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Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender vs. transgender people

Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (CAN-SG) is an anti-transgender front group. It is part of an anti-trans web farm of similar sites. YouTube designates their videos as “conversion therapy content.” In 2025, CAN-SG became heavily involved in trying to stop NHS from conducting clinical trials on puberty blockers.

Background

CAN-SG was incorporated on June 14, 2023. They weigh in on the following topics:

  • Children and young people’s gender services
  • Puberty blockers
  • Social transition
  • Ethics
  • International perspectives
  • Sex and gender in language, medicine, science and healthcare
  • Conversion therapy

People

Officers

Members include

Contributors cited include

2023 Guardian letter

Following a 2023 Department for Education draft guidance regarding gender questioning children, CAN-SG members expressed conditional support for the draft. Signatories were:

  • Az Hakeem, consultant psychiatrist
  • Sinead Helyar, nurse
  • Louise Irvine, GP
  • Tessa Katz, GP
  • Stella Kingett, consultant psychiatrist
  • Jane Martin, psychiatrist (retired)
  • Aileen O’Brien, consultant psychiatrist
  • Stella O’Malley, psychotherapist
  • Juliet Singer, consultant child psychiatrist
  • Bob Withers, psychoanalyst

2024 conference

In March 2024, CAN-SG held a conference in London called “Do No Harm.” It featured many key opponents of healthcare for trans and gender diverse youth.

The event was held at 30 Euston Square, the headquarters of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP). Following protests from members and the public, RGCP requested that CAN-SG remove all references that suggested RCGP were involved or endorsed the event, which was reportedly booked by Searcys, the venue’s event manager.

RCGP leaders stated:

The RCGP is one of 20 health organisations that have signed a memorandum of understanding opposing conversion therapy, so we were very vocal opponents of the Government’s proposal to ban the practice for lesbian, gay and bisexual people in England and Wales but not for trans people. When the document was updated to include gender identity, we worked with other signatories to ensure the memorandum was clear that being opposed to conversion therapy did not mean opposing appropriate clinical and psychological interventions for trans and gender-questioning people and that it is entirely possible to deliver a ban on conversion therapy that protects all LGBTQ+ people.

RCGP (2024) [emphasis mine]

Three pro-trans protesters were arrested for actions outside the venue.

Promoted organizers, speakers, and panelists:

References

Hawthorne, Kamila; Holmes, Mike; Thomas, Mark (February 14, 2024). Statement from Professor Kamila Hawthorne, Chair of Council, Professor Mike Holmes, Chair of Trustees, and Mark Thomas, Acting Chief Executive Officer re: CAN-SG conference. https://www.rcgp.org.uk/News/can-sg-conference-statement

Parr, Eliza (February 12, 2024). RCGP under pressure to cancel ‘gender critical’ conference. Pulse https://www.pulsetoday.co.uk/news/clinical-areas/mental-health-and-addiction/rcgp-under-pressure-to-cancel-gender-critical-conference/

Selected anti-trans writing by CAN-SG

CAN-SG (July 4, 2025). Gender affirming surgery: a systematic medical deception. https://can-sg.org/2025/07/04/gender-affirming-surgery-a-systematic-medical-deception/

CAN-SG (December 31, 2023). Letter: Parents must hold schools to account on gender. The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/theobserver/commentisfree/2023/dec/31/parents-must-hold-schools-to-account-on-gender-observer-letters

Block, Jennifer (2023). Gender dysphoria in young people is rising—and so is professional disagreement. BMJ, p382. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.p382

Media

Wallace, Nick (March 3, 2025). The Times at One radio interview with Louise Irvine on UK puberty blocker trial. https://genderblog.net/dr-louise-irvine-the-case-against-the-nhs-puberty-blocker-trial/

Resources

Clinical Advisory Network on Sex and Gender (can-sg.org)

Twitter (twitter.com)

YouTube (youtube.com)

Companies House (find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk)