB Alliance with Arianne, Claire, Jos G., Scott, and Carol Freitas (October 14, 2026). We Can’t Date Our Friends – A Roundtable Discussion. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VuibQbad7DY

Carol Freitas with Ann Menasche (April 23, 2025). This Is Not Liberation: A Conversation with Feminist Ann Menasche. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5W3_imXQw8

Carol Freitas with Vera (December 18, 2024). A New Lesbian Magazine is Born; Interview with Vera, creator of Jill Magazine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFVg3r6DaYA

LGB Alliance USA with Candice Jackson, Glenna Goldis, “Arianne,” “Sylvia,” Carol Freitas [as “Carol”], and “Jos G” (December 7, 2024). US v. Skrmetti Post-Hearing Analysis with Candice Jackson & Glenna Goldis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPUlRTbTxq4

Carol Freitas with Roxxanne Reed (December 4, 2024). Hiding In Plain Sight: A Conversation with Roxxanne Reed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TszSrPodZI

Carol Freitas with Iseult White (November 20, 2024). A Femme’s Tale: A Conversation with Iseult. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr9Z-8YH9dE

LGB Alliance USA with Arianne Geringer, Carol Freitas, and Glenna Goldis (September 15, 2024). Interview with Glenna Goldis, Author of BadFacts on Substack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK6gjZielAs

Carol Freitas with Lauren Leggieri (November 6, 2024). Stop Transing Gay Kids: A conversation with activist Lauren Leggieri. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lti8Vf6I7Y

Carol Freitas with Candice Jackson (October 23, 2024). Fighting The Good Fight: A conversation with attorney Candice Jackson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eerxrj8sbsE

Carol Freitas with Justine Kreher (July 10, 2024). It Is Possible: A conversation with Justine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyNifI45xIo

Carol Freitas with Mia Hughes (June 28, 2024). Now is The Time To Say Something: An interview with Mia Hughes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HedYrZftwY

Carol Freitas with Karen Ranney [as “Ute Heggen”] (May 22, 2024). The Husband Who Wanted to Be Queen: Interview with Trans Widow Ute Heggen Part 2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIXnVfr8Y00

Carol Freitas with Karen Ranney [as “Ute Heggen”] (May 17, 2024). The Husband Who Wanted to Be Queen: Interview with Trans Widow Ute Heggen Part 1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mjIDfK3yRA

Carol Freitas with Ritchie Herron and Michelle Zacchigna (April 20, 2024). A Conversation with Ritchie and Michelle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNwhMzKfz1o

Carol Freitas with Michelle Zacchigna (April 9, 2024). Interview with Michelle: Discussing her essay “Do as I say, Not as I do.” vhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMzT0LS0MWA

Carol Freitas with with Jos G. (March 25, 2024). The Peaked Lesbian: Interview With Jos. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofnejemAoYQ

Carol Freitas with Beth Bourne (March 9, 2024). Interview with Beth Bourne. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hL_NM7ZTSgA

Carol Freitas with Iseult White (March 8, 2024). Critiquing “butch as a gender identity.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Iy8I5teZfw

Carol Freitas with Sylvia (October 12, 2023). The truly trans, who are they? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVo2jxArbr4

Carol Freitas with Michelle Zacchigna (August 16, 2023). A nuanced conversation with Michelle. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BufLKpjmlH0

Genspect with Stella O’Malley and Carol Freitas (April 13, 2023). Detrans Awareness Day 2023: ‘Arc of a Lesbian’ – Conversation with Carol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fPDoYMOFEA

Genspect with Helena Kerschner, Sinéad Watson, Grace Lidinsky-Smith, and Carol Freitas (April 10, 2022). Detrans Awareness Day Webinar 2022 – Detrans 101. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QV4kQ_3anE

Genspect with Stella O’Malley, Sinéad Watson, and Carol Freitas (April 2, 2022). Detrans Awareness Day Webinar 2022 – Carol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4hEhBMGDns

Grace Lidinsky-Smith with Carol Freitas (November 8, 2021). Detrans Discussion with Carol and Grace: Top Surgery. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAD8LFbfanA

Feminists in Struggle with Lynette Hartsell, Jos Grover, A. Luis Sanchez, Amanda / A.S.W., and Carol Freitas (September 30, 2021). LGB Alliance USA: Challenging the New Homophobia. https://youtu.be/P0aKUysvlmA?si=PZeVsxrpNaVkVZVd&t=1049

Gender: A Wider Lens with Stella O’Malley, Sasha Ayad, and Carol Freitas (March 19, 2021). One Detrans Voice: a Conversation with Carol. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYFUz7wbKqI

LGB Alliance with Bev Jackson, Az Hakeem, Stella O’Malley, Lauren Black, and Carol Freitas (January 29, 2021). The Gay Spot – 28th January 2021. Gender Dysphoria. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpqOkqNm6EQ