Hannah Ulery / Layton Ulery and transgender people

Hannah Ulery, also known as Layton Elyas, Layton Ulery, and Leighton Ulery, is an American psychic, astrologist, and ex-transgender activist. Ulery gets money and attention by making it harder for others to get transgender healthcare.

Ulery filed lawsuits against prominent trans healthcare providers Jason Rafferty and Michelle Forcier in 2023, part of a wave of ex-trans litigation. All defendants except therapist Julie Lyons were dismissed from the case in 2025.

Background

Hannah Marie Ulery was born March 9, 1992 to James Paul Ulery, Jr. and Tina-Marie Ulery. Ulery grew up in Greensboro, North Carolina with younger siblings Jacob and Samuel.

Ulery’s family attended evangelical Christian church Daystar Church (now Definition Church), where Tina-Marie Ulery works in the data entry department. Hannah Ulery characterizes the church as a “cult” where Ulery was reportedly “raped and molested by a lot of different people who were connected to the organization.” Ulery reportedly “continued to suffer sexual assaults even after leaving the cult.”

In early 2015, Ulery reportedly left Daystar. Ulery moved to Rhode Island as a young adult and lived with a partner. Ulery has identified as lesbian and began a relationship with Imogen Elyas (aka Hannah Ross) in around 2019.

Gender transition

Starting at about age 25, Ulery began receiving gender-related healthcare including hormones. Ulery discontinued hormones and made additional gender changes at about age 29.

In summer 2017, Ulery sought treatment from social worker and therapist Julie Lyons of Transgender Specialists, aka A Bold Step (now Just Say Hi). Lyons specializes in dissociation and gender identity.
On July 26, 2017, Ulery was examined by Katherine Jarrell at Thundermist Health Center.
On November 3, 2017, Ulery met with Arlene Flynn of the Transition Health team.
On December 6, 2017, Ulery met with Jessica Fidalgo for a behavioral health assessment.
On January 9, 2018, Ulery met with Jason Rafferty and was prescribed testosterone.
By August of 2018, Ulery reported having second thoughts about testosterone use and was given a lower dose.
On September 26, 2018, Ulery met with Michelle Forcier, who continued the requested low dose.
Sometime after this, Ulery moved back to North Carolina.
In March 2020, Ulery began treatment at Monarch NC until May 2021.
In November 2021, Ulery stopped testosterone use.
In November 2021, Ulery began somatic therapy.
In January 2023, Ulery learned about ex-trans litigation.
In October 2023, at about age 31, Ulery sued those who provided trans healthcare to Ulery

2023 ex-trans lawsuit

On October 23, 2023, Ullery’s lawyer Gregory P. Piccirilli of Sciacca & Piccirilli and ex-trans litigators Ronald L. Miller and Daniel Sepulveda of Campbell Miller Payne filed Hannah Ulery v. Rafferty et al. in Rhode Island as Case No. PC-2023-05366.

According to the lawsuit, Ulery’s alleged disorders, diseases, “comorbidities,” and maladies include:

“dissociative identity disorder (DID), sometimes called ‘multiple personality disorder'”
“gaps in memory of those experiences and actions controlled by the ‘alters'”
“homosexuality”
“sexual and psychological trauma”
“multiple sexual assaults”
“cult imprisonment and torment”
“late puberty”
“childhood bullying”
“a host of psychological disorders”
“Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)”
“Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD)”
“Bipolar Disorder (BD)”
“Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)”
“anxiety”
“insomnia”
“body dysmorphia”
“gender dysphoria”
“other psychological and physical comorbidities”
“legally disabled”
“unable to keep a job or manage day-to-day affairs”
“history of cocaine, alcohol, and Wellbutrin abuse”
“derealization spells would last for hours or days”
“bipolar disorder with psychosis”
“mania”
“tendency for impulsive behavior”
“racing thoughts”
“spells of memory loss”
“nightmares”
“previous traumatic experiences”
“history of emotional and physical abuse”
“depersonalizations”
“paranoid ideations”
“cognitive distortions”
“ruminations”
“indecisiveness”
“inadequacy”
“paranoid ideations”
“bipolar disorder”
“severe depressive episode with psychotic features”
“depression”
“anxiety”
“panic”
“PTSD”
“recurrent suicidal ideation”
“three previous suicide attempts”
“dangerous mood swings”
“fits of anger”

Since discontinuing testosterone, Ulery reports:

“irreversible and mentally and physically painful damages”
“irreversible physical harm”
“extreme mental anguish”
“body disfigurement”
“ongoing estrogen deficiencies”
“painful premenstrual dysphoric disorder”
“suspected osteoporosis”
“development of painful skin nodules from testosterone injection sites”
“onset of severe histamine sensitivity resulting in chronic severe allergies”
“suspected infertility”
“reduced sex drive”
“chronic hot flashes”
“genital pain and discomfort”
“chronic joint pain”
“a host of emotional and/or psychological injuries”

2024 lawsuit

In January 2024, Ulery’s lawyers initiated the removal of the state-court action in Providence County, Rhode Island into federal court (District of Rhode Island) as Case No. 1:24-cv-00024. The defendants removed the state case on January 16, 2024. Soon thereafter, the defendants filed a motion to dismiss the case on grounds of failure to exhaust administrative remedies. The plaintiff responded by filing an opposition and also filed a motion to stay the proceedings. The Court in late February 2024 denied the motion to dismiss (without prejudice) and granted the stay. Subsequently, the case remained in a stayed posture for a period, and ultimately the docket indicates the case was terminated on September 17, 2025.

On January 16, 2024, defendants (including Jason R. Rafferty, M.D., Jessica Fidalgo Touchinho, Andrew Sackett‑Taylor, and Thundermist Health Clinic) filed a “Notice of Removal” removing a case from the Superior Court of Rhode Island, Providence County (PC-2023-05366) into the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island. On the same day the case was opened in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, it was assigned Case Number 1:24-cv-00024. The plaintiff is Hannah Ulery. The defendants include Dr. Rafferty, Jessica Fidalgo Touchinho, Andrew Sackett-Taylor, Julie Lyons, Michelle Forcier, M.D., and Thundermist Health Clinic.
On January 17, 2024, the case opening notice was issued and the case was assigned to District Judge Mary S. McElroy and Magistrate Judge Patricia A. Sullivan.
On January 29, 2024 the defendants (Rafferty et al) filed a Motion to Dismiss for failure to exhaust administrative remedies.
On February 8, 2024 and February 9, 2024 motions were filed by plaintiff for admission of two attorneys pro hac vice (Ronald L. Miller and Daniel Sepulveda).
On February 12, 2024 the plaintiff filed: (a) an opposition to the Motion to Dismiss; and (b) a Motion to Stay.
On February 26, 2024 the Court issued an Order: denying without prejudice the Motion to Dismiss; and granting the Motion to Stay.
On February 19, 2025. the plaintiff voluntarily dismissed Michelle Forcier from the lawsuit.
According to the docket listing, the case was terminated on September 17, 2025. The nature of the suit is described as “Other Statutory Actions” (28 U.S.C. § 1446 removal).

References

Goldstein, Julie Rei (September 18, 2025). “Breaking #DeTransLaw News! Layton Ulery’s lawsuit against all Defendants (including Jason Rafferty) except for Julie Lyons has been Dismissed w/out Prejudice. The claims against Julie Lyons have been Remanded to the RI Superior Court. Judge notes it’s unlikely to survive SOL [statute of limitations].” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1968807911657701684

Goldstein, Julie Rei (May 8, 2025). “#DeTransLaw News in the Ulery v. Raffery, et al case! After Dr. Michelle Forcier filed a Motion to Dismiss back in February for exceeding the SOL, Layton Ulery and her legal team at @detranslaw chose to voluntarily dismiss her from the case rather than file a response.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1920592619866136738

Goldstein, Julie Rei (February 11, 2025). “Major #DeTransLaw News! After a long delay in the Ulery case, US Attorney’s Office filed motion to replace Defendants and Dismiss the Complaint for Failure to State a Claim, citing failure to timely exhaust administrative claims within the 2 year SOL of her 2018 “injury” (Cont.)” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1889382691679727743

Goldstein, Julie Rei (). “A #detranslaw update in the case of Layton Ulery. The stay from 2/26/24 has been lifted and Defendants (Now US Attorney’s Office) have been ordered to file an answer or responsive pleading within 14 days.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1865117079684145358

Goldstein, Julie Rei (March 3, 2024). “A couple pieces of #DeTransLaw I missed while I was away: In Ulery v Rafftery, the judge has granted the 6 month motion to stay of 6 months (until Aug 12, 2024) for Hannah Ulery to go through the administrative claim process via US Dept of HHS as per the Federal Torts Claims Act.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1764463568387236285

Goldstein, Julie Rei (February 2, 2024). “Speaking of #DeTransLaw, things don’t seem to be going so well for CMP in Hannah Ulery’s case. Instead of Jason Rafferty’s counsel, they’re now facing the US Attorney’s Office, who just this week filed a motion to dismiss based on the Federal Tort Claims Act.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1753545585247039727

Goldstein, Julie Rei (January 17, 2024). “Looks like we have news in the #DeTransLaw front! Hannah Ulery’s lawsuit against Jason Rafferty and Michelle Forcier (among others) has been removed to a Federal Court by Defendant Petition. These moves tend to be extremely beneficial to Defendants. Another huge blow for CMP.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1747805110519070888

Goldstein, Julie Rei (December 22, 2023). “Interesting #DeTransLaw tidbit. Gregory Piccirilli, being retained by Hannah Ulery and Isabelle Ayala in their lawsuits against Rafferty, Forcier and the AAP, is also defending Trump’s ballot eligibilty in Rhode Island as well as fired anti-vaxxer lawsuits.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1738253774031106112

Goldstein, Julie Rei (December 5, 2023). “Found a copy of the Ulery v. Rafferty Complaint and it makes some pretty wild arguments; among them is lack of informed consent because Layton had DID and consent wasn’t obtained from all of her alters. I can’t imagine this is expected of any other medical treatment. #DeTransLaw.” https://x.com/JulieRei/status/1732104130746052902

Coleman, Jane (November 3, 2023). Two High-Stakes Detransitioner Lawsuits Filed in Rhode Island. Legal Insurrection https://legalinsurrection.com/2023/11/two-high-stakes-detransitioner-lawsuits-filed-in-rhode-island/

Urquhart, Evan (October 23, 2023). What’s the Deal With Multiple Personality Detransitioner Layton Ulery? Assigned Media https://www.assignedmedia.org/breaking-news/layton-ulery-detransition-lawsuit

Coverage in anti-trans press

Solas, Nicole (February 22, 2024). Detransitioners Sue Rhode Island Medical Provider And Persistent Public School Agitator. Daily Wire https://www.dailywire.com/news/detransitioners-sue-rhode-island-medical-provider-and-persistent-public-school-agitator

Perkins, Faith (October 26, 2023). Gender detransitioner sues prominent doctors she says pushed her into it. The Lion https://readlion.com/another-gender-detransitioner-sues-prominent-doctors-she-says-pushed-her-into-it/

Press Team (October 24, 2023). BREAKING: Female Detransitioner Sues American Academy of Pediatrics Alleging Fraudulent ‘Affirmative Care’ Model. Independent Women’s Forum https://www.iwf.org/2023/10/24/breaking-female-detransitioner-sues-american-academy-of-pediatrics-alleging-fraudulent-affirmative-care-model/

“Mondegreen, Eliza” (October 23, 2023). Detransitioner files lawsuit against ‘gender-affirming’ clinicians. UnHerd https://unherd.com/newsroom/detransitioner-files-lawsuit-against-gender-affirming-clinicians/

Potter, Will (October 21, 2023). EXCLUSIVE: Lesbian detransitioner with multiple personality disorder who escaped cult sues medics who prescribed her testosterone after deciding she was transgender, causing painful and permanent side effects. Daily Mail https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12654975/Detransitioner-multiple-personality-gender-reassignment.html

Litigation

PacerMonitor (January 16, 2024). Ulery v. Rafferty,MD et al. https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/52021093/Ulery_v_Rafferty,MD_et_al

PacerMonitor (January 16, 2024). Ulery v. Rafferty, MD et al 1:24-CV-00024 https://www.pacermonitor.com/public/case/52021093/Ulery_v_Rafferty,MD_et_al

Campbell Miller Payne (October 23, 2023). Hannah Ulery v. Rafferty et al. PC-2023-05366 https://legalinsurrection.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ulery-Amended-Complaint-filed.pdf

Media

Psychic Somatics [Layton Ulery] (February 19, 2024). Why I Detransitioned. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8ZO-_hlExY

You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist with Stephanie Winn and Layton Ulery (February 12, 2024). 96. From Cult to Gender Clinic: Misdiagnosis, Detransition & Healing — Layton, part 2. You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BuAxWmzG5Y

You Must Be Some Kind of Therapist with Stephanie Winn and Layton Ulery (February 5, 2024). 95. Transing the Gay Away? Cults, Actual Conversion Therapy, & Dissociation: part 1 with Layton. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9CzonMkcmpU